Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Thanksgiving 2013

Sadly, I have not blogged any family experiences since late summer 2013.  There are a few reasons, but this is not the post where I should share them.  Instead, I am going to attempt to play catch up (maybe, one day that will include photos from Zoe's birthday).  

This year we had planned to drive to Nashville for Thanksgiving.  We now have a van, which is more comfortable when traveling long distances, but after a road trip to North Carolina in October we seriously reconsidered 13+ hours in the car with our two young children.  We didn't immediately buy plane tickets, but a few weeks after returning from NC there was an excellent deal through Southwest that we couldn't pass up.  The 3 plane ticket purchase was TOTALLY worth it.


Sam, Zoe and myself (B was already in Nashville with my parents) flew out the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  The flight went smooth and we were very glad to be greeted by my dad and B at the airport.  Bennett had spent 10 days (the longest he has been away from us) with my parents.  He had a wonderful time and didn't miss us one bit.  As a matter of fact, he only asked to call home once.  

Our first few days in Nashville were unseasonable cold.  To be honest, I was thankful.  I was so tired of the HOT weather and was ready for cooler temperatures.  With that said, I was glad when it warmed back up into the 50's too.  

This was the first year B and my nephew Braxton slept in the same room.  It went well, but B always seems to struggle when sleeping away from home.  He had several nights where he cried out which forced us to go in and sleep in bed with him. 


The day after we arrived my sister had to work, so my nephew suggested we go to Goof Balls.  It is an indoor play area.  All of the kids really enjoyed themselves as did the adults.  





Thanksgiving day came fast and unfortunately our turkey didn't turn out as good as it did a few years ago.  Sis and I (and Sam) have figured out how to make holiday meals.  We made turkey with dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, green salad with nuts/brie/etc., pumpkin cake, and a brie appetizer.  My mom and dad made broccoli casserole, deviled eggs, and banana pudding.  It may sound like we overdid it, but compared to previous years we kept it much more simple.  It was an enjoyable day of eating, resting, playing outside, napping and so on.













My sister and I contemplated black Friday shopping, but decided against it.  If I remember correctly, she had to work a few hours again on Friday.  Honestly, at this point I can't remember what we did on Friday.







Saturday morning my sister and I went to a local boutique.  Every time we are together I look forward to the short times we spend alone together.  Time spent together with our kids is nice, but it is not the same as our one on one time.  I really treasure it.  We had a lot of fun trying on various outfits and looking at jewelry.  We each bought an outfit that was unique and something we wouldn't buy on a regular basis.  My sister always encourages me to step outside the box.  She is much more trendy and a lot less paranoid than I am when it comes to clothing, so it is fun for me to shop with her.

Saturday evening my parents watched all four kids, so we could go out on a date.  We have not done this in over 5 years.  Again, I am grateful for the time spent alone with my sister and brother-in-law.  We went to downtown Nashville and ate at the Flying Saucer.  We chatted for a while, then toured downtown a bit (in our car) before heading home.  We did get to play a little of our favorite card game at home.


Sunday we went back to Goof Balls, then to mom and dad's to visit.  They took us out to dinner at Granite City to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday.  We had such a fun time.  The food and atmosphere were great.  We ate and laughed and took lots of photos.  It really was the perfect way to end our time with my family.  

Sorry it's blurry.  It is from my mom's phone.
Monday morning we packed up, left my sister's and headed to my parents.  We were able to visit for a few minutes before leaving for the airport.  My dad dropped us off and we were home by 3 p.m.  

Thanksgiving 2013 was a great one!  I am very grateful for the time spent with my family.  Bennett loves Braxton very much.  They fight worse than brothers, but when they are apart they ask for one another constantly.  

*I hope to share some photos I took of the kids while we were there.  They are sooooo adorable!!!

1 comment:

Mama Smors said...

I've been missing you- but am thankful for Instagram! I know your BSF group is so blessed to have you leading them :)