Thanksgiving Weekend

This Thanksgiving we spent in Front Royal at Granny's with all the family.  Just like I remember it as a kid. Smelled the same, had that same warm feeling when you walked through the door, even had the same Christmas tree in the living room waiting to be decorated.  The same Christmas pillows and albums displaying pictures from holidays past. All those Christmas Eve memories of us in the boxes singing for presents!

Granny cooking and all the moms (now grand moms) helping in the kitchen. The men watching football on the couches in the den.  The cousins (my generation) making conversation and checking out the Black Friday sales ads in the living room. The only thing setting this year apart from last year from previous years was the newest generation of  little people running from room to room.  The next generation of grandchildren who bring new joy and laughter to our otherwise good ol', same ol' yummy Thanksgiving dinner at Granny's.

I wish I had taken more pictures. Always happens when I'm caught up in the moment and enjoying the fun!

Here's what I do have (taken pre-turkey, pre-Front Royal while I was still a responsible adult mommy at home remembering to take pictures on a holiday). It's so true that old adage of how you become a kid when you return home.  Kids don't think about taking pictures!

Reading Charlie Brown's Christmas with Daddy before we left.

Anabella, Caleb, Daniel and Hadley were helping Granny decorate the tree  (not that you can tell it from this picture)

NaNa, Hadley and Anabella needed a nap after all that work.

The next set of pictures are at the mall on Black Friday where we met up with Aunt Cindy.  We met at the Food Court, where the kids ate McDonalds happy meals and then we walked around the mall a bit before Cindy and the kids got their pictures made with Santa. We hadn't planned on Santa pictures, but they were dressed for it as I had taken pictures of them earlier that morning in front of our Christmas tree for the Christmas card. After sitting with Santa, the kids went home with Daddy while Cindy and I caught up over a lunch and then did a little shopping.

Mom, Granny, Allie and I skipped our traditional Black Friday shopping excursion this year and went this past Saturday (yesterday) instead. I like this picture of us taking a break from our shopping while grabbing a few bites (and drinks) at Ruby Tuesday (another tradition during our shopping excursions). Shopping makes us hungry and thirsty.