Lisa Sipler, Audrey's Mom.
Lisa Sipler has celebrated Thanksgiving with her three children and husband the same for the past few years. A turkey dinner and saying what you are thankful for is the occasional Thanksgiving day at the Sipler house, but when Lisa Sipler was growing up it was a whole different story.
Growing up in Colorado, Lisa lived with her grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Every year on Thanksgiving, the aunts would decide who would hold the Thanksgiving get together and make the turkey. The rest of the family would bring the other plates of food. They also played games outside and watched the football game. Along with that, there was separate tables for children and adults, which Lisa says was so annoying because she always had to sit with the children. Lisa explains how her grandmother would make an oyster dressing every Thanksgiving. When she passed away, Lisa's mother took over and still makes the dressing today.
Lisa remembers when her aunt Penny, "Who is a little kooky" Lisa quotes, was in charge of making the turkey and she made a bit of a mistake. She decided to cook the turkey frozen. Her pumpkin pies also turned out green. Thanksgiving that year did not turn out the best but being to celebrate Thanksgiving with family was still a joy for Lisa. Being able to spend time with her three kids and her husband is still the perfect Thanksgiving.
At the Sipler house, Lisa occasionally assigns each of her three kids a dish to help prepare. Haydn usually made the stuffing, Everett prepared the mashed potatoes and sometimes helped with the turkey, and Audrey always made a special kind of pie. Serving food such as fruit, vegetables, meat, and cheese before eating the actual Thanksgiving is also a tradition for most holidays with the Siplers'. After eating a nicely prepared dinner, relaxing took place. It was a day for honoring what you are thankful for and to take naps.
"Thanksgiving sure has changed over the years" Lisa says. She also explains how when she lived in Colorado when she was younger, everyone in the family would honor this day. Today, Thanksgiving is all about turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, and stuffing in the Sipler house. The annual tradition of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents gathering for this holiday has definitely adapted differently over the years. Everyone has moved and does not live in Colorado anymore. Family has moved on and some have passed away. Lisa also says how holidays, ever since her grandma passed away, have not been the same because she was the glue to all of them.
