Thanksgiving

Our plans changed several times as the Thanksgiving holiday approached.  My side of the family was split up working or with their other families.  But my father in law went back east to spend it with his my sister in law and go to the Macy’s Parade together.  (so fun!)  So we debated for awhile and decided to go visit my grandma for a long weekend.  My parents caught a nasty flu last minute and weren’t able to go, so it was just our little family that headed south just as the storm hit.  We escaped most of it and enjoyed the drive, arriving just in time for a short visit before bed.  The girls were thrilled to see grandma-great and eagerly said hello to her dogs.  We spent a few minutes talking and then tucked everyone into bed.

On Thursday, we had a quick breakfast and then a fabulous day.  Grandma and I put together a Thanksgiving feast as the girls played and we watched parts of the parade on tv. The girls especially loves the Ninja Turtles, Hello Kitty and How to Train Your Dragon.  We went for a walk on the neighbor’s expansive property, down the creek and through the sculpted and beautiful paths they’ve created.  We had dinner early, sitting around the table and taking turns expressing gratitude for things significant as well as everyday.  The girls brought a handful of toys and movies and we did some Thanksgiving crafts including a yarn turkey and a lego holiday set.  We helped with a few projects and ate a LOT of delicious pie.

Our leisurely celebration continued into Friday with tasty leftovers and a few more projects.  The girls most enjoyed decorating Grandma’s tree and helping to bring up a collection of nativities.

And in the afternoon we said goodbye, tucking the kids into the car and driving a few more hours to see husband’s brother and family.  They recently moved into a new home so we were excited to see them and take the tour.  The kids had blast playing together, staying for dinner, sneaking chocolate truffles and finally settling in for a bedtime movie in a big cousin bed on the floor.

We had breakfast together and a little more playtime before we headed home.  We got caught behind a terrible accident, adding significantly to our drive time more than once, but we made it home safely.

We spent Sunday at home, attending church and then, just for fun, made Thanksgiving dinner all over again.  Mostly so husband could try out his new smoker and we could make his mom’s infamous rolls.  We invited some friends over for dinner and had so much fun letting the kids play while we talked.

All in all, a fabulous holiday weekend with lots of family, time to relax and time to play.