Thankful That It Isn't Too Late To Post About Thanksgiving

Now that it has been over a week since Thanksgiving I guess it's time for me to finally document our holiday celebration.

As we've done three out of the last four years, Jeff and I hosted our families for Thanksgiving dinner. Each year my sister Lisa has come out on Wednesday and we spend the day doing last minute grocery shopping and some early meal preparation. I wouldn't enjoy making dinner half as much if I didn't have Lisa with me to offer her stories, laughter and her precisely perfect (albeit slow) chopping technique. We have such fun!

Thursday morning started off good and lazy with sausage balls for breakfast and watching the parade. Bennett enjoyed snuggling with his daddy and pointing out all of the "baboons".


Family began arriving around noon. The guys visited outside and tossed the football around while dinner was being finished.

Great form, Papa J! He was high school captain and quarterback, you know.


Bennett takes a much needed water break and gets encouragement from coach CPapa.


My brother Phil, Bennett, Jeff's dad and mine. I really posted this picture because of my pretty little, red sweet-gum tree. I love her fall color!


Lisa and I pose near the buffet table showcasing our work. You know what is really bizarre? My sweet sister puts so much work into the meal and then eats nothing but turkey, cheesy potato casserole and bread. No dressing. No homemade cranberry sauce. No green beans or sweet potatoes.

At least she eats one casserole. Phil subsists on nothing but turkey and bread.

I love 'em...but they are odd birds.


After dinner there was laziness, football, munching on leftovers and perusing the ads for the best Black Friday deals.

My parents and Lisa spent the night so we could maintain our family Black Friday tradition. This year we were sleepy heads and didn't get up until 7:00 instead of hitting Best Buy at 5:00 as in years past. (I have to give credit to Mom and Lisa though - they did rise early to grab a great 5:00 am deal at Sam's Club, then quickly returned and went back to sleep.)

We scored some good deals, I made progress on my gift list and we enjoyed being together so I'll say the day a success! We always lose shoppers as the morning progresses. Jeff and Dad gave in after the traditional Chick-fil-A breakfast and took Bennett home with them. Then Lisa retired shortly after. Mom and I pressed on until about 1:00. We were done in by an hour long line and Kohl's.

Overall, it was a fabulous, relaxing Thanksgiving. I so enjoy spending time with our families. And it is always nice to slow down and spend time deliberately remembering how blessed we are. God is so good to us.

Now if I could just figure out a way to keep my 75% off, pre-lit, artificial tree from blowing over on the front porch...