Thanksgiving, Day 2

Also known as The Big Day!  Turkey day started with my husband's family and with important baking.  Jack Jack makes prettier pie crusts than me...

But of course, he had a really good teacher!

In my opinion, most of what makes the Thanksgiving meal is the desserts & we had a lot of them!  Boy, were they good.

Lily is ready for bath with her hair up...

There are several favorite things to do at both Grandma's & Nana's houses...special treats that are part of the FUN that is grandparents.  One of them being bath time because Grandma has a wonderfully deep, old, cast iron tub that is heaven if you are a grown up & so cool if you are a kid.  Always part of the bath is dumping ALL the Little People in & playing with them-that would be for the kids, but you knew that, right?  Nana has a unique bathing experience too, but that will come later.

Table is ready with the sentimental china...and with Lily.  She was first to the table!

Grandma has a mix of her wedding china, her mother's & her grandmothers (I hope I remember that right-Grandma, please correct me!)  It's neat to pause & think of those ladies & what they contributed to our family.

And, after dinner is time for being together, relaxing, sleeping off the turkey drug...loving our family!

I love going *home* for the holidays...everyone has their preferences & both staying home & traveling have their advantages & disadvantages, but there's just something about being back home with everyone comfortably crowded into homes that used to hold us & sleeping several in a room & getting to be a little bit of a kid again, even though you are a grown-up.  You get to watch your kids play with the things you used to play with with their cousins-people your ornery little brother whom you used to couldn't stand actually made (& whom you love dearly).  You spend time with siblings and love it a hundred times over because you are friends now instead of rivals...and at the same time you can't resist slipping into those familiar roles a tiny bit here & there.  Home for the holidays fits me...

Yes, we are sitting at a table with 4 pies...and a cheesecake you can't see.

We did things a little different this year.  Since we only get to see Grandma Dovie (my husband's grandma) at Thanksgiving, we opened our gifts from her so that she could be a part of the excitement.  The kids were ALL over that!

This girl right here is getting so grown-up & of course it's happening way too fast.  She holds the honor of being the first to make me an aunt.  I remember the day (really it was night) she was born-her momma called early in the morning & woke us with the news.  I was still groggy & thought I was actually talking to Grandma!  Just a little silly confusion, but I was trying to pull it off as being totally coherent.  Kinsey is a beautiful young woman with an even more beautiful spirit.

Lily got a baby...

Ava got a baby...

Jack got a box.  Not really, but he played with it as much as his toy.  Figures.

Lily played and played with "Aunt" Janelle.  And, Janelle was so super-sweet to indulge the little (bossy) two year old!

Then we headed out to my family's house for turkey with them, but most of our time with them was spent the next day.  We were so blessed that we got to spend time with all of our immediate family-both siblings, our niece & nephews and all our grandparents were seen on this trip.  

More to come!