OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY - A Family Thanksgiving

 Susan at, A Southern Daydreamer, is our host for today's event.  Please visit Susan's blog for great outdoor posts.

MY FAMILY THANKSGIVING

The year 1997

This is a day I share each Thanksgiving because I love revisiting that special Thanksgiving so much.

Thankfulness is...This gathering of a family who loves each other dearly.

WE ARE SO BLESSED

(and a whole lot older)

HA!

This post is all about our family reunion for thanksgiving 1997.  It wasn't an ordinary reunion, I will let you see for yourself.   We had 85 family members attending this very special Thanksgiving.

The local newspapers heard of our huge family gathering (probably by my sister Carmen who has lived in Franklin a long time) and came out to this huge complex we rented for the week and asked to take our pictures.  We were thrilled of course.    We donned our pilgrim and Indian clothing and posed for the papers.   

Can you see me standing next to my son John on the far right.  I confess those clothes were not at all the most flattering to ones figure.  (Newspaper article above)

Have you guessed yet?  We all wore pilgrim clothing or Indian clothing.  Our ancestor John Coulter was in the Louis and Clark Expedition and is in the encyclopedia as the first white man to discover Yellowstone National Park.  My maiden name is Sylva Jeanne Coulter.   That is another story.  Now for the pilgrims and Indians attending this special Thanksgiving dinner.

Here we are my family all dressed for the big Thanksgiving dinner.

Jeanne and Bill.   I made our costumes.

                                                                          Our daughter Andrea and me on the right  

Daughter Christina, Garrett, little Caleb-Cody.

                                                                             Son Brett, Brandan and Bryce (right)

Daughter Diana, Robert, little ones Logan-Ashley

On the right-Son John and Molly Rose 

Sister Carmen kneeling, and her family

 

 

 

Sister Jane Anne and dh Bill (left)

Jane Anne's son Tim, Amy-twins-Andrew-Aaron

Sister Jane Anne and daughter Abbyjane/right

My brother Randy and his wife, Sharon  (On the right)  This posted kind of nuts. OE  LOL

My brother's daughter Wanda and her family

My sister Diane and her family. 

My sister Caralie and her family- Caralie is holding her dog Sasha

Do you remember Aunt Shirley?  She lives in the blue Victorian house posted on blue Mon. a few weeks back.  Here she is with her dh Uncle Bill.  She never misses a family gathering.

Well there were more but I shared my sisters and brother only. (except Aunt Shirley)  We were so blessed to be together that special Thanksgiving.

Some nieces and a nephew are missing from these photos.  They were probably somewhere thanking the Lord for getting away from the chaos.  All these photos were taken by my dh and families were gathered all around waiting their turn.  To say it was loud and crazy is an understatement.  LOL.  dinner would not be served until these photos were taken.  Not a popular concept.  After the photos were finished, 85 hungry pilgrims and Indians sat down in a huge dining room and shared their blessings and thankfulness for being together on this happiest of Thanksgiving celebrations.  The food was prepared by everyone's loving hands.  The tables were decorated with turkey pine cones made by all the children.  We gathered together with happy hearts and thanking God we all had food at last!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my dear blogging friends.  May God bless each of you on this coming Thanksgiving day.

Blessings and love...Jeanne

Comments

[Donnie]

What wonderful memories your family made. Looks like you all had a lot of fun and somebody is very organized to get that big of a group together. Great photos Jeanne. Happy Thanksgiving.

[Francisca]

What a fantastic experience your family shared! From the amazing costumes to having 85 sit together for a Thanksgiving meal... what a blessing! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Jeanne.

[racheld]

Oh, Jeanne!! What a splendid gathering!! All of them. Our own group is of the going-forward type, as almost all the elders are gone now, and I'm nearly next-in-line as oldest. I so love your close-knit, warm family group, and we'd all like to be a part of such an event and such a history.

Thank you SO much for sharing---I feel as if I've shared a bit of the history, as well, learning of all your family's past accomplishments.

I wish you all well and warm and happy this thankful, celebrating season!!

love,

rachel

[Jocelyn]

What an amazing heritage!! Lovely family reunion. Thanks so much for sharing.

[shelia]

Hi Dear Jeanne! Oh, I remember this wonderful post! You and your family look so cute! How nice you can go to be with your family for Thanksgiving! Hopefully that means you didn't have to cook everything! :)
Thanks for popping in to see me and I always appreciate your kind words!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

[Jenn]

Thanks for your recent comment on my blog and your compliment. I came over to see what I said on the last Pink Sat, since I couldn't remember and you mentioned it. While scrolling down I saw all those Indians and Pilgrims. OH! I spotted you right away with your son on the far right (1st photo, I think). And, Brett sure made a fine Indian. I hear that my maternal side has Cherokee blood. Never knew that til recently. I think that's neat about Coulter, John? Right? I hear-tell that my paternal grandfather or his father (?) road with Jessie James. Interesting stories in our families, if only we knew them all, or at least the interesting ones. Great family reunion photos - looks like you all really do love each other ... Enjoyed your post. Happy Thanksgiving. I think I need to make a pecan pie! Oops. Gotta go!

[Andrea]

It is indeed memorable, as it has already been from 1997 and still being revived now! Congratulations for having a very well knit family, happy thanksgiving for you all. We don't have Thanksgiving Day for our colonizers, as maybe we don't thank them for what they did! Like colonizer grasses, they are pulled out and weeded, they are considered invasives.

[Emily]

Wishing you and your beautiful family a very Happy Thanksgiving! Many blessings to you all!

[Theresa@Take A Sentimental Journey]

Hi Jeanne, i just love these pictures. I know ya'll had a ball ! Whew I feel like a stuffed turkey !!!! Hope you and your family had a wonderful day !

[Anne]

Oh Jeanne you have such a beautiful family and an exciting life! I love your costumes. What a special day that was! I really enjoyed reading about your family. I hope your day was wonderufl and I appreciate your kind greeting to me and the phamily. Hugs Anne

[Rosa]

Lauren - Ashley ~ These are ABSOLUTELY wonderful! I fall in love with them every time I see them which has prbobaly been over 100 now haha. You did an amazing job and I'm so happy with the quality of your work and really capturing Jim and I. So excited for you to capture the wedding day!