We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. I love this holiday.
Last week the kids were out of school by noon on Tuesday. We spent that day and Wednesday cooking, cleaning, and preparing for company. When John came home from work Wednesday afternoon all there was left to do was make rolls. We were ahead of schedule since our family wouldn't be arriving that night until after 8pm. So John and I had an impromptu date night and went out to eat at Outback Steakhouse, using a gift certificate we had. We bought the kids McDonalds Happy Meals and Emma babysat.
My parents and sisters, Heather and Marcia, and their families arrived around 9pm. Ethan had grown so much in just the few short months since we had last seen him and Heather looked cute pregnant with baby #2. We missed her husband Colby who is at Army Ranger school.
Thursday morning John put the turkey in the oven while my mom, sisters, and niece Emily came to my Thanksgiving Zumba class. The class was free if you brought in a canned good. The room was packed with 80 ladies trying to burn a few calories before going home to eat pie. My dad didn't want to miss out so he came along and took pictures. It is nice to see my Dad so happy and relaxed now that he is retired!
After showers we had a few more things to make -- Mom's peanut butter pies and butternut squash casserole. The Elders joined us and we had our Thanksgiving feast at 1:00. We were so full that we hardly made a dent in the seven pies.
In cub scouts James had made a gratitude tree. We wrote the things we were thankful for on the leaves. We are grateful for so many things and feel very blessed!
During football and naps, Heather, Ethan, Emily, Emma and I got a head start on black Friday shopping and headed over to Old Navy with our coupons in hand. We found PJs for everyone and a few other great deals. Back home it was fun to hang out and talk. We pored over the Black Friday ads while John laughed and rolled his eyes. I think Black Friday is his least favorite day of the year. My dad was the most excited for shopping the next morning since he had his eye on a TV at Wal-Mart. Mom, Dad and Marcia were up and out at 3:30am and stayed out shopping until 1pm. Heather and I weren't as adventurous and just hit Target and Kohl's at more reasonable hours. John and I took Emma, James, Adam and Austin to see Disney's A Christmas Carol that afternoon. It is too scary for little kids, but we enjoyed it and were glad that it stayed true to the traditional story that we love.
Friday night we played a memory game about what we are thankful for. Here are the things we came up with:
Freedom and those fighting for freedom (Rick), Hallmark movie channel (Marcia), Family (Emily), Food and toilet paper (Austin), Prophets (Adam), Family (Betsy), The ability to work (John), The Gospel (Laurel), Banana cream pie (Emma), Music (James), Clothes (Eliza), Grandma (Tessa), Children's Tylenol (Heather), Broccoli (Ethan), Warm house(Grandpa McAllister), TV we just bought for dad(Grandma McAllister)
James, Adam, and Austin pretty much stayed busy for three days playing the Wii and Xbox. James rarely plays it because he says it is no fun to play alone (which I'm grateful for!). James just reminded me that they did get off the couch a few times to play active games as well--lava monster and dart tag. Eliza, Betsy and Tessa played great together too. I love cousins.
The highlight of the weekend for me was going to the Detroit temple Saturday morning, doing family names that Granddad Mains had prepared for us. On our way to the temple we got a call that he was in the ICU with a bleeding ulcer. He is home now in Indiana (three days later) but still having a hard time breathing.
After eating Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch everyone headed home late Saturday afternoon. We quickly cleaned the house and I started on the ten loads of laundry. The kids worked so hard cleaning because they knew once the house was clean we could decorate for Christmas. I started stringing lights on the smaller tree while John plugged away putting together the larger tree in the family room. The kids helped and knew where every decoration went in the house. They even hung lights in their own rooms. By 7pm the house was almost completely decorated! Too tired to think about dinner we headed to Boston Market. On Saturdays all four of our kids can eat free when John and I buy a $6 sandwich or pot pie. I'm embarrassed to admit we have gone three Saturdays in a row! They almost know us by name now. I will be sad when that promotion ends, especially since they have a gluten free menu.
It was a perfect Thanksgiving weekend!
