Thanksgiving 2011!

Jeff knew he'd be working for all the Thanksgiving festivities, so he requested that we do a turkey dinner when he was home on Wed. night. I asked him his requirements and made just what he asked... I knew we'd have tons of leftovers anyway. We had turkey (a roast - don't judge, I've made great whole turkeys before!) corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cresent rolls (with things we were thankful for written and rolled up inside... I don't recommend this) and apple pies. (I saw a recipe for pie IN the apple with a little crust on top... It was fun and tasty, but I like the real thing, too.) It was fun to cook just for our little family, I enjoyed doing the whole dinner myself, but I do love having everyone around. After dinner, we had some really sweet family dancing time together. It was a lovely little family evening.








This year, our family/in-law schedule is getting all sorts of mixed up. This is usually the year we would go to Jeff's family for actual Thanksgiving, but two things happened - first, my uncle's family (only ones not here in UT) was able to come for the holiday, and second, Jeff had to work during his family's dinner. Also, BOTH dinners happened to be at the exact same time. I had fully intended to get to both, but they started and ended at the exact same time, and an hour away from each other. I did not make it happen, I totally lamed out. I spent the whole day with my family in Ogden. We had a great time - the food is always great, there is always tooons extra, and the after/hangout time is always so fun. We actually had a little family drama this year during picture time, which is pretty unusual for us, at least on that scale, but all is well. I really enjoyed hanging out with some of the cousins I don't normally spend a lot of time with. (And, we kids gave our parents the Christmas gift we got them - plane tix so they won't have to drive to our CaliChristmas! That was fun.)


The next day (well, that night) I hit a few sales to get the key items I was planning on - I got all of them! (A teensy bike for Lisie, a chalkboard easel, and a kid's table.... among other secret things.) It did require a lot of waking when I shoulda been sleeping, but you know me - I am always glad to score a good deal. (Got a sweet cyber Monday discount, too.) One of the places I went (IKEA) didn't open til 10am, so I was there for when my inlaws have their shopping time, then I was already halfway to my parents, so didn't wanna drive back up for lunch (plus I was broke) and for their movie, Jeff was working and I had the girls. Lamed out for my in-laws 2 days in a row.
It's always been a Radcliffe tradition that Friday we hang out and put up the Christmas tree. My parents got a GIANT one that we decked out pretty quickly, and then... that's right, had my third Thanksgiving dinner of the week. If I had known, I probably would have juggled around my Thurs schedule... hindsight. Then I did some fun and random shopping with my sis, Jaimie (I didn't spend!) I just can't get enough of hanging out, low key with my family - I would do it everyday!