Giving Thanks

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Brian's family this year.  Kyle and Diana hosted and their house seemed a lot more full this time than it did two years ago.  We added two grown-ups and two babies, but did that really make the difference?  Everyone was at the top of their game with the food this year.  Now if only we'd add pie for breakfast on Thanksgiving in Brian's family the way my Mom does...  (Thanks to Melissa and her in-laws for coming up with that awesome tradition.)  I'm also grateful to the teenagers who mostly posed  for the camera this year.  It's just nice to see your beautiful faces instead of your hands.  Ha!

Nate is a bull in a china shop except with Bridget.  He always greets her with a careful hug.  (Note Diana's fun turkey place holders.  I saw Grandpa eating one before it was even time for pie.)

Nicolette and Kalvin - so civilized. :)

Abby and Janessa looking so cute even though Janessa told me not to take her picture because she was growing out her eyebrows.  I'm so mean for writing that down, but it's still making me laugh.  Janessa is the best!  She is so good to our kids and Grandma and we love her THE MOST.

I'm tempted to go look in McKade's closet to see if he has a dozen of those shirts in there.  Is it his Family Party Shirt?  Shawn was most uncooperative when I tried to get him to look at the camera.  Not cool.

I'm including this picture because of the science happening on Hal's plate.  He has stacked his meat and his roll, the gravy is in a perfect lake in the middle of his potatoes and he has saved exactly 1/3 of the room for whatever else is coming around the table.  

Speaking of science, Brian dished up his food AND my food with Grabby McThrow-y sitting in his lap.  (That is my sweet potato souffle he's dishing up.  I'm going to admit that it was the hands-down best thing anyone has ever eaten.)

The Newlyweds!  Linzy and Nick.

That's how good the food was - we had babies jumping on our laps and trying to get our food and we still enjoyed it.

One of the great traditions in Brian's family - the football games get WATCHED.  (Hey!  I didn't get Jake at the table!  That's the back of his head in the green T-shirt.  Booo!  Sorry, Grandma.)

After dinner most of us went downstairs to stretch out and watch Enrique Iglesias.

Grandma got a workout keeping babies away from the table once she was done eating.  Emil continues to be fascinated by everything Nate does.