Thanksgiving 2017

We had such a great Thanksgiving this year!  It was very relaxing and so much good company and good food!  

We rotate Thanksgiving between Toccoa and Jackson and this year we were in Toccoa.  

We made to my parents house on Wednesday night and Papa read the girls a bedtime story.  

Bert cooked pancakes and bacon for us on Thanksgiving morning and then we watched the parade.  The girls had fun dressing up and pretending while they were watching!  

This was a uniform (without the headdress) that I wore in middle school.  The girls love to put it on when we're at mom and dad's.  

Emily got super excited when "Jojo" came on the screen.  I wish I'd gotten a picture of her face....so pumped!  She danced the whole tine Jojo sang.  

Then Emily helped Mimi and Papa get the turkey in the oven.  She didn't hesitate sticking her hand in there so she could spread the butter around.  

Claire got to take a ride with Papa on his lawn mower. 

We had a full house!  My sister, Brett, Jacob, Ressie, Stanley, Alisha, mom, dad, my mom's brother (Uncle Jimmy), Aunt Kathy, Mike (Jimmy and Kathy's son), Alli (Mike's wife) and their kids Miles and Piper.  

We did some fishing while Piper and Abby were napping.  

Every kid caught one!  

Miles is about 6 months older than Claire. 

Side Story:  I texted this to Alli one day back in October "On the way home from preschool today I asked Claire who she played with at school today and she said "Miles.  But not the Miles at the lake house but the Miles at my school. There are two Mileses."  

We don't get to see them that often but I thought it was sweet that Claire knows him as the "Miles from the lake house."  That is usually where we see them.  Sweet cousins!  

I loved this picture that Alli took of them checking something out.  

Claire was our number 1 fisherwoman.  She loved it...the others kept wanting to do other things too.  Claire stayed right at the pond, by her Daddy.  

We took a walk around the neighborhood with the big kids and they had fun playing near the stream.  Thankfully no one fell in as it was too cold for all that, but it was a beautiful afternoon and this relaxing walk was one of my favorite things we did all weekend.  

Daddy helped Claire get out on the rock like the big kids had done.  

Jacob wanted to bring the wagon so that he could pull his cousins, but Uncle Stanley ended up being the puller pretty quickly.  

I LOVE this picture that I just turned around and snapped out of the blue.  I love their smiles and I love that they're holding hands, and I love the shadows and I love that they're stepping together.  This reminds me that I should take a few more candid pictures and a few less posed pictures.  

Wagon fun!

After we got back to the house Misty, David and Emily came by for a visit and it was SO great to see them!!  We live about 2 1/2 hours apart, but thankfully we get to see each other on holidays when we're both in Toccoa visiting our parents.  

And these two little second graders are THE cutest together.  They don't see each other often, but when they do they pick right back up where they left off.  During this visit Emily Ann taught Emily Jean how to play Old McDonald on the piano and Em is so proud that she can play something.  We've heard it a lot but it makes me smile.  

Love my Daddy!  

The kids had fun playing some candy land, and only got annoyed with each other once or twice. 

On Thursday night we played a fun game of Nertz.  We teamed up as couples and Alli and Mike won, and Bert and I came in last.  Bert and I used to play this game all the time when we were in seminary (together and with other couples)...we realized we need to brush up on our Nertz playing skills.  

Alli is a photographer in Atlanta and when I mentioned that I wanted a Thanksgiving family picture she said that she would take them for us with her camera. So sweet of her to take these ...we loved them!  

Emily wanted Virginia to be in our family picture, but we talked her into getting a picture with just the two of them instead.  Virginia also came on the walk with us.  I love this age of still wanting to play with her doll.  

All the kids. I love the craziness of this picture.  I love that they're doing different things.  Piper wanted her Mommy, Hannah was trying to calm her down, Emily was holding Abby back, and Ressie does the cutest "cheese" face.  

I feel like siblings are some of the greatest gifts...and mine are amazing!!  So thankful for these two! 

Most of the group.  My parents and Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Kathy weren't in it.  

I love Christmas so much, but there is something about the relaxed family time at Thanksgiving that makes it extra special!