It’s been a busy week, and after weeding through the 400 pictures I took over Thanksgiving, I have found the 100 I would like to share. :) Not really 100, but almost.
I’m from Greenville, Mississippi and for years most of the family remained there. Slowly my family has moved away, and last month my grandparents were the last to leave G-ville and move to Oxford (where several of my cousins have moved). Oxford is gorgeous and such a neat little town. It adds several more hours to our drive, but it was well worth it last week as it was a wonderful trip and our whole family had a blast! The kids were sweet and happy and played with cousins the whole time. The food was great! We have so very much for which to be THANKFUL! It was truly a wonderful Thanksgiving!
My sweet MamaSara fell a few days before Thanksgiving and was in the hospital for several days. She hasn’t felt well lately, so my cousin Franci hosted the whole crew! (We were missing about 15 people, but it was still a large group.)
We stayed with my cousin, Amy Lauren, and the kids woke up every morning playing and giggling. They had tea parties with Emma-Kate.
They danced and sang to the TV.
This picture just makes me smile. Lilly Katherine and Emma-Kate were mesmorized by the TV, but AnnaLeigh looked at me with this precious face that I’ve been seeing a lot lately. I just love those pursed little lips! I wish I could bottle her up and keep her just like this!
The weather could not have been more perfect! Franci set a beautiful table outside and we enjoyed God’s amazing sunshine and fresh air!
I have some yummy, easy recipes to post from this pile of delicious desserts. You like my lovely serving platter for the yo-yo’s? It didn’t matter. The kids were literally climbing through the open windows to steal them.
Also, notice that’s the same table I have! Papa is a carpenter and has built a table for any of us that have asked, so several of us have the same table! What a special gift!
What sweet blessings seen through the kitchen window!
My baby girl didn’t want to be at the kid table. She wanted to be right by her Big Papa every single moment. Somehow I don’t have a single good pic of the two of them, but she was at his side all weekend.
And when she wasn’t with Big Papa, she was loving on a dog.
The kids played outside the WHOLE day. It was fabulous! :)
Noble, Oliver, and Phoenix explored…
The kids ran with Andrew…
Phoenix and Lilly Katherine found the bee hive. Papa (my kids call him Big Papa) is a bee-keeper, and he decided Franci needed a bee hive in her back yard. Unfortunately a horrible storm passed through Oxford a few months ago, and the bees didn’t make it, so the hive is empty now. I’m sure Papa will take care of that this spring. :)
The boys played football…
Creighton, Preston, Sherman, and Phillip played football the entire day! Preston’s new pants took the brunt of it. :)
The girls loved the big swing, and AnnaLeigh found another dog to love on…
Sweet Annie played with the little kids all day.
My happy baby girl was in heaven with her cousins!
The girls were precious together. Sara-Cooper, Emma-Kate, Lilly Katherine, and Sophie. Yes, we’re from Mississippi and we like double names. :)
There’s nothing cuter than this man right here.
I hid behind held the camera the whole time, and looking at this picture makes me glad I did. I look tired and pregnant, but I love these 2 maniacs!
I love this pic of the boys wrestling and the girls playing Ring around the Rosie!
MamaSara plays the harp and now sweet Annie, like an angel, is learning how to play. It was beautiful!
Then my little “Angel” found a piano just her size. She just played and sang.
It was a wonderful Thanksgiving day, but the fun didn’t end there! We got to wake up with cousins Emma-Kate and Noble the next day. Caleb and Truett were there, too, but I think they were still asleep. They went to bed earlier and slept later than my kids…of course.
Then we all headed to Oliver’s birthday party. What a precious birthday boy!
Thank goodness the party was at a bounce house. Preston, Sherman, and Creighton just about killed each other, narrowly missing sweet little Eloise who decided she needed to be with the big boys.
AnnaLeigh had a blast with Brad. At one point she looked at me with a huge smile and squealed, “I’m having so much fun with my daddy!”
Noble, Oliver, Phoenix, Sophie, and Eloise…
Caleb…
This is my beautiful cousin, Franci, who will probably fuss because I’m putting this picture on here. She and her husband, Robert, hosted our wild family for Thanksgiving. Thank you both!
And this is my goofy cousin, Cooper, who made the comment about this picture finding it’s way on a blog, so of course I had to include it! He swiped a party favor a little early, and then was forced to give up his sugary treat…after he had licked it.
Then we finally made it to MamaSara and Big Papa’s house. (My kids call him Big Papa, but the rest of us call him Papa.)
My maniacs…
No, this was not planned, but the 3 of us are pregnant. Ashley (my sister) is due January 22, Amy Lauren (my cousin) is due January 19, and I’m due January 24. None of us know what we’re having, so January should be a fun month in our fam!
My sweet MamaSara just didn’t feel well, but she still had her make-up on and tried to come outside for a few minutes. We have so few pictures of my dad looking human! He always makes some crazy face, and I think this is a great picture of them despite how yucky MamaSara felt.
This little man is going to break some hearts one day! Noble is just a wild, smiling, funny little maniac!
My Aunt Frances Marie (Aunt Ree) came prepared with tons of goodies for adults and children! She brought snacks and good appetizers for us, gifts, and even games for the kids…plus she entertained them!
AnnaLeigh, right at her Big Papa’s side again, found another dog to harass love. Poor Sandy is old, arthritic, and missing an eye. Every time I saw AnnaLeigh with Sandy she was trying to find Sandy’s other eye. Sandy finally had enough and bit AnnaLeigh. Everyone was upset at Sandy, but I know my girl got what she deserved after hours of prying poor Sandy’s sewn up face apart.
What a wonderful Thanksgiving! We woke up at Amy Lauren’s house and drove home to Texas. The kids were so exhausted that they slept almost the whole way! Praise the LORD! :)
One last pic of my maniacs and a few of their cousins.
Noble, AnnaLeigh, Preston, Lilly Katherine, Emma-Kate, Truett, Caleb
The Lord has surely blessed us with an amazing family! MamaSara and Papa have set such a wonderful example of how to live for the Lord, how to put others first and how to make family a priority! They have raised 5 children. Each of their children has children, and many of the grandchildren have children. This trip was just such a blessing and such a great reminder of what Thanksgiving is about!
This is one of my most favorite Psalms, and I think it sums our week up perfectly!
Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
-kate
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I LOVE all these pictures, Kate, especially that last one. Precious kids! And I may have to steal that one that so perfectly shows the difference between girls and boys. Hilarious.
Thank you for sharing your Thanksgiving with us. Looked like everyone was having a great time.
Wish I had grown up with a lot of cousins. There were only two of us until I was 18 years old.(on my dad’s side) These are memories your children will never forget.
Kate, these are BEAUTIFUL pictures. Good luck with “maniac” #4!