Your First Thanksgiving

One Big, Happy Family

Many people shuttle between both sides of their family at the holidays, which can be a drag. The year her first son was born, Lisa Shenton, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, put an end to that exhausting tradition: "We were really tired of eating two turkey dinners, so we invited both sides of the family and planned a dinner for 20!" says the mother to Cole, 3, and Luke, 1. To make it work despite having only one oven, Shenton and her husband invested in a turkey fryer: "We fry one turkey and bake the other." Since she asks each person to bring something, "we never feel overwhelmed, and we don't have to worry about everything coming out of the oven at the same time or about overcrowding the oven. It makes the day a treat for everyone!"