Thanksgiving update -- a little late

My internet is back up and running safely...so I'm back.

Thanksgiving was ... NOT STRESSFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO-HOO-KA-ZOO. (Yeah...we like rhyming things in my family.) I've been saying for years that we needed to stop having the huge family meal with 20 people and 20 entrees and 50 desserts and lots of stress and arguing...and why oh why did no one think to get ice??? Every year I swear to myself next year I am staying home and having chicken nuggets.

Well...I didn't stay at home and have chicken nuggets this year...but we did have a MUCH smaller but very yummy meal that was about 90 percent done ahead of time. And we spent a delightful relaxing day with just my parents.

I got to watch the ENTIRE parade...which I love. I know not everyone loves it...including Neal's family--

Neal: (on the phone) Hey sis---yeah we are just hanging out watching the parade!
Crystal: Oh yeah. That.

--but I get a huge kick out of the floats and giant baloons and performances.

Everyone brought 3 things symbolizing what we are thankful for to the table for dinner...

I brought a toy car (thank you thank you thank you Lord for providing us with two new cars), a page of Addy's school work (I'm delighted with her school) and a netflix envelope (I'm thankful for us watching Gilmore Girls enough that Ellie knows the theme song and sings it often).

Neal brought his work name tag (thankful for his job), his keys (again the cars), and a little doll (his girls.)

Emerson brought Tidbit (the family dog), his Bible, and a toy tractor (he loves that tractor).

Mom brought a candle (the light of the World and the Word), a poem she wrote for her parents, and a family photo.

Ellie brought Dora, a doughnut, and sunglasses (she was thankful her cousin got new super cute Barbie glasses.)

Addy brought a toy bed, a toy house, and an apple.

I did get a migraine from staring at the glare of puzzle pieces too long...but that didn't matter too much...I just also got a nap on Thanksgiving. :)

The next day started at 3:15 am as I hit the stores for Black Friday. I know its crazy...but someone could ask me to do crazier things to save as much money on Christmas presents as I did. They could ask me to eat my own foot....or run naked through the store. I'll stand in a big line to get 25 dollars of that 40 dollar remote control helicopter. No problem.