An Indiana Thanksgiving 2008

This year we had the opportunity of spending our Thanksgiving break with Jeff's family. We left last Tuesday around noon and arrived at our first stop about 9 p.m. The kids did pretty well in the car...what did we do before portable DVD players? On the way there they were able to watch 6 movies...instead of gauging distance by time we now gauge distance to destination by the amount of movies that will be watched.

Wednesday we spent the day with Jeff's dad, Terri, Erin and Great Grandma and Grandpa Thornton. We had a great time and Grandpa Thornton did a great job picking out the kids Christmas presents. Bayley got the Christmas Barbie that she has been wanting, Kendal got an adorable Tinker Bell outfit, and Trey got an AWESOME Black and Decker Tool Set. Trey loved the set, but he also really liked the girls gifts...he took his turns playing with Barbie and wearing Tinker Bell....what are we going to do with this boy? It was so nice to be able to see them and spend time with them.

Trey posing as a toy in a boxTrey and Daddy workingKendal as "Tinker Bell"Bayley with her new Barbie

The Thornton's

Thursday we were blessed to be able to enjoy two Thanksgiving dinners. The first go around was at Jeff's Aunt Joanne's house. The food was great and it was fun getting to see that side of the family. The kids had a great time playing with Joanne's boys, Alex and Ben and they definitely put on a show. Trey was as wound up as I have seen him...by the end of the afternoon he was sweating. Next we headed to Jody and Marty's (Jeff's sister and brother-in-law) for another round of eating and fun. For the first time ever we were able to enjoy our turkey, deep-fried. It was actually very good and very moist. By the end of the evening we were stuffed and tired...isn't that the way the a good Thanksgiving is supposed to end?

Friday was "Black Friday"...probably one of my most favorite non-holiday days of the year. It has been a tradition in my family for many years, to get up early and hit the after Thanksgiving sales. I LOVE IT! It is crazy...tons of people battling it out to find and get the best deals...it could almost be a sport. This year I left the house at 4:30 a.m. I arrived at the closest Wal-Mart and 4:45 a.m. and there were ZERO parking spots available...it was the busiest I have ever seen it. After parking illegally along a curb I raced into the store to vie for the best position and to stake out the items on my list. The madness started at 5:00 a.m. and I exited the store with everything on my list at 5:22 a.m....SUCCESS! I also hit the mall and a couple other stores and was back home before 10:00 a.m. I got a big chunk of my Christmas shopping done and saved a bunch of money. The rest of Friday we were able to spend with Jeff's mom at the house. The kids played with their cousin Sydney, did crafts and for the first time that week Kendal and Trey took a nap. Sleep was not a major priority during the trip, but by the end of the week we were feeling the effects. It is going to take a couple of days to truly feel like the kids are caught up and back to normal.

Trey smiling because he got to touch the Polly Pocks

The kids also got loaded up with fun stuff at Grandma Nancy's house. Not only did they get to paint plates and figurines, but they also go their Christmas presents. As much as Trey loved his Elmo doctor kit, he really was digging the girls Polly Pockets (or polly pocks as Trey called them). They also all got cool new pajamas and some really nice Sunday clothes. The looked very sharp today at church. An added bonus this time around was that Saturday was Grandma Nancy's birthday. The kids were excited that they were able to spend some time with her on her actual birthday. She is a great Grandma who as usual was a wonderful host!

Grandma Nancy with grand kids on her Birthday

We had a great trip and feel so lucky to be blessed with such wonderful families. We truly have a lot to be grateful for again this year and family is definitely on the top of the list!