Post in Pictures-The Mother Load Thanksgiving (Part II)

Okay, to start the running commentary on each photo:

My cousin Bubba Dimitri (real name James) with Aunt Kathy Wright

Bubba Dimitri's wife Heather

Grannie still has the Great Depression vibe going on, and she asked me to

clean out her cabinets, fridge/freezer, and pantry. I got so absorbed in my

job, I only got these pics:

Before:

Need some muffin mix anyone?

Pantry

After-and PS-I may or may not have found some Jello and other foods from
1999, 2004, etc. Yikes a million. Grannie eats like 3 oz of food a day, so I know
she won't come across this expired food since it's buried in the back, but still......




Emeline Turney and Emeline Sarah

Emma and Witt (she loved him!)

Emma, Emma, and Witt

Nonnie (my mom) and Emma

Pregnant Sissy-17 weeks!

Cheesy senior portraits

Husband and Emma

Cousins Beau and Brett

Cousin Melissa (nice Mo)

Mom making gravy without the giblets.

Aunt Kathy, Uncle Pete, Aunt Crazy Suzy cooking.

Grannie and Aunt Suzy

A major smoked turkey that was divine.

Aunt Suzy and her daughter Mo Melissa

Sissy Sarah and Emma

Uncle CR and Beau

Uncle CR and Brett

Sissy, BIL, and Emma

Hubs, Grannie, and BIL

Preggo pounding a Sharps.

Me and my Grannie

Melissa in a rare moment of touching Emma.

Emmster

Aunt Suzy (the soother) and Emma

Nonnie and Emma

FOUR GENERATIONS!!!

Mom, me, Emma, Grannie

My Daddy

Laura and Dad

Dimitri, I mean Bubba (my cousin James)

Erikface the Godfather with his snuggly Emma

Laura, Snubbs, Emma

Me and husband

My friggin plate: starting with the croissant clockwise: onion casserole, pickles, olives, wild rice, green beans, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, spinach artichoke casserole, dressing, turkey and ham underneath it all, with some asparagus. Yeah, sorry WW. But I did only eat one plate. :D

Dad and Sissy

Aunt Jazzercise Suzy, Melissa, and Heather

Aunt Kathy Wright with Emma

Sonic giving Emma some nose love.

Mom, Dad, and Emma (how cute is this?)

Other Aunt Kathy and Emma

Rusty and Emma

Nonnie

Dang, that was a lot of pictures! Mom, if you are still reading, make sure Aunt Kathy and Aunt Kathy Wright actually read my blog to see the family pictures. I will send a picasa album later today. My hand is falling off.

PS, is there a batch upload option on blogger people?

The Last Week

OK, lots to show and tell, but this post is going to be a random conglomeration of stuff that happened over the last week. The next post will be solid pictures! :D So you can skip either or both if you aren't interested in my randomness. :D

*First, congrats to LINZY B. for correctly identifying last week's Sunday Saying. It was from Sixteen Candles. I will get your prize together next week, so email me your mailing address please. Cas, you were so close but she beat you to it!

*We went to Nashville on Monday to visit with my Grannie Annie, Emma's Great Grannie. The ride was fine, but we were packed the freak out! I don't know how we will ever go anywhere without my Expedition, cause it was full up. Ridic.

*I went four days without email, blogging, and Google Reader. No wireless at Grannie's house. When we checked into the hotel, I had like 20943 things in Google Reader. I just got caught up on that and weeding through email. Facebook-sorry I still haven't gotten to you yet.

*Lots of food and drink were consumed. I tracked WW on Monday and Tuesday, behaved on Wednesday, then was decent until Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Friday I ate McDonald's and Domino's. No restraint. Tonight is the in law Thanksgiving. We are having smoked turkey and all the fixings. Ridic again. (That was mostly for Mrs. Bev! :D)

*Laura from Groovin with the Grizas (my bestie IRL) and I met up with B.E.G. at my hotel bar and it was like we had all known each other for years! It was incredible and fun and I am so stinkin glad that I finally got to meet my email friend! We are planning a "blogger convention" (ha!) in NC next summer. Mrs. Potts, I hope you are reading and will join us! Srsly, Emma was fussy around some family members and strangers all week, and when she met B.E.G. she just went right to her and smiled and cooed. Really, if B.E.G. and her hubby didn't have to leave, we would've shut the bar down! We could not stop the gossiping-fab times!

*I actually pulled my first pump and dump this week. It was awful! I felt so wasteful. But I had consumed like 4 beers, so.....

*Great Aunt Suzy had the magic touch on Emma this week. She could calm her immediately.

*Emeline met her cousin Emeline Turney this week. She (big Emma) brought little Emma such a sweet present!

*My sissy and her hubby find out the baby's sex on December 9th! Can't wait!

*I won like $3.50 playing cards (Kings) with the girls this week-so much fun!

*Uncle Pete broke out the moonshine at the Thanksgiving gathering. It was pear flavored. My cuz Mel may have liked it too much-Mel, are you awake yet?? :D

*My house is a total freakin disaster and all of Jason's family is in town. The maids are coming Monday morning (just breathe, ahhhhhhh.)

*Flash got a testicle infection from the kennel. It's pretty awesome rubbing greasy lotion on the balls twice a day and putting a 100 pound bloodhound in a lampshade thingy. He keeps trying to scrape it off on all the furniture. We went to the vet this AM and got a shot to help. Then husband took the dog back to the kennel to show them his issues and ask what was up. He promptly got a refund for $170. We may not go there again, which is sad because we've been boarding them there for 4 years.

*I've been baking up a storm-now I remember why I don't bake that much any more. Because I want to "taste" everything. We will feast on the Southern Living caramel pecan tart tonight.

I think I have covered all of my things to share. If I think of any more, they can go on the next post. :D Sorry for the randomness.

Thanksgiving Traditions

So, I LOVE doing these blog hops and reading about everyone else's traditions around the holidays.

Because Lord knows, my family is a stickler for tradition. We do things the SAME way for 30 years, then decide to change it. (Right mom, ahem, Christmas.)

So, every Thanksgiving since I have been born, we have had Thanksgiving at my Grannie Annie's house in Franklin, Tennessee. When I got married and had to share holidays, it was a HUGE adjustment for me. I was so used to doing things "my way" and I was sad about "sharing" and missing things. But, now we (hubs and I) have it worked out to an art, and we get to see everyone. It's a lot of driving, and until my Grannie (God bless her) does not have Thanksgiving anymore, we will keep driving and smiling and seeing everyone.

So, let's talk traditions. We always get there about 2 days before the actual day of Thanks. To visit and drink and EAT appetizers. Srsly, we put down some food. No wonder I have a weight problem. :D And y'all, the drinking commences at like 1:00-and we go all night. My cousins (all 7 of them) and sissy and I have been known to frequent strip bars and other bars around 2 am. Yikes y'all.

That was when I was "younger." Now that I am mature I would never.

And on the actual day of Thanks, we start playing cards upon arrival (we all stay in a hotel so Grannie doesn't have a stroke from our loudness.)

And on the actual day of Thanks, we always say we are eating at 2:00, only to finally sit down around 4:00. And we INHALE all of the food because we are half drunk starving!

And on the actual day of Thanks, lots of football is watched by the 10 men (Dad, Uncle CR, Uncle Pete, Beau, Brett, Sean, Brody, Rusty, Bubba, Jason). And lots of yelling, cussing, and cheering ensues.

And on the actual day of Thanks, used to be lots of smoking cigs going on, but now (Thank GOD) almost all of us have quit! Only 4 smokers remain, (ahem, Uncle Pete, Aunt Kathy, Bubba, Mo). Even though sometimes we would all like to join back in, we WON'T!

And on the actual day of Thanks, ya'll this is what we eat: turkey, ham, dressing, onion casserole, asparagus, celery/olives/pickles, rolls, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, spinach artichoke casserole, and lots of desserts like pecan tarts and pumpkin rolls. Yummmm! And I may be leaving off something too-cause it's only once a year! I can't remember it all!

And on the actual day of thanks, Reverend cousin Beau is forced to gives a prayer and we all give many thanks for so many blessings that we have in our life. And now Emeline will be a part of that. And I am so thankful.

What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Do share!