~ Thanksgiving Review ~

2008 Thanksgiving Memories and Pictures:

• We were an hour late for Thanksgiving Dinner. Thankfully the family had only just started to eat. Sadly, I didn't get to eat with everyone because Kara needed to be fed first. We all enjoyed the yummy deserts together though. :)
  
  
• My APPLE PIE was a hit once again. Thank You to Jamye Gaston for the secret recipe that has been a family favorite for many years now. I love you bud!
  
  
• Ryan had fun playing with uncle Paul and Stephanie. Uncle Paul showed him a trick with hula hoops that Ryan thought was neat-o. Wish I would have gotten pictures of them playing. Maybe next year!
  
  
• Ryan did not have a nap and was tired. But there was too much excitement to rest. Instead he would lay across Nanie's (Chris' grandmother) lap and have her rub his back several times throughout the afternoon. It was cute to watch them bond.
  
  Ryan and Nanie Smith
  
  
  
• As I was packing the kiddies clothes for our weekend stay, I had an intuition that Kara might have a "blowout" and ruin her new outfit. I ignored my thoughts and didn't pack a second special outfit. Well...wouldn't you know it. She not only had one BUT two blowouts while visiting Nanie's house. I did not get a picture of her in that first beautiful outfit. :(

Note to self: Listen to your Motherly Intuitions. They are usually right.

Many thanks to Grandma High for spot treating it so the outfit wasn't ruined. Oh well...I will just have to take a picture and post it later. It really is a beautiful jumper!

Chris changed the second blowout and this is the outfit that Kara ended up wearing for the remainder of Thanksgiving. I wouldn't have put that shirt with those pants but he didn't have much to choose from. I've given up on keeping the kids in nice outfits!

Just a little trip down MEMORY LANE....

This is Stephanie (Chris' cousin) holding Ryan who is only 5 days old on Thanksgiving 2005. He was too small for that cute green/white striped outfit that Grandma High got him. He was such a good baby...slept the entire Thanksgiving Dinner.

Here is Stephanie holding Kara (5 months old) on Thanksgiving 2008. Boy has time flown by...Steph will be graduating High School this year and off to college. Kara was a good girl and allowed several family members to hold her without a crying fit. It wasn't until the end of the afternoon that "cranky Kara" started to show. It was our cue to head over to Grandma & Pop-Pop High's house. We spent our weekend there....always fun and relaxing.


Every year Grandma and I head out to Tannersville to do outlet shopping on Black Friday. Kara joined us this year. She only went because she refuses to take a bottle and I am the only one who can feed her. The bottle is something we will be working on in December. Wish us luck...she is a very stubborn baby! We were a little worried about how Kara would be in a stroller most of the day but she did great! I think we have a "shopping buddy" for future trips. We ended up only shopping for the kids. I wanted to check out a few stores to get items for Chris and my nieces/nephews BUT Kara had had enough after 4 hours of shopping.

Ryan told me that he missed us when we got home. Isn't he a sweetie!?


Kara all tuckered out from her first outlet shopping experience!


The loot! Aren't these kiddos lucky!?


Our GOALS for next year are:

• Arrive on time or even early for dinner.



• Bring several changes of clothes for the kids!


• Take more pictures and video.


• Maybe incorporate games into our family gathering.


• Start a tradition with creating a craft with the kids.


• Leave both kiddies with the boys while Grandma and I shop on BF.


• Laugh even when things don't go the way you had planned...because they usually don't!

I dedicate this post to Dorothy "CORK" Schulz.

Nanie and Cork (on the right) at our wedding in 2004.

We found out on Friday morning that Cork had lost her battle with cancer. She was Grandma High's cousin but I always felt like she was a great-aunt to us all. It was sad that we weren't able to see her one last time. We all spoke about her during Thanksgiving and I want to feel like she knew just how much we loved her before passing that next morning. Sadly, she never got to meet Kara but I was able to send her pictures after her birth. Cork had a gentle spirit about her and she loved being the "family historian" with creating family trees and collecting photos throughout the years. I've learned so much about Chris' family because of her. Cork will be missed but we know she is at peace now.