Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for this past year. We are truly blessed in so many ways. Each year we just seem to have more and more experiences that leave us humbled and grateful. So this year when we encountered some hiccups for the holidays I was (slightly) able to grin and bare it.

Let me just tell you that I am finding the holidays to be particularly tricky ever since we have moved. I love where we live. I love small towns, and truly a 3 hour drive from family is not that bad. However, having so many holiday plans AND living three hours away complicates things. 

Brent ended up having to work on what was supposed to be his week long vacation. Leaving me to do all of the Thanksgiving festivities we had planned by myself!

When Brent and I first got married I tried to integrate our families for the holiday festivities. I tried to host holiday get-togethers like Thanksgiving for "both" of our families. This proved to be a tradition that could not keep. So for the past oh, I don't know, 10 years we have done THREE of most holidays. We do our own  immediate family, my family, and his family. This may be how most people do it, I'm not sure...

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MY FAMILY

My younger sister Carleen hosted Thanksgiving for us this year. This is Carleen and Eric's first year in their new home. We had this Thanksgiving get-together on Black Friday. Carleen and Eric made a wonderful organic, free range turkey. We each brought different items and this year I was appointed pies. I made apple and  pumpkin pies. My niece Breanna started her first job EVER and had to leave early, which kind of jumbled things up. 

The kids played, we got to sit around and visit with warm cups of tea. It was great. We played a game, I think it was called "heads up". It was an app on Eric's phone.

 I miss my sisters like crazy. It is always great to see them and I think it needs to happen MORE...

My attempt at a snowman on top of my apple pie

I love August's head laying on his hand, like he's just so overwhelmed with the meal

This summed up how I felt after eating ANOTHER Thanksgiving meal

Elysia had to go put on a party dress, and attempted to get August to dance with her

Mitchel stepped in to show August how to do it!

The pooped out princess...

The kids congregate at the bottom of the stairs, and the adults in the kitchen

Jen got back from taking Breanna to work. She finally gets to enjoy her meal

Mom and Carleen

 This is when we began to play the "heads up" (?) game. The people in front of you have to try and act out what the phrase on the phone is. Sometimes we gave clues.

 The girls were acting something out for Mom, but she could not get it...

 I asked Jen to try and get a picture of me and my BOYS. This was quite the ordeal.

Save me!!!

I tried to get a picture to show how Mitch is almost as tall as me now.

Grandma doing a puzzle with August

Cousin love!

Elysia finds the benefit of having "BIG" cousins

I tried to photo bomb, but I'm too short

This picture turned out so weird. I tried to salvage it, but I think I made us look even more strange...

 My Sisters and I

August waiting patiently for PIE

My wonderful pumpkin pie masterpiece.

Elysia looking at the pumpkin pie. She did not like it very much.

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 BRENT'S FAMILY THANKSGIVING

Brent's family Thanksgiving is always hosted at his uncle Jay's house.

 Over the years we have gotten used to the ebb and flow of his family's gathering. We know that whatever time they say it starts, we usually need to add 3-4 hours and then we can maybe expect everyone else to be there.

Annette is one of our staples. She usually does the turkey and the candied sweet potatoes. 

A few years ago, we were told that Thanksgiving was going to start at noon. We showed up and sat there for almost five hours. Finally the rest of the family started showing up, but no one brought any food. We only had a turkey and candied sweet potatoes. 

After that year I decided to try and initiate some form of meal planning. I started this new endeavor by posting a group message on Facebook.

We have had food there ever since.

Annette is 79 now and she is needing more and more help. I tried to keep a presence in the kitchen to help her, so she would not feel too overwhelmed. Unfortunately, not having Brent there I had to put Mitch in charge of watching August. He was great at keeping his little brother in under control (for the most part)

Me giving August a short lecture

Thanks to the several chairs with wheels the kids had fun spinning and pushing each other around

Our thirteen year olds

Brayden spinning Charlie in the chair

The "guys" moving the furniture to set up the thanksgiving table

The turkey!

 I took a picture and as usual Max told me he was not ready. Then he proceeded to pose for pictures. Jay came over and then made me take several more...

The finger indicates that he got a deer?

 Trying to get the food downstairs,

 the boys plates made, 

and EAT 

 was super fun.

 I forget how exhausting family gatherings are without my other half there to divide and conquer. I wished I got more pictures of everyone there. I seemed to only get photos of people around me...

PIE time was particularly entertaining.

 Mum-Z would not stop eating to take a picture. Jenna tried to give her a fork, but she went ahead and just picked up the piece of pumpkin pie by hand and ate it.

Profile shot of baby brother! Haha sorry Rebecca!

I love getting together with the family. I wish it seemed more relaxed than it does.

 Lately our gathering feel rushed. 

Like people have other places to be.

 It used to feel like we just planned to spend the day together. 

We would hang out.

Play games and converse with one another.

Christmas is going to prove to be a lot of fun. I am going to personally try to SLOW down and enjoy the time we have with one another.