Thanksgiving!

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Today we made the long trek to Milwaukee with the dog and a backseat full of pumpkin pies!  It was an adventure...

(That's a long stretch of road in front of us!)

(Two of the pies, in plain view for a puppy to drool over...)

(Ah, Mom.  Can't I PLEASE go check out the back seat?)

Since we got there 4 hours before anyone else, we enjoyed a quiet (meaning, napping on the couch) afternoon at the hubby's aunt's house long before everyone else arrived.  Oh!  And watched a little of "Miracle on 34th Street" - my favorite old movie. 

Finally, everyone else started arriving.  The smell of turkey filled the small apartment, the kids and I were coloring and playing with Chinese fortune tellers, the men were watching football or "Man Vs Food," and oh yeah.  The dog got into my pumpkin pies. 

(Our niece, Lauren, coloring AND listening and watching Disney shows on her dad's new phone...  Uffda.)

(Whoa.  Who did that?!)

(I think we found our criminal...  Look at that guilty face!)

When we finally sat down to eat it was a nice family dinner.  Lots of laughter and stories.  Good food.  A nice time.

(The kiddie table - Brandon, Lauren, and Evan.)

(Mike and his mom.)

(Aunt Annie.)

(Jerry and Michelle.)

(Dan - the newest addition to the family, Brandon, and Kerry.)

(Hubby and I.)

After dinner, clean-up began, a game was played, birthdays were celebrated, and everyone lazed around until it was time to go home. 

(Since Brandon and Annie's birthdays were the day after Thanksgiving, we celebrated with a little pumpkin pie.  Can you tell Brandon was excited?!)

(Hmmm...  What to wish for?)

(Happy birthday!)

We didn't get back to hubby's mom's house until 12:30am. Whoa. Long day. Our heads hit the pillows and we were OUT!

So much to be thankful for.

Things I am thankful for today:

1.  Clear roads and safe travel.
2.  The woman at McDonald's who gave our dog a treat.
3.  Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit - once a year, they're Great!
4.  Christmas music!
5.  Family.
6.  My family texting me pictures of the centerpiece project.
7.  Coloring with my niece and nephews - too fun!
8.  Being able to laugh when the dog got into the pie!
9.  Having a new brother-in-law in the mix.
10.  A good night's sleep!