Flashback - Thanksgiving

So I thought periodically I would do a flashback of things that I missed while taking a "rest" from my blog. This one will highlight Thanksgiving, which is one of the holidays I really enjoy. It is all about family, food and once the dinner is fixed, naps and rest. There isn't a lot of decorating to do for this holiday and you haven't hit the "oh crude, I only have ? days before Christmas" mentality.

We had Thanksgiving at my In-Laws so that we could focus spending more time with my family at Christmas since my sisters were going to be in town. Here is Grandma and Grandpa Thomas putting out the food.

Here is my 18 year old son weighing himself before he eats. He had some contest with his friends to see who gained the most weight. Now you can do this if you are 18, male and have a metabolism that works like a fine tuned sports car.

Unfortunately I don't think he won because instead of weighing afer he ate, he ended up here.

One really cool thing my Mother-In-Law has done is buy Presidential plates. Every new president designs a plate for his term. They start all the way back from George Washinton up to Obama. So my In-Laws bought plates from the presidents they most admire or just because they liked the way it looked. They now have a nice collection. When we have family dinners once a month, each grandchild gets to pick out a plate to eat on. This is Coty's favorite... the Lincoln plate....

When a grandchild leaves home, that plate is retired. Here is the one Blain picked and now sits in the place of honor on a shelf in the kitchen.

Another tradition at the Thomas household, sometime during the day they do skeet shooting. This year almost everyone got in on the action.

This kids went around picking up used shells and sticks off the ground.

Ashley is learning to shoot, and did a pretty bang up job...get it "bang" up job. Ha ha.

Here are the guys. After tiring of shooting clay pidgeons (they aren't real so relax man) they set up a target to see who could get closest to the bullseye. It was getting dark so we will just call it a draw. Even though between you and me, my husband could have been an outlaw with his quick draw, glint of steel in his eyes and shooting accuracy that would put Jesse James to shame .



Speaking of Jesse James, did I ever tell you the story my great grandmother told me. Her maiden name was James and she insisted that we were descendants of Jesse James. Which is funny because on my husbands side of the family there is a little story about how Jesse James kidnapped one of his descandents and made him cook for Jesse and the gang. I think that is so ironic, because now I cook for my husband. I hope you followed that story because it really was interesting and nailbiter. Just make sure you never made me made, because now you know the outlaw blood the boils in my veins. Okay, back to Thanksgiving....

And the finale to Thanksgiving, and one of the grandkids favorite events of the season......... Christmas PJs. In the evening, after everyone winds down, Grandma brings out a package for each person with a new set of PJs inside. My boys said they loved getting their new pajamas, and I will admit I look forward to it also.

All the younger kids in the new pajamas.

Even the tweenage girls put theirs on right after getting them.

Gotta love the matching socks.

It was another funfilled and relaxing Thanksgiving. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for opening your house and making it such a nice holiday.