Thankful for Visitors

This Thanksgiving was definitely one that I will remember for the rest of my life! As a child, every other year we would come to Phoenix and spend Thanksgiving with my dad's sisters and all my cousins. It was always so fun! There are memories of eating dinner poolside in bathing suits, blow up bounce houses, and then having a 24 flu bug go around on more than one occasion. This year my sister-in-law Winter called me and told me they wanted to come to Arizona for Thanksgiving and I got SO excited! One of my favorite traditions as a child was being carried on, and it would all be because I am now the one living in Phoenix! After much convincing (my mom) the parents decided to join us! That means my little yellow house, 6 adults, a toddler, a baby, and two dogs for Thanksgiving! And you know what, I wouldn't change a thing (sorry mom). Casey and Winter drove down on Sunday, and my parents flew in early Wednesday morning. The whole week was one of those go-non-stop-sleep-when-you're-dead kind of weeks. We were able to get dinner with Casey and Winter, and even got to go to the temple with them and Shay and Gunner. It was so fun, but I think the Mesa temple would be happy if Winter, Shay and I didn't come together again :).
Once the parents were in town it was get ready for Thanksgiving full force at our house! Jim and my dad prepped the shrimp dip and got the stuffing ready Wednesday night and I just stood there watching. I'm pretty sure I repeated "are you learning all the tricks, hub"? no less than a million times. Thursday I woke up to Winter making her amazing Orange rolls, made some pumpkin pies with my mom, made sweet potato pie, fruit cocktail, and sent the boys to the grocery store 3 different times (one time was even to get ANOTHER Turkey because my mom was so convinced that 12.5lbs wouldn't leave enough left overs for us. I'm here to tell you that a 12.5lb turkey and a 15lb turkey two days later does leave PLENTY of leftovers). We deep fried the Turkey in about 45 minutes and it was perfect. Once you've eaten a deep fried turkey you wonder how you ever enjoyed one that was oven baked. We then feasted like kings!! There was so much left over, and I wasn't even mad about it. The boys all took a nap while Winter and I played with the babies in my room. Then the Black Friday debate came up, do we go? Do we even need anything? What can I justify NOT buying? I did send Jim and my brother to Walmart at 10 to get the Shark Steamer I've been wanting, and it was well worth it let me tell you!! The next morning Jim and I and the parents woke up at 7 to head to the mall. My dad always buy's his Levi 501 button fly on black Friday, my mom always buys socks, and I heard gap was having 60% off! We did some damage at Gap for sure. I think I spent 2 hours in there alone? We hit up bath and body (gotta get your candles, and my mom really needed the gift with purchase tote), Macy's had a microwave my mom wanted and when we went back to get it, it was gone. She was so not happy. I think we were at the mall for 5 hours and did some major damage! Thanks mom!! I actually had alot of fun shopping on Black Friday, but I think that's because I shopped for clothes, and I wasn't fighting the crowds at Walmart like that man of mine. After we came home and took some much needed naps we headed over to the temple to see the temple lights! Its such a nice change from Temple Square, even if it is much smaller. My dad just thought it was so funny that he was at temple lights in shorts and a short sleeve shirt. I on the other hand was wearing Uggs and a sweater, thin blood? The rest of the weekend was just fun and relaxing. Jim finished all of his Christmas shopping, the girls got Christmas pedicures. I'd say it was a very successful Thanksgiving. Hopefully next year we will be in a bigger house, and the dogs can have more room to run outside and not drive my mom crazy! Next up, Christmas! I can't wait!!

27 weeks