Our Thanksgiving on the Farm

This past Thursday, we packed up the car and headed about 40 minutes outside of Richmond to spend Thanksgiving with family on my Aunt & Uncle's horse farm here in Virginia. The day coincided with my birthday this year so it ended up being an extra special way to celebrate — today I've rounded up a few of my favorite snaps from the day if you care to see...


Gatherings at the farm on this side of the family always consist of a potluck format where everyone brings a dish to complete the feast. This year I decided to make our first batch of Hungarian sour cherry soup (if I'm being proper, Meggyleves) this season to bring along. It's a family favorite on our Hungarian side and one we thought may be nice to introduce to my Dad's side.

For those unfamiliar, the Hungarian cherry soup sounds very different, but is one of those things that once you give it a try, it becomes a bit of a cult favorite. It's a recipe from Tim's grandmother that his mother passed down. If curious, you can read more about our family background with this traditional soup along with the recipe here.

Outside of the meal and catching up with family, it was nice to visit with each of the horses, meet the new foals, check in on the winter vegetable garden and just generally walk the land, taking in the sites and smells of this expansive farm.

Outdoors the guys were huddled round, roasting a bushel of fresh oysters on the open grill — and later walked down the property line where they're used to hunting each season.

Just as the sun was beginning to set, my aunt brought our favorite pony, Brownie, out to say hello and ended up taking each of the little ones for a quick ride around the farm:

As you can see, we had fun capturing a few photos from the fun and even caught Brownie giving a big smile for the camera as the evening began to wind down:

It's equally surreal and heartwarming to watch the next generation experience and enjoy the same traditions we loved so much on this farm as children. I can only imagine my grandmother's delight in watching the family come together for Thanksgiving if she were still here. I like to think that perhaps she was in one way or another.

On the way home I asked Tim for a photo to remember my birthday on the farm, filled with family and new memories to bring home.

Outside of spending time at the farm we've been taking full advantage of the extended break by tackling a bit of home projects, trying out new-to-us eat spots, and slow-smoking a batch of house bacon. We're heading into this next week feeling rested and ready for the busy season ahead. As always, we appreciate you're taking the time to check in on us and wish a very happy season to you and yours.

Discover More

Hungarian Cherry Soup Recipe | Past Thanksgiving Entries