Special Thanksgiving Day 2008

What an INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL Thanksgiving Day we had this year!

The festivities started when Kate and Nick arrived on Tuesday night. Well, actually it was Wednesday morning, about 2 am. We stayed up WAY too late talking about this and that and finally got to bed some time around 3 or later.

We left the next morning at about 11 to take K and N down to meet Aunt Robin in Atlanta since Robin wasn't going to be able to join us this year. We got there in time for lunch which was one of Kate's favorite meals - mac and cheese with hot dogs. We left there heading back home around 3:15. The traffic was HORRIBLE. It took us forever! We got home at 7 pm., and I still had to make the bread and pies for the next day!

I tried to catch some of the colorful leaves we've been having around here lately, but they didn't so up so pretty in the foggy morning.



Here we are trying on the beautiful hats A. Robin made us. We all know who the cute couple is, but there they are!! Nick and Kate!

Nick helped me make 3 doz. rolls and a couple of loaves of Honey Whole Wheat. Then I got the pie crusts ready, but decided to wait til the next morning to cook the pecan and pumpkin pies. I didn't have to put the 26 lb.! turkey in the oven til 9ish, and I was pretty sure I'd be awake by 6 or so; so I had time. It worked just like I planned.

I woke up early and got the pies in the oven. While they were cooking I dinked around getting the turkey ready to go in the oven and getting other things done like breaking the green beans. We planned a somewhat modified dinner, which was REALLY nice. I made the turkey, Stove Top stuffing (Doug likes that kind better, too. I mixed 3 different flavors and they turned out really nice), green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. Alyssa made the sweet potatoes and a chocolate delight dessert and brought the cranberry sauce. Kate made a cherry pie.

Zac and Alyssa came over about 9 am bringing this pretty little lady with them, and we had a marvelous day hanging out together all day. They brought Brayden with them, too, but I didn't get a really cute picture of him to go with this one!

While we were waiting for the turkey to finish up, the guys went out in the front yard and passed the football around while we girls looked on til we got too cold.




The table looked beautiful with a lovely white damask tablecloth and napkins that my sister had given me and my blue dishes. All the food fit just right on the table. Brady and Trinity were both asleep so we got to eat with us 6 adults not having to tend to little ones.




After we ate and cleaned up, we looked at photo albums and played Settlers of Catan. We just lounged around watching football while we ate dessert later.

Z and A stayed til after Survivor when they toddled off to their little bungalow with their tiny tots in tow. The rest of us were pretty tired, but we dinked around for another hour before we all hit the hay.

None of us got up early to go shopping on the infamous "Black Friday". As a former Sunday school teacher of ours used to say, "We can't afford to save that much money!"

K and N left this morning around 11. We were sad to see them go. They are SO much fun!

So! There you have it! One of the best Thanksgiving Days EVER!