Before we move on with Christmas posts, I’ve got to catch up with Thanksgiving.

We joined Steve in Arizona just days before Thanksgiving. The kids were more than ecstatic to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather. And I was giddy to be reunited as a family.

We spent Thanksgiving day with Steve’s parents, as well as a couple of his siblings and my sister who drove over from Tucson.

Hallie was in charge of the nameplates for the table and she took her job very seriously. I showed her a couple ideas online and she settled on an oreo cookie based turkey. Of course this was short lived because days later she saw another idea she liked better. Luckily it was close enough to Thanksgiving she couldn’t change her mind again! So we set out to make 42 nameplates with all our fingers! And she could hardly contain herself as she put the cards on the table.

We had a delicious lunch followed by some football. Hallie saw her dad out throwing the ball and she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity. So she slipped off her dress shoes, threw on some socks and tennis shoes and joined her dad’s team. Steve was so kind to make several plays centered around her to make her feel as though she was really part of the game. She loved every minute and couldn’t stop talking about playing football with dad.


We closed the evening with desserts with all of Steve’s siblings in the area as well as some extended family as well. It was crazy and chaotic. I think I sat on the couch for a good portion of the evening in awe of everything going on around me. We’re still getting used to all this family!! I think we counted 21 pies and just over 80 people and I was well past exhausted by the time everyone walked out the door.  But it was a day of gratitude and love and we loved every minute.