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Family TiesThanksgiving through the eyes of our families

a golden children productiontemple university

photojournalism © 2012

To the families that raised us, supported us and watched us grow throughout the years...

Family Ties

ContentsThe Families

Andersons

CorredorsColons

DubinskysJacobsonsJimenezs

Marabellas

Parsons’Plaksens

ReimoldsVan Kuyks

Wojciks

Pinas

McPeaks

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The Families

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The Andersons

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Cara Anderson Sometimes, it feels like everything is falling apart. In the past, holidays amplified the feelings of loneliness that I had at home. The relations between my family members were clouded, and holidays were honestly stressful. Sitting across the table from an empty seat made me feel hopeless. Hearing my dad and brother fight made me want to disappear. Seeing the frustrated tears in my mom’s eyes let me know I wasn’t the only one who wished everything could be “normal” for at least one day.

I couldn’t be happier to say that this was not the case this past Thanksgiving. There were, miraculously, no fights. Perhaps it was the fact that we ate dinner at my grandma’s house for a change. In fact, it seemed that all of our selfishness tendencies diminished. Everyone was mindful that this day was about spending time together. Besides forgetting the pumpkin cheesecake at home, everything went seamless.

We’re told that our family will always be there for us. It took me a while to feel like this sentiment was a reality. I now know that my family will never be “normal” by any standard. They are dysfunctional and strange, but I wouldn’t change a thing about them. Yes, in the past there have been heavyhearted holidays, but we’ve learned to move past that. Embracing the flaws and changing dynamics allowed my family to have a truly thankful, peaceful, and enjoyable holiday. The importance of sharing a Thanksgiving feast lies in the ability to be gratuitous for everything that we share.

There will be days that seem endless, fights that seem unresolvable, but your family will never give up on you. I firmly believe that if we continue to show people support, it will be reciprocated. Embody love and understanding because people will surely change and life will undoubtedly continue. All that you can control is how you respond to the obstacles in front of you.

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A quote by Mark Twain hangs in the dining room of Helene Trout’s Swarthmorewood abode.

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A roasted turkey, the main course, awaits to be devoured.

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Roasted fingerling potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole; delicious side dishes.

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Jayna Anderson celebrates her first 21-year-old Thanksgiving with a spot of whisky.”

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For Thanksgiving dinner we used Grandma Helene’s silverware, saved for special occasions.

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Brothers Pat, Paul, and Jack stand behind their father Jack Anderson at the Thomas Massey car show.

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An antique Volkswagen Bus remained nestled peacefully on Thanksgiving morning.

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Aimee Anderson uncorks a bottle of wine, acting so sophisticated.”

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Patrick and Jayna Anderson are captivated by their iPhones during Thanksgiving break.

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Broccoli steams in a double boiler in preparations for Thanksgiving dinner.

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The Anderson family, and grandma Helene Trout gather around the dinner table.

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The Colons

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Jacob Colon I’ve been going to Northampton, Massachusetts for the last fifteen years or so in order to give thanks for all that I have. I remember as a youngin’ making the trek up north from my small beach-island home of Long Beach, New York. We would leave at ten in the morning and plan to get to my aunt and uncle’s house by one in the afternoon. I always sat in between my older brothers in the backseat. I would be moaning about lack of legroom while my brother Sam tried to listen to his Walkman over my father’s choice of radio volume. Sam’s Sex Pistols are great, and I love my dad’s jazz, but when they were both competing to be heard in the same car, I preferred peace and quiet. At noon Sam would take off his headphones and the entire family – my mother Joanne and father Eugene, my brothers Sam and David, and I – would all lend our ears to National Public Radio for the annual airing of Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant.” This is where I learned to laugh. Fifteen years later, not much has changed besides the crowd. This Thanksgiving Sam was on the other side of the globe, trekking through Turkey while we in Northampton dug our hands into the bird of the same name. The older my cousins and brothers get, the earlier they “split” from Northampton to head back to New York. Two of my cousins now have husbands so the damn in-laws try to steal them from our Thanksgiving table. Contrarily, a new baby girl was ushered into my extended family three years ago and another is on the way. The Thanksgiving table on Dryads Green Street in Northampton, Massachusetts is symbolic of many things. Life stumbles in and out of my aunt and uncle’s ancient colonial three-story home. Here and there people aren’t able to attend and give their thanks in person, but that leaves more room at the table for new additions. No matter who is there, all who can’t make it are undoubtedly present in a spirit so strong that they deserve their own seats anyway. Each year is different, but each year is beautiful, and for that we are all thankful. As my Yiddish (not Jewish, but Yiddish) grandmother alludes to Jerusalem each Thanksgiving passed, “Next year in Northampton!” Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas to all (that means you, Jewish kids)!

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The Corredors

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Milena Corredor This year’s a little different. It’s not just my family. It’s family friends as well. When I say family friends I mean my family’s friends, not mine. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great people and if I spent enough time in Aberdeen, Maryland, I’m sure I would count them as such. However, they met me for the first time on Thanksgiving Day with a camera essentially glued into my hands. I am positive they were not expecting a photo shoot. But that’s what they get when they sign up for a Corredor Thanksgiving: football on the television, adults conversing civilly, most of the cousins putting all of their attention into their electronics, and me, possibly editing, more than likely in your face shooting every last thing you do. I personally hate thanksgiving. I actually hate the fall/winter months in general, but Thanksgiving, that’s in the league of its own. To me, it’s not at all what we were taught it was. And I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels that way. What I will say, however, is that I love my family. We’re a neurotic bunch, always making things more complicated than they should be. But we’re also the kind of people who never turn away from family. I know I can always call them; I know I can always count on them. Their influence was so great on me that, growing up, the conscience in my head took the voice of my father’s. That’s why, even now, when I get invitations to spend holidays at my boyfriend’s family’s house, I still choose to take that hour and half trip back to a town I can’t stand just so I can spend time with them. Thanksgiving means nothing to me; but it’s an excuse to take a day from my crazy life just to see my family and the people they surround themselves with. I think that makes it all worth it.

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Aunt Anita graciously passes the stuffing to Carlos Corredor.

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The remnants of what used to be a full turkey sits idly in the kitchen waiting for cleanup.

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A German chocolate cake and apple caramel cupcakes hang out on the dessert table.

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The kitchen gets messy during preparation time at the Corredor Thanksgiving.

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For quite some time, the Corredor family made it a tradition to give their children a small sip of celebratory wine during the Holidays. Having turned 21 this year, Milena took her first full glass.

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Cousin Carlitos lays down after eating a Thanksgiving dinner.

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Cousins, Edie and Carlitos, watch TV after Thanksgiving dinner.

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The Corredor family sits down at the dinner table to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

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Cousin, Carlitos, laughs at a joke Milena’s brother muttered under his breath.

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The Dubinskys

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Kelsey DubinksyThanksgiving has always been a time to spend with my friends and family, but as I’ve gotten older and spent more time away from home, it has become more important to me. Our traditional thanksgiving dinner has always been with both sides of my family, since they’re both quite small. Although I had so much in my life to be thankful for this year, our Thanksgiving dinner itself fell a bit short and far from traditional.

With my sister in Argentina, my uncle in Virginia, and us unable to go to my mother’s family dinner in Pittsburg, our dinner party only consisted of my mother, father, grandmother, dog and I. This was a new experience for all of us, and no one was necessarily happy about it. It felt more like an every day dinner.

My mother did her best to bring the feel of thanksgiving back with all of her cooking, consisting of turkey, green been casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and a desert of chocolate fudge brownies with mint chocolate chip ice cream. After dinner my dad and I watched soccer and football, and then my sister Skyped us. It was the perfect ending to a not so perfect dinner.

Although this dinner wasn’t traditional, it was a good reminder for me that life doesn’t always go the way that you expect or want it to, but there is always something to be thankful for.

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To keep Ashlee Dubinsky, who is in Argentina, a part of Thanksgiving this year the Dubinksy family ended the dinner by Skyping her.

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As a two day process, Becky Dubinksy prepared the main dish, a turkey, for Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Becky Dubinsky uncovers the turkey on Thanksgiving.

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Post Thanksgiving dinner, my dog, Chica, and father, Scott, headed straight to the family room to catch up on soccer and football.

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Although our Thanksgiving dinner fell short from tradition this year, my mother, Becky, set the table with a festive feel to it.

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Scott Dubinksy makes a face after finishing his dinner plate on Thanksgiving.

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Sheila, Becky and Scott Dubinsky joke over Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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The Jacobsons

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Charlotte Jacobson For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has always been a

mismatched holiday for my family. When I was younger, we would eat at

my uncle’s house and his wife would make dinner. After a while they were

divorced, and my immediate family was left to eat Thanksgiving for two

years solo. But for the past five years we’ve had a tradition with our family

friends, who are essentially our family. Ironically enough, their last name is

Jacobs. Not a far cry from Jacobson.

Even though the Jacobson clan does not celebrate with biological family,

our annual Thanksgiving with the Jacobs is just incredible. I don’t mean

to sound cheesy or anything, but these people might as well be my family. I

wouldn’t give up sharing Thanksgiving with them for anything. Each year

we switch whose house we will go to, and this year it was ours.

The Macy’s parade is always what starts the day in the my family. We’ll

watch it and eat breakfast and then the cooking begins. All day my family

was bustling around the kitchen and dining room cooking food and setting

up the dinner table. But it’s not as boring as it sounds. My family is not the

quiet type. In the midst of setting my dinner table, my dad came into the

dining room, rocking out on his guitar spatula. It was passed from him, to

my sister, and then to my brother and they all took their turns “playing” it.

The craziness continued throughout the day. When the Jacobs arrived,

drinks were poured and the appetizers were set out. It didn’t take long for the

Lady Gaga to blast through the speakers and make my mom start dancing

around the kitchen. Dinner was served, jokes were shared, and the night was

really one to remember.

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In order to keep with the autumn atmosphere outside, Sam Jacobson and Jack Jacobson covered the dinner table with Japanese Maple Leafs and various flowers from their

mother’s garden.

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It is Jacobson tradition to put bacon on the turkey as it cooks to keep in the moisture and to add to the flavor.

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Charlotte Jacobson’s dinner plate on Thanksgiving included all of the dishes prepared that evening.

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The Thanksgiving dishes at the Jacobson household included steamed green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, turkey, and stuffing.

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Dessert was full of a variety of foods including the traditional pumpkin pie, apple pie, cheesecake, and key lime angel food cake.

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The Jacobs brought their dog, Rocky, to the Jacobson household decked out in his holiday attire.

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Sam Jacobson takes a break from setting the table by rocking out on Neil Jacobson’s guitar spatula.

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Natalie Jacobs mimics her mother’s laugh after finishing Thanksgiving dinner.

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Mary Ann Jacobs laughs at her daughter’s imitation of herself.

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Jack Jacobson wastes no time waiting for the rest of the family to sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

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Sam Jacobson enjoys cuddling with the Jacobs’ dog Rocky, who seems more than happy to be in the center of attention.

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The Jimenezs

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Indira Jimenez Thanksgiving. Feliz acción de gracias. Turkey Day. Four day weekend. T-Day. Whatever you may call it, the day can never lose its meaning. It provides a chance for one to forget about the materialistic way and rat race of life to focus on the most important things: health, love, harmony, good eats, and most importantly family. Growing up, I always thought that Thanksgiving was just an excuse for my juvenile self to scream “GOBBLE GOBBLE” around my Mama and Papa’s, my grandmother Lilia Lantigua Jiménez and grandfather Javier Jiménez on my mother’s side, as well as scarfing down some of my Grandma Gwen’s, my father’s mother, decadent and yummy sweet potato pie. It’s sometimes an understatement to say I come from a huge family: I was a first generation kid since my mother and her family moved to the States from the Dominican Republic, while my father’s family hailed from Derby, CT, as well as from the South, specifically Alabama. This Thanksgiving was my second one where I was coming home to New England from Philadelphia. But just like last year, it was like I never left. My two grandmothers’ intoxicating cooking, my mother’s embrace, my father’s wild antics, my grandfathers’ conversation and wisdom, my overall family’s ways is what made this holiday great. Let’s just say that the turkey wasn’t the only thing that filled me with a warm gratification. A heartfelt and emotional wave hit me while documenting this year’s Thanksgiving: the sight of an abundant number of my family members chatting, imbibing, cackling, and enjoying each other’s company. A product of two vibrant cultures and different holiday traditions, where a

helping of collard greens and grits is almost always paired with a vivacious Dominican

colloquialism, I feel proud to know where I come from. This Thanksgiving certainly

proved that.

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Quirky china and a cranberry pumpkin centerpiece make the dinner table warm and inviting at the Jiménez - Lewis family Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Mama Jiménez’s roast turkey receives finishing touches before heading to the dinner table for the Jiménez - Lewis family Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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A colorful plate of Mama Jiménez’s roast turkey, Grandma Gwen’s fresh cornbread, green beans, three bean salad with avocado, and buttery ‘smashed’ potatoes complete

Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Buttery ‘smashed’ potatoes and yummy stuffing receives final touches for the Jiménez - Lewis family’s Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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The table has a wide variety of scrumptious dishes for the Jiménez - Lewis family Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Javier “Papa” Jiménez toasts a glass of red wine to the camera at the Jiménez - Lewis family’s Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Little Amelie plays coyly to the camera while waiting for the start of the Jiménez - Lewis family Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Jam Jar, a South African sweet shiraz and a favorite of the Jiménez - Lewis family, adds to a pretty display for Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Woody “Pop Pop” Lewis awaits hungrily for the Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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A wedding photo of Lilia “Mama” Jiménez and Javier “Papa” Jiménez is displayed in their home in Springfield, MA on November 22, 2012.

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Chris Lewis enjoys a post dinner glass of sweet shiraz at the Jiménez - Lewis family Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Javier “Papa” Jiménez helps his wife Lilia “Mama” Jiménez settle at the dinner table for the Jiménez - Lewis family Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Chris Lewis and his nephew, six year old Jack Delaney, horse around after dinner at the Jiménez - Lewis family Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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The Pinas

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Marissa Nicole Pina The smell of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies greeted me as I opened my

eyes on Thanksgiving Day. The sound of clanking pots and pans down the kitchen was

my alarm. Each year this was how I awoke on Thanksgiving since I could remember.

The year my mother stopped baking cookies with me while watching the Thanksgiving

Day parade is one I can’t seem to remember, but it turned those previous into nostalgic

memories I’ll always think about on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day has now become a day of rest, food, and fun with my family.

This year Thanksgiving fell on November 22, 2012 so I traveled home to Allentown, Pa

the day before. I went home with two things in mind, food and family. All I wanted was

turkey and candied sweet potatoes in front of me and my family and friends next to me,

and of course my two dogs as well.

Thanksgiving has turned into just a day of food and fun within my family. My

immediate family is just my mom, dad, and myself. My other family, those who live in

New Jersey and other states, never come to our house so my parents and I usually spend

the holiday at our home together with a couple of friends. Most people have huge 20 or

more people gatherings and thinking about eating and mixing with that many family

members just seems foreign to me. I am perfectly content with my little family and our

weird quirks we all have. This year my family bought a turkey hat, and that hat was

passed around more than the bowl of mashed potatoes. I had never noticed the things

my family does that I wouldn’t consider strange but others might view as eccentric, but

noticing these things now gave me so much more appreciation for my family.

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Trudi Pina and her daughter Marissa Pina pose in a glamorous style after Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 2012.

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Trudi Pina bastes the turkey while it cooks early in the day on Thanksgiving day on November 22, 2012.

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Trudi Pina set the table for Thanksgiving for her family and friends; the meal consisted of candied sweet potatoes, turkey, Brussels sprouts, stuffing, green beans, and mashed potatoes.

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Marcel Pina carved the 20-pound turkey the Pina family planned to eat for Thanksgiving.

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Two turkey legs rest on the serving platter to let the juices settle before the dinner at 5 p.m. on November 22, 2012.

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Naomi, the Pinas’ family dog, sleeps contently after her Thanksgiving meal in the turkey hat on November 22, 2012

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The dogs, River and Naomi, had to be crated during the actual meal so they would not disturb the dinner and guests.

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The Marabellas

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Courtney Marabella

My family has never been big on tradition. When Thanksgiving rolls around there is no movie we always watch, there is no specific order we sit in at the table, there is no cutesy little “what are you thankful for game” that happens at the table during dinner. My family was just never into that type of thing. However, while we don’t have traditions that are set in stone, there are certain things that always seem to happen at the Marabella family Thanksgiving. We don’t plan these things out, they’re not huge ordeals, they are just little things that always occur. For example, the quote “we’re not yelling, we’re just talking” is always said by my mother at some point throughout the day. The fact of the matter is, my family is loud; we’re Italian, it’s in our blood. We’re all loud individually, so when you put us all in the same vicinity, the volume is just off the charts. There is never malicious yelling (when you’re Italian American you learn to tell the difference between loud talking and actual yelling), it’s just people talking over each other about casual, everyday things. However, some Thanksgiving guests are not completely used to this, like my Uncle Scott who lives by himself. He never has to deal with loudness. So, whenever we get especially loud he’ll ask us why we’re yelling, to which my mother responds, “we’re not yelling, we’re just talking.” I think the fact that traditions can be established without people even realizing it is pretty crazy. I think it speaks a lot to what holidays like Thanksgiving are all about. People want that familiarity one these days, they want to be in their comfort zone with people they love. Maybe those factors force people to unconsciously refer back to past behavior. It’s weird to say, but even those these tiny little details of my Thanksgiving are not actually traditions, to me it still would not feel like Thanksgiving without them.

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Paul Marabella prepares to carve the turkey.

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The Marabella family turkey, carved and ready to be served.

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The dining room table, which was meticulously set by Trisha Marabella.

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Nicholas and Michael Marabella horse around before dinner.

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Michael Marabella tries is best to express his hunger.

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As Italians, the Marabella’s take great pride in their tomato sauce.

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Rita Yardley prepares her plate, focusing her attention on the mashed potatoes.

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Everyone finally sits down to enjoy dinner.

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Michael Marabella shows off his plate.

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The McPeaks

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Patrick McPeak

Ever since I was a small child, I have always been one to get excited about holidays. Coming from a large and loud Italian family, celebrations around the holidays were always something to look forward too. With both my grandfathers making toasts to happiness and health for our family and friends were something I didn’t understand as a kid but echoed long into the future as I grew up. As I grew older, I have, unfortunately, not been able to resist the temptation to grow jaded and exhausted as the holidays approach. After having both grandfathers pass relatively close to each other, I watched both sides of my family grow into strangers that just happened to sit around the same table. Both of my grandfathers were absolute legends among men. A highly educated doctor and a hardworking tradesman, they could not have come from different backgrounds but both of them grew close as my families spent more years together. Two men that had enough charisma to fill a warehouse over. Once both of them left our lives, a great power vacuum was created and many of my family members quickly tried to fill the void. My family has had a lot of tough times surrounding the holidays. One of the downfalls of coming from a large family of very strong personalities is that many of the characters the make it up rarely hold their tongue when it comes to feelings. After many years of watching my mother pretend to enjoy the holidays without her father and having her brothers and sisters not make it any easier, we decided to keep our family gatherings limited to us. My father, mother, brother and myself celebrated Thanksgiving this year by ourselves. Even though that sounds like the opposite of Thanksgiving, I could not have been happier celebrating the holiday which calls us to remind ourselves what we are thankful for with the 3 things I cherish most in this world. From “shotgunning” beers with my brother in the afternoon, to watching my father artfully prepare our meal of filet mignon stuffed with crab, to hearing my mother laugh so hard that tears of joy were the only ones shed that day, I can honestly say that this Thanksgiving was finally a success. Although my family has been through a lot through the years, nothing has ever come between us when it comes to being a family.

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Jerry McPeak showcases his talents as a chef every year at the McPeak family Thanksgiving.

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The finishing touches are added to the filet along with a generous helping of garlic butter.

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With so much focus on turkey being the traditional dish, the McPeak’s decide to break tradition and serve filet mignon as their main course.

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Nick McPeak enjoys both the main course and the multiple side dishes of asparagus, mashed potatoes and stuffing.

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Unable to contain his excitement, Nick McPeak settles himself in for a traditional McPeak Thanksgiving meal.

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Garlic and spinach are two essential ingredients to Jerry McPeak’s famous filet mignon.

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After butchering the main course, part of it is prepped an appetizer with some of the leftovers.

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Nick McPeak was the first to serve himself dinner after a day full of family bonding.

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After the filet was stuffed full of crab and spinach, it is neatly tied and ready for the oven.

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The Parsons

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Danielle Parsons

Thanksgiving has always been very special for not only myself, but my familyas well. I can’t get too personal here, but when I was a child my family was veryfinancially unstable. My father was laid off and had an extremely difficult timefinding a job and making ends meet. As a child you can’t really comprehend exactly what’s going on, you just sitthere and feel bad because you know something is wrong. My parents did a great jobat putting on a happy face for my brother and I, but we knew. We knew life would bedifferent from now on. Our house was on the verge of going into foreclosure and my family and Iwere on the verge of being homeless. Somehow, two days before Thanksgiving, myfamily was granted a loan, which would help save our house and give us time to getback on our feet. My father now runs a successful logistics business and was able toput my brother and I through college, loan free. My family started a tradition last year where we spend every Thanksgiving in Ocean City, New Jersey. This Thanksgiving was different because we thought wewere going to lose our house at the shore. We were fortunate enough to only haveminor damage. The beach is especially beautiful this time of year, with everyonegetting ready for the holidays and the slight chill in the air. That being said, I love sitting down at the table with my whole family, eating,laughing, and just having a good time. Its little moments like that I am the mostthankful for, where everyone stops their busy lives just to be together.

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Mrs. Parsons prepares for Thanksgiving early in the afternoon by chopping celery.

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After several hours, the turkey is done and ready to go.

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The table is set while dinner is prepared.

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Mrs. Parsons rushes to the stove fearing some of dinner might be burned.

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Hungry grandma Joan is the first to help herself to dinner

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Dinner is served and the Parsons family is chatting away.

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Mrs Parsons and a family friend check on the turkey to make sure it’s not burnt.

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Mrs Parsons takes a stroll on the empty Ocean City boardwalk.

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The Ocean City boardwalk is desolate with a single ferris wheel lit.

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141The Plaksens

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Nickee Plaksen Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that have a history in which most people do not know or care about. The origin is almost lost on people, unless they are children learning about it in kindergarten. Personally, I do not agree with the celebration, considering the Europeans essentially wiped out almost an entire race of people purely for the purpose of gaining land. I know I sound like that pessimist who looks too deeply into things instead of just accepting the joyous occasion, but I am able to get past it and enjoy the holiday for what it is: food and family. Although I do not particularly like the holiday for what it represents, I can appreciate what the holiday provides for families all over the country. It brings them together over a smorgasbord of delicious platters, usually including mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles, yams, stuffing, and of course, a giant, juicy turkey, big enough to feed an army. Food brings people together. It gives families a reason to sit around one table and enjoy each other’s company. Thanksgiving is the ultimate food holiday, allowing people to gorge themselves in good old fashioned American dishes and indulge themselves in copious amounts of wine, all whilst in the presence of their loved ones. My family celebrated just like any other quasi-“normal” American family, give or take a few quirks. For example, while most families most likely have some kind of fine china that they use on special occasions like Thanksgiving, my family used mismatched plates, plastic cups, and different sized wine glasses. Again, while most families are all sitting around one nicely set dinner table, I had cousins sitting on the couch eating at the coffee table. My family may not be the classiest in the traditional sense, but it is for that reason exactly that I love them so much. They’re loud, crazy, and fun and they are all I could ever ask for… In the end, I guess you could say I thank Thanksgiving for bringing my whole family together under one roof.

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The dining room table of the Plaksen residence in Cherry Hill, NJ on Thanksgiving Thursday 22, 2012 consists of mismatched plates, cups and silverware.

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Sliced turkey sits on the oven, waiting to be eaten by the Plaksen family.

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Each member of the family of 15, received a personalized sweet potato in which they could add whatever ingredients they wanted – such as marshmallows, brown sugar and cinnamon.

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Nickee Plaksen, 20, fills her plate with salad, green bean casarole, mashed potatoes, a yam and turkey, in celebration of the food-based holiday, Thanksgiving.

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Pinot Grigio tops of the Thanksgiving feast, an essential piece of the festivities at the Plaksen residence in Cherry Hill, NJ.

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Joey Plaksen, 18, makes a silly face in celebration of Thanksgiving, at the dinner table.

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Mitchell Plaksen, 58, holds up a turkey leg on Thanksgiving, looking particularly excited to eat it.

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Jules Gross plays the piano after a feast and a night of festivities at the Plaksen household on Thanksgiving.

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Aaron Plaksen takes a bite of green beans at the dinner table this past Thanksgiving in Cherry Hill, NJ.

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Aaron Plaksen jumps over a crack in the earth at an outdoor nature trail called Blueberry Hill in Voorhees, NJ, in a family outing before Thanksgiving dinner.

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People on quads and dirt bikes race through the open space at Blueberry Hill on Thanksgiving day in South Jersey.

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The Reimolds

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Abi Reimold

Usually I spend Thanksgiving hanging out with my cousins in Missouri. Our thanksgiving is huge with about 30-40 people and we meet in the rec room of a church in Cape Girardeau. The meal itself isn’t that prominent in my mind. Instead, it’s the squabble over who does the dishes, exploring and playing in the church where we meet, and walking around the farms directly surrounding the church. This year my family stayed home. We don’t have any traditions for staying home, so my only thanksgiving point of reference was the meal itself.

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The table is set at the Reimold Family Thanksgiving.

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Mr. Reimold grilled the annual turkey for the Thanksgiving celebration.

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Mr. Reimold prepares the grill to cook the turkey.

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Mrs. Reimold prepares a family favorite, dinner rolls for the family dinner.

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Charcol smokes in a traditional Weber kettle grill at the Reimold residence.

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A man waits for a ride home outside 30th Street Station on the morning of Thanksgiving day.

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A night time walk was lit by a half moon on the night of Thanksgiving.

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The Van Kuyks

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Ian Van Kuyk

“Oh God, when I have food, help me remember the hungry. When I have a home, help me remember the homeless. When I am with friends and family who love me, help me remember those who are friendless and shunned. And remembering, help me destroy my

complacency, move my heart and reach out by word and deed to those who cry out for what we take for granted.”

Dedicated to SSG Arie F. Van Kuyk

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Since his father’s passing, just days before Thanksgiving 1978, Michael Menapace has been hosting the Thanksgiving meal. What began as a way to lift a small burden for his distraught mother has

become a beloved family tradition.

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As with most families, the main dish on Thanksgiving is turkey, but the Van Kuyk family goes especially “nuts” for Uncle Mike’s pistachio stuffing.

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The table is set at the Van Kuyk house.

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SSG Van Kuyk enjoys his last days before his deployment on his third overseas tour with the people he is most thankful for; his daughters Lizzy and Lilly, Thanksgiving 2012.

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Lizzy Van Kuyk is excited to show off her olive fingers, a family tradition, Thanksgiving 2012.

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The Wojciks

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Mike Wojcik

Thanksgiving has always been something that I look forward to. I don’t think that I’ve always fully appreciated family time when I was younger, but it’s certainly something that I’ve learned to appreciate as I’ve grown as a person. I learned to recognize moments like my whole family being together, as memories that I will always have. It’s important for members of a family to interact and find out what is going on with each other. These are the people who are given to us to help us grow and instill values in us. Getting together for turkey, football, and a friendly shuffleboard match allows us to live in the moment and see what comes. I often feel amazed at the idea that someday I will have my own family. The thought of bringing people that I love together is a remarkable thing. I imagine that’s how my grandparents feel. I believe life is all about making memories with the people we love and leaving our own impressions on them so they learn and grow as people.

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Dan Wojcik playes outside with the cousins during Thanksgiving break.

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The beast.

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After heating the pot to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, Matt Wojcik submerges the bird.

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Yogi the dog is thankful for dinner time too.

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Caroline “Mima” Wojcik enjoyes some wine and family time.

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Matt Wojcik prepares the deep fryer for a 12 lb. turkey.

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Dan Wojcik sneaks a mouthful of food before dinner.

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Mark, Caitlyn, and Mima Wojcik await for the turkey to be carved.

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The youngsters: Michael Wojcik, Caroline Finer, Kerrin Wojcik, James and Tess Finer.

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CreditsBook Design

Charlotte JacobsonPatrick McPeak

Copy EditingCharlotte Jacobson

Patrick McPeakKelsey Dubinsky

Photojournalism 2012Temple University