This Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving this year was really great. We didn't try to do everything in one day, and that gave the kids more time to enjoy each family we were with! I have so much to be thankful for this year!

 

We always start off our Thanksgiving festivities the weekend before Thanksgiving with a family reunion on my Grandpa's (mom's dad) side. It's really crazy what a tight knit group we have even though there are a bazillion of us now. It is my grandfather, his siblings, and even a few of his cousins...along with their entire clans. It's really fun to get to see everyone at least once a year. Even though a lot of us live close, we just don't make the time to get together regularly.

I didn't take very many pictures because I was there without Micah...and I had all 3 kiddos. Luckily, they were confined, and I had lots of helping hands. No matter what, Collier has to have a toxic dirty diaper wherever we go and act like a total psycho...he wears we completely out when we go places (never mind the other two!).  :)

 

These are my second cousin, Tony's, boys with Bretton. Jack was a BIG fan of holding the baby and Cooper hung around a bit too. :) They are absolute cuties.

 

My brothers, my mama, and me...

 Tyler, me, Drew...

 

And that's it for pictures of that celebration. Wouldn't you have thought I would have taken a picture with my Grandma and Grandpa? I just get so darn distracted! I actually think we took one, but I'm not sure who has it. :)

 

 On Thanksgiving day, we headed down to Lavaca to hang out with Micah's family. His Dad's family is big, and we had everyone there this year except for 2 people! It was the most that we've had together at once in a long time!

 

A little picture of our family...

Gigi and Papa-D with their grandbabies...

Landry-lou playing in the leaves. Her hair was completely full of them by the end of the day! :)

Bretton with Aunt Tammy...he got lots of snuggles!!

 

 Kid's table...

The hunky hubs and me...

Micah's pretty cousins getting their baby fix. :)

Landry finally getting to try pumpkin pie! She's been singing a song about it for a month! :)

Landry and cousin Avery colored a picture together. Avery held it up and said, "This is called teamwork!" Ha!

Papa-D and B snuggles!

Two of my favorite boys...

 

The whole group!

 

Micah's family seriously has a great set-up for family gatherings. His parents live right in the middle of one of Micah's uncles and his grandparents. After our meal, the kids ran through the field between the houses and fed the horse and cows carrots...

They played on hay bails...

(All the boy 2nd cousins minus Bretton)

Jackson, Aiden, Collier, and Lucas

The girls!

Ainsley, Landry, and Avery

And Grandmama and Grandad with all of the greats (minus B again...it was a little cool outside for him!).

 We had such a great day...I hope your family did too!

 

This isn't really a Thanksgiving update, but something funny about being thankful that I want to remember. For several months now, we have asked Landry and Collier every night before bed to name 2 things they are thankful for before we pray. No matter how big or small, we incorporate that into our prayer to teach them how to talk to God about things that are on their hearts and express gratitude. Landry has been really good at it. She comes up with extremely thoughtful things like:

"That Daddy came home from work today."

"That Mommy was safe running her errands."

"That we got to "goed" to the park today."

"Headbands."

etc.

The first few nights we did it, Collier would just repeat whatever Landry was thankful for, but he was still learning. Now, (and seriously for a straight month) no matter if he goes first or second, he is thankful for "the beach," and is second item is always "that we got to swim." This boy is going to be a future beach bum! So...even though we are a half days drive away from the beach, we are thankful for it every.single.night. :)