Turkey Bowl 2008

Nick designed the shirts this year and many of the past years. I like the look of this year's. Nick wears it well - coming to a future blog. Thanks to Sara Jones for the pictures.

There is something that happens every year Thanksgiving morning. To some it might be frantically cooking up the turkey, making great smashed potatoes, or even getting the pie crust to be flaky. But for some it has nothing to do with food. For some Thanksgiving is all about football. I'm not meaning the sit-down-in-front-of-the-TV kind of football. I'm meaning that get all bundled up because it's 20 degrees outside football. Then heading up to the football field at the high school an hour earlier than normal to beat out all other trespassers onto the field.

Here are those football fanatics! Okay, I guess it could be considered a family bonding time, but when stories come back about how this cousin threw this cousin or his own son down, and this cousin stomped all over this cousin, I wonder how much family bonding is occurring.
My first question when all come home is did anyone get hurt. I've been amazed over the years to get that negative answer every year. I know how competitive my children and some of the nieces and nephews-in-law are, so I'm pleasantly surprised.

I never have asked the other question. Were there some tender family moments?

All in all I'm glad the kids have something to do Thanksgiving morning. It keeps them busy while I work with the turkey and try to get something done. Most of all I'm glad because they come home happy, bright cheeks and grins galore. They just enjoy being with each other playing a sport they love.