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Thanks for Family, Turkey & Four Square

PERSONAL

What a long busy beautiful week.  It was wonderful.  A Thanksgiving week not like the ones in the past…not better…just different.  I hope you all had the same…long, busy, beautiful, different holiday.

Earlier in the week I had some hiccups…Will was limping for five days so there was a too-long doctor’s visit that included x-rays (he was fine), a couple day break thanks to the in-laws, an emotional no-baby-this-month visitor, Will deciding that he no longer liked me but only wanted Jer, and so many photoshoots that my head feels like it’s a giant zit about to pop from stress.

So a little down-time filled with family was welcomed.  even if it was different than years past.    and boy was it different.

For one, we didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving.  Instead we did our regular family night dinner…and yes, Tim is just trying to improve his image 🙂

Will hasn’t been around Uncle Timmy as much so he is really shy about playing with him, lookin at him, basically being in the same room.  EXCEPTION…ice cream…or in Will’s words simply “ice” in which case, the little man will sit shamelessly on Uncle Timmy’s lap and slurp Turtle Tracks faster than a redneck can drink Bud Light from a red Solo cup.

After dinner, moochin’ ice, and trashing the living room (my mom would probably like me to mention right now that her room doesn’t normally look like a tropical storm went through) . . . we did the whole “Black Friday Ad-athon”.

Surprisingly, we didn’t even go out to people-watch the hordes at Walmart.  I guess we were just primin’ the engines for the long weekend ahead of us.

Thursday night we also decided to pull out the Rock Band set for a little family Beatle night.  You will want to see this video of Will’s awesome moves (excuse the crazy singing):

Will dancing

On Friday, we went to Norn’s house for pizza.  And my older bro Brad came from Alabama with his fam.  They stayed with us.  BECAUSE….and this is a big because….BECAUSE we had Thanksgiving at our house!

And here’s where I would put an animicon of my face with eyeballs that are about to pop outta socket.  and those eyeballs would be big.  and crazy.  and with little red veins.

So on Saturday morning, I woke up early with the kids, scrambled some eggs, smeared butter on toast before running out the door to meet this cutie family for a photoshoot, ran to Kroger for some last minute dinner necessities, freaked out because my mom thought dinner was at two instead of five, recovered from the freaking out when I realized I wouldn’t have to rush the sweet potatoes, made a chocolate chip walnut cookie pie, sent the kiddos out for acorn-gathering, set the table, mashed potatoes and threw on a clean shirt.

Oh and admired this little one who got a ‘pretty girl’ makeover from her mama 🙂

Oh and laughed at Tim and Boots who were fryin’ up some chicken legs.

The food was amazing…

the place settings were simple…note that I pulled out the good china for the first time with the whole family!  Thank you Mummum for convincing me I needed 12 place settings…and then buying them for me 🙂

and the pies were ready for whipped cream.

This was the only shot of the whole group that we managed to get.  Do you see Will down there with his paci?  And yes, we dined in the foyer with the doors open.  It was our first alfresco Thanksgiving.  I was thankful for the good weather.  and the lack of bugs.  and for fitting every person on two folding tables.  and for leftover burlap 🙂

Many toasts…including a toast to “buttered” and “melba”…wacky family this one.

And laughter that turned faces red and noses run…I forget what was so funny.

Daddy carved the turkey.  We didn’t have a carving knife…but I imagine that the Pilgrims & Indians just sliced up their first turkey with a machete so a good ole fashioned steak knife got the job done.  And yes, that is a soup toureen full of gravy thankyouverymuch.  Grow big and stay home – that’s our theme 🙂

Most of the table decor was simple….glass with leaves and candles.  maybe some twine. acorns.  nothing fancy.

 

The absolute funnest part of our Thanksgiving was the first annual four square competition.  We didn’t have a regulation sized court – and we just played with a softy soccer ball but we played till it was dark and till it was so late that we had to crash turkeyface first into bed.

 

The next morning was low-key.  Since Brad & the kids had to leave pretty early, we ate breakfast and had only about an hour before they had to leave.  Just enough time to squeeze in a little Madagascar movie-watching.

And then you can imagine what we did.

Will kept on trying to serve.

I was the only one with the camera – so these are kinda weird.  My deepest apologies.

random family photos…including “Big Head Tim” – which is funny because my head dwarfs his little neck-topper.

“how many can we get in one photo” photo

“old people” photo (my dad does this one a little too well – and yes, I pee a little every time I see it from laughing so hard.  I’m sorry.  the drool gets me.)

‘laughing Pappap & Nana” photo

“Four-Square Intensity” photo aka “Face of the Tiger” photo aka “this ball hit her in the face nanoseconds later” photo

“footie ball!!!”  (we played soccer style when it was big kids and oh-my-goodness it was fun…mostly because none of us are good enough to make it anything but completely random)

“Spittin’ image” photo of Brad & Clara

“The big cousins” photo aka “waiting in line”

“The boyfriend & his wife” photo

The four-square was followed up with a little early lunch and Apples to Apples.

A few waves and kisses later, everyone was gone.  The food was still here.  I have eaten so much my jaw hurts.  I wish I could lie and tell you I only had Vitamin Water and chewed on some Metamucil but you would see right through that.  just like you can see right through my tops now and outline my ring o’ fatty.  but it was worth it.  and it continues to be worth it.  every meal loaded with sweet potatoes and deviled eggs…oh it’s worth it.

What a good good day.  I am so thankful for days like that.  I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

And now…now it’s officially time to gear up for that other big holiday.  oh yeah.  bring it on Santa.  bring. it. on.

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  7. I love that you all ate together at “one table” in the foyer, this will for sure be a memorable TG!

    And, is it just me, or did you post that family pic in front of the door 11 times?? 🙂

  10. Looks like you had a great time, I love seeing all your pictures! Now I want fried chicken, though. Sorry about the no baby visitor, it took us almost a year to conceive this baby so I get the frustration.

  12. I have the same china! We have such good taste 🙂

    As for the baby, God is just waiting to give you the best Christmas present ever!! (or at least that is what I am telling myself… since the most thankful Thanksgiving didn’t work out)

  13. Love family… and love that you hosted Thanksgiving dinner! I would love to one year… but it’s a pretty set tradition to do dinner at the in-laws now. Not that I am complaining… clean up and go home! lol I did have a heck of a hard time going back to work on Monday…

  16. Thanks Katie! Especially for helping to remind me that family should be funny and silly and everything they are behind closed doors, in real life in front of strangers and judgers and whoever wants to hate. I recently said to the hubs that we needed to take our goof troop on the road, meaning we’re the funniest family I know with dance parties and farts and all the crazy stuff in between but sometimes we try to fit in (being in a new town with no family and no friends) with whoever we’re with and be formal and proper and Super Christian when maybe that’s not always who we are. We need to let a little drool out outside of our haven, so thank you.

  17. I think I might have the same China too, but it’s kind of hard to tell in the photo. Mine’s Opal Innocence by Lenox. Either way, your Thanksgiving looks like it was lovely and full of fun.

    Love the “boyfriend & his wife” photo, very cute.

    One thing we did differently this year, but that was really fun, was we watched five episodes of the Cosby Show from a DVD my sis had bought (The Best of the Bill Cosby Show). Forgot how much I loved that show! There was a lot of laughter to be had in the room. 🙂

  19. Looks like you were able to squeeze in a lot of good family time. Sad thing is, I am *sure* I’d be sore after playing some Four Square! 🙂

  22. Bring out the oh-so-patient-waiting-for-pictures-of-hot tim-readers!! Im one of them…:) Looks like a top notch thanksgiving!

  24. Looks like you and your family had a great Thanksgiving!

    When I saw you were playing Foursquare, I thought you were just checking in a bunch of places like in that Blackberry commercial. I was wondering who would be fighting to be mayor of the living room. Clearly I need to look up what that game is about!

  25. Seems like such a fun Thanksgiving, even if it didn’t happen on Thanksgiving! Your desserts make me want to stuff my face over and over again. I laughed at your dad’s drool face. hilarious

  26. Where did your BF get his Livestrong hat? My hubby loves Lance and this would be a great Christmas gift for him! Thanks 🙂 Looks like you had a fabulously busy weekend.

  27. I’ve been VERY into four square lately. The rules have to be weird though, like “this time you can only use your non-dominant foot”. Fun times.

  28. the two picture of the living room at your moms are hilarious! if you look at the first and then scroll down to the second it looks like will has trapped cole under the big yellow tub. (:
    we are all so blessed to have so much to be thankful for this year! glad thinks went off without a hitch.
    ps- my mouth is watering thinking about that chocolate chip walnut cookie pie. yuuuuuuum!
    have a good one kaite!

  33. Okay, that’s actually freaky. I read your blog almost daily, and never thought I’d see a girl I graduated from high school with to be one of your families from a photo shoot! Small world, but I guess I should expect it since we’re both in the Atlanta area. Glad to see you had a happy Thanksgiving!

  35. Wow…what a busy 4 days! You are incredible! Everything looked amazing, Katie! Great job with the table, food & photography! You make me exhausted just reading this. ;p Please tell your sis & mom hi for me…and your Mom amazes me with her flawless skin! Simply gorgeous…and you & your sis have the same genes. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing~

  41. Dick’s Sporting Goods – it was a Nike Golf hat on clearance. My boytoy is a power shopper…I taught him well 🙂
    xo – kb

  45. When I was in PE in high school, we started playing 4 square one week. Then we decided it was for sissies and switched to 9 square. Talk about intense. Just trying to make it past the center square.
    I get competitive and twitchy now just thinking about it.

  47. Those two photos of your parents…. they are wonderful. Maybe the best I’ve ever seen on your blog— just so relaxed and natural.

    Glad you had such a great (if tiring) holiday!

  48. I thoroughly enjoyed your Thanksgiving pics and Will tub pics! I pray my children grow up to have the kind of sibling relationships you seem to have with your brothers and sister. I am an only child, so I’m particularly fascinated by sibling interactions. I crave that for my boys.

    Thanks for sharing and for always being so candid!

    Happy Holidays!!!

  49. 1) Katie, Bud Light is not for rednecks. It’s for classy people. Keystone is for rednecks. Geez.

    2) Brad’s family looks like a house divided! In that first photo of them I see crimson, orange and blue, and since Saturday was the Iron Bowl I think this is no coincidence. How do they cope with the tension??? Or is Brad sporting Georgia red instead of Crimson? I guess that would be easier to live with.

  50. Haha…
    and yes….Brad’s a UGA fan – therefore he does not like Auburn. And I think Clara has an uncle or aunt or something that is a big Tigers fan so she probably got the shirt from them. Either way, I saw Brad linebacker tackle Clara at one point when she was yelling War Eagle. It got awkward 🙂
    xo – kb

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