Before and After

and all in between:

getting hungry!

urp! scuse me

traditional shot - Crazy Style

traditional shot

Each year - generally Mother's Day, Thanksgiving/Christmas, I try to get a photo of Gramma and her "babies" who are not babies any longer as you can see. The goofy shot is because my girls asked for it, of course. Do I mind? No - because that is how we are - goofy at best - or at our best when we're acting goofy.

Busy, busy day. I was up at 5 to get the bird in the oven. Then I drove to the church gym to join two other diehards for a 45 minute fitness walk. Back home to discover that hubby had been airing out the house - because the bird caused the smoke alarms to go off. But as you can see the bird survived even if hubby's rattled nerves did not. ;-)

Fixed a (too)hearty breakfast for us both and watched a bit of the parade while getting the front room ready for the hungry hordes. Yup, the front room. It is a tad bigger than the kitchen. Sent hubby over to the shop (site of our former business) to pick up a table - then got one from his computer room and se them up in a t-shape.

Oldest grandson came down to help set everything up. Helped with tablecloths, place settings (including impromptu name cards), and getting it all ready to go.

We were descended upon by the family and I absolutely love it. We went around the table talking about what Thanksgiving is all about - the two first graders have been studying it in school - and then shared one thing for which we are thankful. Then Paw-Paw led a prayer of thanksgiving and we all dug in. As you can see from the After shot above, we did fair damage to that 20+ pound birdie.

The Ladybug family left to visit the other grandparents (more turkey awaited them!!!) and Lessa's family helped to clear up and she and I took shifts doing up the dishes, leaving the kitchen clean again! Yay!

Then the Lessa clan and the Moosie couple went for a ride with Paw-Paw. Seems he had purchased advance tickets to see HP - Goblet of Fire. Thanks, Paw-Paw Moosie.

Now today begins the traditional seasonal shopping frenzies. At 5 this morning a store in Soldotna opened its doors for its annual sock sale - a loss leader that gets you into the doors to buy buy BUY! At 10 this morning the Art Guild opens its doors at the local high school for a huge crafts sale. And, at 11:30 this morning the jolly red suited elf makes his first appearance at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center.

And I slept in until the glorious hour of (almost) 8 a.m.!!! I might have made it longer but my back gave out. Not sure how much I am going to do today - I will go to the sock sale and hopefully the crowds will have thinned out. I may go to the crafts fair, but probably will have to miss the jolly man. I think I am taking a "me" day today.

Trust that you all had a wonderful thanksgiving and that you were able to find at least one thing for which to be thankful.

Posted by Purplemoose at November 25, 2005 11:23 AM