Thanksgiving Day

Thursday

I awoke early on Thursday morning. The guests were fast asleep in the basement and Thanksgiving had finally arrived. The only way to kick off the big holiday is.... you might think I'd say Macy's Parade and while that is true, it seems that I usually end up getting up early to head off to..... Wal-mart. Yes, I needed to go search for that one missing item. This year is was the turkey roasting pan. Yup, a big one to miss. I got in bed the night before and it hit me that I had failed to purchase a disposable pan. Since I knew I had to get the bird in early, I was very motivated to get up, dressed and out the door before the rest of the gang stirred.
Once the turkey was in the oven it was time to cook! Sarah, my mom and I had things in the oven and in the fridge in record time. It really is so much more enjoyable making all the fancy and sentimental dishes with people you love.
Rhett started out the day with a much needed haircut from Jeff. Since Jeff was Rhett's regular barber, he had not cut his locks since Jeff moved to Milwaukee in July. Rhett looked good before and great after! Brynn happily played dress up with Sarah.Rich and my dad visited. Of course there was the parade on the TV while we cooked. It was on this program five years ago when I first watched and listened to Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel sing Popular from the Broadway play Wicked. The boys had a blast playing a friendly game of football in the front with the neighborhood gang.

Brynn escaped the house like this while I was taking pictures of the boys, but my mom was quick and took her and Kaitlyn back inside for tub time and to get properly dressed.Kaitlyn in her festive attire. The table Edible cornucopias, fall magnets and a Mayflower utensil holder.

The Hamilton's arrived for the feast, which was truly delicious. That is what you get when you finally buy a turkey with a pop up timer and your mom makes the gravy! Kristi made 'to die for' pies and rolls.
The kids colored while we finished cooking the last bits of the meal. AnnaKate

Josh's finish product.Kristi tries to lure me into the world of Facebook. No sirree.

This one is for you TIFFANY!! "It always looks better when you pose!"The Feast!

Brynn decided to forgo any utensils and go straight with the hands.Yummy! Finger lickin' good.Trey had the same idea with his huge turkey leg. My dad had the other one. He always has a turkey leg on Thanksgiving and at Disneyland.Kristi's wide assortment of pies: Pumpkin, Banana Creme and Smoky Apple. Kristi- you are a hoot!Craft time! If you have ever shared Thanksgiving with me, then you know that you must have crafts. For the past eight years I have always found fun crafts to do after dinner. The reason why? My mom always came up with crafts for the entire extended family at our Thanksgiving feast growing up. She found crafts for us in Utah and mailed them to Lexington. We made Christmas trees. Yes, I sacrificed my body constructing them. I got two mean blisters on my thumb and finger from the glue gun. But after two band aids, I was ready to craft some more!

Once the dishes were done and the house was in order and our foam trees were perfectly decorated, we sadly bid the Hamilton's farewell. Next year they'll be with their own families. I am happy for them, but sad for us. Eight years together just isn't enough! As the Hamilton's drove back to Louisville, we still had a night of fun ahead. My dad read the Animal Book (Childcraft #5) to the girls. Here they are being the snake eating the large egg. I do the same actions that my dad did with me with my kids. I love it. They love it even more. The girls chant 'animals!' to request this book every night when they get ready for bed.
The kids got in their jammies and we knew what would make the night really special- a round of Hearts. This is my family's favorite game. Matt and I came in second. Not too bad since I haven't played for awhile. Then it was off to bed. We had an early morning wake up call on Friday.