A few years after having children, Todd and I grew tired of the typical Thanksgiving celebration. It wasn’t the turkey and filling that pushed us to this alternative. It was sitting around afterwards, like beached whales on overstuffed sofas while the TV played football or wrestling. It made us feel like we wanted something more from this holiday.

So we took the things we like to do, the things that matter most, and created an alternative celebration — kind of a cross between Native American celebrations and the pioneer spirit. We don’t claim it’s authentic, but it’s nearer to the soul of who we are.

Preparation started months ahead of time as our ideas took form. When I shot a deer the previous hunting season, Todd taught himself how to build a wooden frame octagonal drum and stretched

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