A Family Thanksgiving

This year we had three of our four kids home for Thanksgiving, along with a new son-in-law and a half dozen grandkids including two brand new to the family and one pretty brand new to this world. I took tons of photos (which, if you're really insane, or related to me - oh, but I repeat myself - you can see them ALL of them on my Flickr account)

Of course Thanksgiving revolves around the dinner.

I love my new shiny green roasting pan.

I tried to set a nice table but I gave myself a break and didn't pull out the good china. I mean, twelve people and one person cooking and setting things up. There's only so much time. From L to R: Garret, Noel (holding Nickolai), William, Hubby, Sam, and Bryan.

And at the wee folk's table: Joshua, Kami, Lilyanna, and Anastasia.

Some people napped at the table. Do you like how my shirt matched my new dishware? Let's pretend I planned that.

And some folks, ahem, napped ON the table. That tryptophan in the turkey must have been powerful stuff!


As folks stayed through the weekend, there was lots more family activities. We went to the park. Here's Bryan and Lily.


We took over the playground equipment just with our kids. I love how Nonny's ponytail looks like a little fountain on her head.

There were plenty of tuckered kids to hold. Here's Hubby with Garret and Nickolai (aka Bubba)

Of course there's always more than enough cats to go around. Here's William holding Charlie Weasley, who was the one of the most thankful among us all this Thanksgiving as Hubby and I spent several hours in the wee hours of the morning under freezing starry skies rescuing him from twenty five feet up in a tree. It is, in hindsight, an amusing story that I may or may not get around to sharing.

And let's not forget chihuahuas! Rosie likes the grandkids but wanted to make sure she wasn't completely co-opted from her place as my number one snuggler.

There were a lot of leaves to pile, jump in, and ultimately rake into bags. We had a lot of ....er... help? (Leaves are also very useful in saving a cat from terrifying heights)

Lilyanna liked hiding in the leaves more than she liked jumping in them.

Kami built this incredible tower with domino blocks. Incredible not only for it's height but by the fact that her five younger siblings allowed her to build it without bothering it!

She rewarded them by letting them all knock it down together.

A close up of Nickolai, quite possibly the most good natured baby EVER. He never cried the entire time he was here. He might have yelled a few times, but mostly he just talked and smiled all the time.


We went for a hike in the mountains. We insisted the kids stay close because of wild animals, wherein Garret immediately demanded we allow him to be eaten by a bear.


Noel, mother of six. She calls at least once a week to say "I can't believe you did this!" (I had five. She has five full time and the sixth, Kami, on weekend, holiday and summer visits). Do you like the unusual Thanksgiving decorations in the background. Uhm yeah, didn't quite get all the Halloween stuff packed away yet.


I can't remember what Joshua was pouting about but we asked him to pose and it turned out to be quite the handsome look for him.


Of course Garret wanted to pose too although he's such a happy kid that his "pout" wasn't quite as successful.


Nonny, who is about eight months older than Joli (the only grandchild not with us this holiday), immediately did the same thing Joli did with the big rubber puzzle pieces - she draped them like necklaces.

The boys followed suit only they used them as alien helmets.

The kids loved all my children's books, both the ones I've kept and the ones that I've bought for crafting. I guess I won't cut them up after all. Here's William being a good uncle and reading to Lily.


Of course what's Thanksgiving without some football. Garret has always loved football. I do believe "foo-bah" was his very first word.


William convinced Sam and Bryan to get into some of his work out clothes and be the "purple team" for a fun game of "touch" football down at a nearby school field. What I don't think the "old guys" thought through was that William and his buddies were made up almost exclusively out of first string high school varsity football players, just come off of a League Championship season. Both Sam and Bryan were in need of some analgesic pain relief by later that evening!



The littlest "guy" couldn't be left out. He had to be dressed up in a goofy headband just like his uncle.


And once more, of all the grandkids together. Not necessarily all looking at the camera, but hey, I'm pretty impressed that we simply got them all together long enough to take the photo! L to R: Garret (3), Kami (8), Lily (5), Nickolai (4 mo), Noel (grown up), Joshua (4), and Nonny (2).

And if you're still reading, and you're not related or a close family friend, I applaud you for making it all the way through this post!