(in no particular order)

…Steve Walston. For spending approximately 14 hours in the back seat of a car with both Walstonlings, and never once threaten to throw himself onto I-5. For keeping with Walston tradition, and managing to nearly sever his head from his body with a hand-saw while pruning the olive tree. For finally getting a haircut like George Clooney. For managing to elude yet another Scrabble-death-match with Dani.

…Stella Walston. For being, by far, the most patient, pleasant and well demeanored passenger in the car. Both ways. For giving the “you. here. now” finger-point to unsuspecting Thanksgiving diners, requesting their participation in the Elephants on a String dance. For convincing her Grandma Judy that it was a good idea for the two of them to sleep in a twin bed together. For gracefully handling her first major holiday not as an only child.

…Porter Walston. For being saddled with an ear infection before, during and after the visit. For diligently continuing to work on his goal of achieving Most Distance Scooted Either Sideways or Backwards. For tolerating being licked on the face, repeatedly, by Lily. For enduring (and surviving) his first official Walston-Anderson family holiday.

…Judy Walston. For being out of her ever-loving mind and volunteering, nay, demanding that she and Bill give up their room (and obscenely large bed) in order to sleep in the spare room. On twin beds. With both grandchildren. All night. ALL THREE NIGHTS. For being barked at, ordered around and pestered relentlessly by a bossy three-year-old, and acting as though it were a priviledge. For not falling out of her chair when son and daugher-in-law showed her the price range of the properties they have been coveting. For displaying all of Stella’s mud pies decoratively on a cake pedestal.

…Bill Walston. For being out of his ever-loving mind for letting his wife convince him that the aforementioned plan was actually a good idea. For single-handedly doing about 600 loads of dishes. For giving Stella’s nose back each and every time he took it. For being the ultimate good sport in all of the things he was cajoled into doing.

…Andy Anderson. For playing human jungle-gym even though it nearly snapped his entire body in half. For teaching Stella the Neener-Neener game (for which, he will pay dearly). For cooking the stuffing on the barbeque when oven space became scarce. For hosing down the gigantic mess that was made when someone dropped the leftovers container of green-bean casserole on the patio.

…Dani Anderson. For planning, and shopping, and cooking and cleaning, and then planning some more, and shopping some more, and in the end, pulling it all together to host 16 people to Thanksgiving dinner. For doing all of this even though it meant having to sacrifice her precious grandchild hours which, incidentally, was not compensated for by sleeping with Stella-the-sideways-sleeper. For allowing Steve to not have his ass kicked in Scrabble. Again.

…Scott Walston. For repeatedly punching his “family time” timecard. For being yelled at NOT to clear tables. For always being the tallest guy in the room.

Honorable Mentions going to…

…Sharan Benson. For providing a pumpkin cheesecake that, due to it’s most insanely pleasurable deliciousness, will probably send all of us straight to food rehab for even walking by it at the dessert table. For providing the most amazing gravy 911 of all time.

…Gailie & Annie. For not only hauling themselves to this shindig, but also subjecting their families to the look-at-my-granchild-fest that these things always turn out to be.

Note to all recipients: “Gizzard”, your gilded turkey statuette shall be forthcoming.

Cue excessively long photo montage.