Thanksgiving with Granny

How do I even begin to recap the funnest Thanksgiving week ever??  :)  There are too many highlights to do them all justice, but I'll try and do my best...

{Portrait of Granny Nanny by Sophie}

Last Tuesday evening, my mom -- AKA Granny Nanny -- flew into town to see the baby and help out for the week during Thanksgiving vacation.  She was able to stay until Saturday afternoon, and the only downfall to her visit was that it couldn't last forever.  :)  Here is a day-by-day breakdown of the fun and games:

Wednesday

• The first of many shopping runs occurred Wednesday morning with a grocery trip to Kroger to stock up on ingredients for our Thanksgiving feast.  Of course, because Granny was doing the shopping, there were some fun extra things thrown in the buggy as well.  (Treats such as popsicles, santa hats, stuffed animal Peanuts characters, soft pretzels, and powdered donuts, to name a few.)  Hahahaha.

• Winning major brownie points, my mom took all 5 kids to see the new Peanuts movie later that afternoon, and followed it up with an outing to Target.  Where MORE goodies were procured.  Including a pair of denim jeggings that Sophie wouldn't change out of for the rest of the week. 

• My mom was also a super saint and played game upon game upon game of Phase 10 Twist with the big kids throughout the course of the week.

Thursday

• Turkey day arrived, and Granny got started bright and early making the lemon meringue pies.  Mmm mmmm gooood!  These were the pies we always had for Thanksgiving growing up.  Since my mom had already cooked up the turkey the day before, the oven was free and clear for all the other baking/cooking that needed to happen for our feast.

• Meanwhile, Alex has been obsessed with pumpkin pie ever since they talked about it at preschool.  The highlight of HIS morning was when he got to help me make one while Granny snapped some pictures.  Just as an FYI, though, he was not nearly as excited about actually TRYING the pie.  Hahaha.  He eventually gave it a shot and said he liked it, but the evidence would point to the contrary.  He didn't even finish his slice and basically just ate the whipped cream.  {I can't say I blame him.  Pumpkin pie is not a fan favorite of ANYONE up in this house. French apple pie on the other hand...}

Sophie took over for Scott and held the baby for a bit while we prepared the food.

• Along with the turkey, we had all our standards.  You know -- cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas and bacon, crescent rolls, and three kinds of pie.  {Plus ice cream and whipped cream.}  Scrump-diddly-umptious!!!

Ethan was the crescent roll king this year.

Left to right -- Lemon Meringue Pie, French Apple Pie, and Pumpkin Pie

The spread.

Hands down favorite pie -- the french apple.  And this was a REALLY good batch if I do say so myself.  Hahaha.  :)

Trying out the pumpkin pie!

• A Christmas movie night was in order once Thanksgiving was over and done.  The kids finally all agreed on "Home Alone," and as I watched the beginning of it with them, I was amazed out how many lines I still have memorized from that thing.  Hahahaha.  If I remember correctly, we saw that movie 5 times in the theater alone when it first came out!  I had to snap a picture, because they all looked so cute and comfy and content with their pillows and blankets all spread out in the family room.

• And then, to top the night off, Scott and I became THOSE people.  You know -- the ones at the mall on Thanksgiving night, dragging their kids out way past bedtime, all to get a jump start on Black Friday shopping.  Hahahaha.  In our defense, it was ONLY the newborn with us (while the others were home watching their movie), and I was only trying to capitalize on having my mom there to take family pictures the next day, and needed a few more clothing options for the girls. ;)  So a shopping trip it was.  And yes.  Scott DID end up holding the baby the entire time we walked around the mall.  But I got what I needed, so mission accomplished?  :)

Certainly not NEEDED, but I couldn't resist getting this adorable Santa hat for the baby. 

Friday

• Picture time!!!  EVERYONE'S favorite.  Not.  Hahaha.  We were met with the usual resistance while trying to get things organized for our photo shoot, but in the end we were able to capture some pretty good shots, so the torture was all worth it!  Right?  Hahaha.

• More food highlights followed on Friday with some Bourgeois Meat Market hamburgers for lunch, and some Turkey and Sausage Gumbo made for dinner. {Using leftover Thanksgiving turkey along with Smoked Sausage -- from the Bourgeois Meat Market once again.  SOOOO, so good.}

• Ethan got a head start putting up the tree while the food was cooking, and after another fun Granny outing to an indoor recreation type place, the kids settled in to get some Christmas decorations up while I finally finished Isaac's stocking and then hung them all into place.  :)

Jane's ornament from last year is almost an exact match to her new sweater!  :)

Saturday

• Saturday came all too fast and we didn't want to say goodbye!  My mom spoiled the kids one more time with a donut run for breakfast and then made one last batch of rice krispie treats before leaving that afternoon.  Oh how I wish we didn't live so far away!  {insert sad face, single tear emoji}

Precious little pup asleep on Granny Nanny's shoulder.

Enjoying some leftover gumbo.  :)

And that was our week!  It was hard easing back into reality on Monday, let me tell ya.  Haha.  At least Christmas vacation is only 2 1/2 weeks away and we have a visit from Aunt Mimi to look forward to...  :)

{One last image documenting Granny-the-miracle-worker's handiwork -- Isaac will now take a pluggie!!!!!  This is huge.  :)  Ironically, she was the one who got SOPHIE to finally take a pluggie way back when, during her visit out to help when Sophie was about the same age as Isaac.  Thank goodness for Granny Nanny!}