Thanksgiving 2012

We gave thanks in Mountain Home this year and enjoyed good food and lots of laughter with our family. The weather was awesome and the boys helped Grandpa put up lights and decorations outside. The girls helped Grandma pull things together parts of the meal. Aunts and uncles, cousins and their friends, extended family all gathered to eat a huge meal on Thursday and catch up with one another.  We are blessed indeed.

Black Friday at Grandpas

My dad gets into his Christmas lights and has a big display on the house and his corner lot. Usually my brother helps him get them up on Friday when his wife is shopping and Mom is working, but this year Ryan and Richard got in on the job! Sheridan and Meredith enjoyed some rare time together playing Wii and board games.

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving in Mtn Home with my family and had a great time laughing, eating and hanging out with my parents. We hadn't all been to MH since last Christmas.

The girls and I spent some time at the store with Mom. We shopped a little bit on Friday and played games in the evening.  Richard and Ryan helped Dad and Jeff hang some of my dad's extensive outside Christmas light display. We all watched the BIG Razorback game on Saturday. The high point of the holiday was having Sheridan in the kitchen helping my mom and I with Thanksgiving dinner. The low point was the Hogs loss to LSU.

We are so blessed to be loved by our familes. My parents have loved Richard from the moment he became part of the family...maybe from the moment he offered to take me off their hands! We have a lot to be thankful for, every day of the year.

Giving Thanks Together

Mimi and Gramps and all 11 grandkids

One of the highlights for our family is to spend time with all our cousins on Thanksgiving. It all started about 8 years ago when we went to Louisiana to spend time with the crazy bunch down there. The next year they came up here. The next year...there were health issues and family issues and we haven't gotten back into the tradition we all loved. Of course, the "original" cousins have added a couple of spouses and at least 7 more great-grandchildren since then.

Rhea Lana, Richard and Ashley

Titus and Sheridan

The most fun is planning for the LSU/Arkansas game between the families. Really, they've been uncharacteristically quiet this Thanksgiving. Hmmm.

This year we were back in Heber at Mimi and Gramps georgeous house on the river. We have two cousins (niece/nephew) now in college and I was especially thankful they came home this year. My big kids love to talk to their older cousins as much as they love wrestling and tickling and chasing and playing with the younger ones. I'm sure very soon the oldest will begin to bring in new family members and the dynamics will keep changing.

Erin and Annelise






Me and the girls

Titus, Justus, Leah, Annelise, Erin, Lauren and Bekah

Gramps and Ben, discussing one of the many football games of the day

Love my men

Erin and Leah

No matter where we are and who shares our meal, we all will ALWAYS have THANKS to GIVE to THE ONE who gives us every good thing.

Growing Up

We sent our kids before us to Mimi's house on Wednesday. It was a big decision to put the lives of our kids in the hands of Ryan, but we felt like it was a good time to let him stretch a little. I'm thrilled they had so much fun. They had the camera and documented their 2 hour drive, fishing in the river, and hiking. Thanksgiving is the only time of the year that we all get together with Richard's parents and sisters, with all 11 of our kids and enjoy a good, stress-free time together.

Thursday Thanksgiving

Ahhh, smells of cooking turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes on the stove.
Gravy being whipped and pies in bakery boxes.
Trees loosing their leaves as we look from the picture windows.
Sun streaming in to give light to our celebration.
Football on tv and kids running here and there...
Thanksgiving!!

Our Thanksgiving tradition: gingerbread houses. I always think I don't want to do it...and there I am, with icing up to my knuckles and organizing the gum drops on the roof and sprinkles on "grass." It's wonderful when the weather cooperates and we can work outside. Of course, with 4 children under seven and my three big candy monsters, there's not a lot of loose candy to be found!




Three generations doing their thing!



Not every child gets to use a leaf blower when they're 6! Sheridan is seen here using it on her cousin!



Ryan and Annelise. So sweet.



Sugar Loaf Mountain: