That’s good and bad. Good because Hubby and I aren’t used to that much excitement. Bad because it was fun having the parents, kids, and grand kids around.
For me, the holiday was bittersweet. It was our first Thanksgiving without Mom. And Shannon, who lives in San Diego, wasn’t able to come. Both were sorely missed. Lucky for me, I didn’t have time to dwell upon those absences. Instead, we enjoyed several days of frenetic activity and togetherness (i,e., chaos!).
I forced everyone to pose for a group photo on Friday afternoon before anyone could leave. Shown in the picture are:
- Back Row, L-R: TJ (son-in-law), Mike (husband), and Eric (son)
- Middle Row, L-R: Dad (father), Amy (daughter), Kathy (me), Kelsey (soon to be daughter-in-law), and Brianna (granddaughter)
- Front, L-R: Gaige (grandson), Joey (grandson), and Mom (mother-in-law)
No one had the patience to wait while I tried to get the dogs to sit with us. But they were there, too. So was Dad’s cat, Sylvia, pictured below.
Just about everyone had a hand in dinner preparation, except for the animals. Gaige and Joey didn’t help with meal prep, but TJ and the Hubby did a great job keeping them busy.
Below are some images captured on Thanksgiving day. I wasn’t the only photographer. Brianna took some pics and so did Hubby.
Eric, who is attending culinary school, was in charge of making the rolls. He enlisted Brianna’s help and essentially just supervised while she did all the work. Brianna loves helping in the kitchen, but I had too much going on for that. Eric took it upon himself to get Brianna involved. He did a fabulous job teaching and she did just as well listening.
Have a look at the finished product…
Mike was going to let all of the kids do a project in the workshop, but Brianna decided she’d rather help in the kitchen.
I can’t show you what they made because it’s a secret gift for Mom and Dad. But here’s a shot Hubby captured of the boys working.
My brain was too fried for a card game. I enjoy cooking and don’t mind all of the work. But cooking a big meal like that requires a lot of thought. And I have a very hard time concentrating with all of the hubbub in the house. You know, kids playing, cheering during football games, dogs barking, kids screeching from being tickled, multiple conversations, etc. I try not to ignore people, but have a hard time coordinating everything that needs to be done and participating in lengthy chats. Hopefully I didn’t offend anyone!
Hubby actually captured that shot of Joey with K on his lap on Friday morning while I was still in bed.
And that’s it for the Thanksgiving shots.
I hope your day was as full of fun and love as ours was!
Holy cow those kids have gotten big! Beautiful pics, Kath, and what a beautiful family!
Thanks, Kathy. They really are growing fast. Brianna will be 12 soon. That means she’ll be driving in about 4 years. Scary, right?
Wow Kathy!
Eric is about to get married, and Joey has already lost a tooth? Brianna and Gage are growing up so fast! Where has the time gone?
Im glad I got to see a little snippet of life “a la Kirkpatrick-style”
Please consider stopping in up this-a-way the next time you hop on your bike ;o)
Looks like it was a lovely time, I’m sorry I had to miss it.
And now for the picture comments :-):
1) Great family shot! Getting the dogs in too probably woulda been madness haha.
2) Brianna looks like a pro with that bread.
3) Super! Secret! Project! I love it.
4) Nice one of Eric and Kelsey.
5) Holy hell those playing cards are huge!
6) Joe looks like he’s naked in that last shot lol.
So how did your Shannon inspired cranberry sauce turn out??
What nice family photos. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Thanks, Janice. I will definitely have to come and visit one day. Talk about growing fast? I think that every time I see a picture of Emma in COLLEGE!
Shan, it would have been more lovely with you there, too. I put Eric and Kelsey to work in the kitchen. They were both a big help.
I was very impressed with Brianna and her bread making. The most impressive thing was watching Eric training her. Amy and I both agree, Kelsey too, that there could be teaching in his future. You would have been impressed, too. Those were the only playing cards they could find around here. I bought them for the kids years ago. Oh, and I thought Joey looked naked, too. LOL. It’s almost as if K is covering up for him.
The cranberry sauce was a big hit. It was really, really good. The sprouts were a big hit with everyone, but Dad and I thought they tasted different. I ran out of time — and pans! — and wasn’t able to make the carrots. 🙁
Thanks, ShyB. That’s my crew. Except for Shannon, but you got to meet her in person.
Kathy these are such great pictures! It looks like you had a great day. I didn’t bring my camera with me to the two meals I attended but I wish I had. We don’t have many opportunities to get good group shots like the one you have at the top.
Thanks, V. I’m glad I forced everyone to do a group photo. Amy probably isn’t so glad because she was napping at the time. 🙂 You should always carry a camera with you because you never know when the perfect photo op will present itself.