Well sufficed to say, no one in this family got skinnier this holiday.
We had a great Thanksgiving weekend starting on Thursday when we ate like it was the last meal we'd ever eat. (Thankfully we'd live to eat again just a few short hours later in what would lovingly be referred to as Round 2.)
Daddy, Gram, and my uncle Ashley enjoying some crackers and dip while we waited for the main attractions to be cooked.
We feel that alternating between cream cheese with pepper jelly and crab dip is the way to go for complete appetizer enjoyment.
Just like all the other dads in America, Big Al took some time out to perfect his gameday commercial.
Meanwhile, Debbie took slices of the strawberry cake my uncle made up to our favorite cashier at the Country Store. Sugar addicts unite.
But hey - you won't hear me judging anybody for their addictions. You know what they say...when you point your finger at someone you have 3 pointing back at yourself and sometimes those three fingers have a death grip on an aluminum can.
I am THANKFUL for my mama!
"Jenna Babe, what do you think happened here with this crumble topping?" -Big Al before putting the sweet potato souffle in the oven.
"Yeah I got nothing. But I'm sure I'll still eat it." -JT
Daddy doing the honors.
This next picture makes my heart go out to all the vegetarians out there.
(The after pic of the sweet potatoes.) Mmmm! Crumbly! (Yeah, not even a little.)
MOMENT OF SILENCE for the very last picture my beloved camera ever took. What a way to go out, though.
In between these pictures (when the camera would not turn on and the reality was setting it) there was panic, disbelief, sadness, and Alan saying "well uh - what about filming the commercial??"
You can imagine how well that went over in the midst of my despair.
But there was also joy because just as soon as I was thinking there would be no Thanksgiving pictures and no pictures of Matthew and Larsen's first shower in the days to come (post to come), Deb remembered that my aunt left her camera at our house a couple weekends ago.
And just like that - all was not lost.
Picture #1 with DD's camera. I would like to make a note here that I had no idea how to work her camera, so I cannot be held responsible for the quality of any of the pictures you see on this blog from this day forward.
I can't lie - the sight of our meal helped ease my pain.
Turkey, ham, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, broccoli casserole, green bean casserole, potato souffle, butter beans, rice, rutabagas, and deviled eggs. (And we also serve a side dish of butter, apparently.)
I actually think Thanksgiving is a GREAT day for something valuable to break because you are already in the mindset of thanking the Lord for all the things that really are irreplaceable.
Like family...
And friends!
We were so excited that my mom's friend, Jo, and her husband were able to join us Thanksgiving this year!
And Iris was there, of course.
I'm so glad she doesn't have a computer because she would kill me for putting up a picture with her eyes closed. Gram, if you ever figure out what the Internet is, how to get on it, AND somehow find my blog - please accept my sincere apology.
I mean....what is there left to say.
Jo and John - we LOVED having them. They were cracking us up the whole meal.
Mama and Daddy
Gram...89 years later and STILL hasn't tired of Thanksgiving food. That brings a lot of hope to my generation.
Ashley and Iris. We were so excited to have Ashley with us, too.
Jo cutting the pumpkin pie as the crowd looks on in anticipation and awe.
It really was a great day filled with lots of great food and even greater friends and fam!
Just a friendly reminder that I had still not mastered the settings on the camera at this point. But I do heart Big Al.
Deb and the cake she smuggled in from her dealer at the Country Store.
Later, after I caught her red-handed and after the cake had been consumed I asked, "So, how was it?"
To which she closed her eyes, held up her hand and said, "Jenna, you don't even KNOW."
Something else we were VERY thankful for this T-giving was getting a chance to go over and visit our dear friends Mildred (left) and her daughter, Theresa! Mildred and Theresa both kept me and Matthew when we were little, and we had not seen them in YEARS (shameful). We heart them in a serious way.
They were as sweet and hilarious as ever and we had so much fun catching up. Seeing them was just another something special to be thankful for this year.
Mama and I ended the evening by going to see Morning Glory at the movies with Jo and John. Then it was back home for that Round 2 I spoke of earlier, filming Daddy's commercial, and getting packed up for our road trip to Columbus the next morning.
We had even more reasons to give thanks in the days to come!
{Sneak Peak!}
