thanksgiving, 2010.

this year's thanksgiving ended up being a pretty simple affair for us.  we originally thought maybe we'd head up north to visit phil's mom as we haven't seen her in over a year.  but as is usually the case, phil ended up not getting the entire weekend off and so we stayed home and gave thanks with just the five of us.  i think we've stayed home nearly every thanksgiving and so it was nice in a way to continue that tradition.

that's not to say there wasn't a lot of eating involved, though.

it started the week before thanksgiving, with both allie and mikey's school celebrations.

lauren and i made it just in time to sit with allie and her class as they feasted.  the teachers were so nice to have a plate of food and a seat all ready for little sister lauren at the table.  which made life for me so much easier.  lauren just wanted to get back to her food.

it was a nice, mellow kind of celebration with tons and tons of food.

quick picture of me and my girls just before we headed out.

the next day (which also happened to be my big ultrasound day), we made it just in time for mikey's class feast.  unfortunately, we had to miss the kids' performance for the parents which made me sad.  but i prepared mikey for it a few days in advance and let him know we wouldn't be there for the singing part, but would be there for the eating part.  at least daddy got to come this time, though.  and i got to tell him that he's getting a baby brother!  mikey was all smiles after that.

before the feasting began, mikey's teacher took a moment to share what she was thankful for this year and then had each of the students share what they were thankful for.

when it came to mikey's turn he said he was thankful for his mommy.  he was the first one to say that which resulted in a round of "awws" from the surrounding parents.

later, he whispered to me that he said he was thankful for me because i was giving him the little brother he always wanted.

we stayed and played a little while after the feasting was done.  and where there's phil...

there are kids gathered around.  happens every time.  same is true of mosquitoes.

probably because he's the biggest kid of them all.  :)

fast forward to thanksgiving day.  a simple celebration for the five of us.  i don't have many pictures though, because as simple as it was, it still took me the better part of the day to get it all ready!  this year, i did make a turkey instead of a chicken or prime rib because now, thanks to what my kids have learned in school, they actually know you're supposed to have turkey at thanksgiving.  if they actually liked the taste of turkey however, is an entirely different matter.

ps- that's allie's thanksgiving turkey centerpiece.

"hey everyone, look at daddy!"  just kidding, they were all supposed to be looking at me.  but it totally looks like i said that, doesn't it?

ps- that's mikey's pilgrim and indian picture on the wall.  and that was all for our meager thanksgiving decorations.  inside our cave-like, faux-wood-paneled dining room.  it's totally my favorite room in the house.  (ok, it's not.  but it IS where we spend a good amount of time each day.  but only for seven more months.  woo hoo!)

and our annual really bad thanksgiving family photo around the dining table just before diving in to the food.  also something of a family tradition for us.  and it totally wouldn't be tradition if it was a good picture, after all.  so thankful for these guys.  even when one of 'em wasn't looking where she's supposed to.  and even when another one of 'em complained of a headache.  and even when the last of 'em complained her tummy hurt.  yup, even then.

thank you Lord, for my family. thank you for the highs and lows, for the joy and the tears.  thank you Lord, for this beautiful life that i don't deserve.

turns out this one really does like turkey, after all.

hope you had a great thanksgiving weekend as well, my friends.  :)