If you have never heard of cornhole, then check out the two major governing bodies of the sport: American Cornhole Organization (ACO) and American Cornhole Association (ACA). I also recommend Cornhole Players dot Net, which has a forum, galleries, plans for boards and bags, and links to suppliers.

The game has a reputation among the college and tailgating crowd, but it is honestly fun for the whole family. I cannot wait to build a set of boards for us to play cornhole — Penn State themed, of course.

Aidan: [gets puzzled look on his face] Will we still get presents?

Pamela: Yes, daddy and I are going to get you presents.

Aidan: But it won’t be as good as Santa Grandpa and Grandma.

Last Friday several of the moms in our neighborhood got together for a Thanksgiving celebration. As you can tell by the pictures we dressed as Pilgrims and Indians. One of the moms told the story of the first Thanksgiving celebration and we enjoyed a feast. It was a great way to get me thinking about the upcoming holiday.

Over the past several years Scott and I have really tried to focus the kids attention (and ours) about why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Too often we treat it as a stepping stone to Christmas but it is a great way to remind our children and ourselves to be thankful for all the blessings that God has given us. We have used the book Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember by Barbara Rainey during dinner devotions to help remind us about why we celebrate this holiday. The book gives a historical account of the Pilgrim’s journey to the new world, highlighting their dependence on God. There is also a CD with instrumental hymns.