Thanksgiving in Retrospect

Okay. Okay. So I know it is almost a week later,
and most of you have already forgotten about Thanksgiving in the
 mad rush to buy, buy, buy on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Get-it Tuesday.

(Note: There is not really a Get-it Tuesday. But I bet I you wish there was!)

People are busy thinking about. . .

You’ve probably already swiftly replaced your Fall décor

with the likes of Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and Christmas ornaments.

Oh, and have already starting singing Chrismas carols.

But I’m going to write about Thanksgiving anyway. 

Why?

And I am going to blame my belated Thanksgiving Day post
on tryptophan, carb overload and food comas.

I figured if I threw ‘In Retrospect’ at the end of my title. . . all would be forgiven.
Yes? No?
Ok. Well here it goes anyway.

So, like most holidays, Thanksgiving was jam-packed with family.

  Travis and I visited three households within 4 hours only to come

home and host a Thanksgiving feast of our own for my side of the family.


We went from point A to point B, back to point A to clean, stuff
and put the turkey in the oven, then off to point C, and alas, back to point A again. 

Which, by this diagram, brings us to Point P. OK. Sure. Why not?

Due to the hustle and bustle of the day's events. . . 
. . .we decided to keep dinner simple.

I mean, REAL simple. 

The classic K.I.S.S. method.

I usually go all out. 

Break out the china, fancy flatware and crystal:
the chronic case of hostess syndrome. 

Travis and I have hosted many-a-holiday in our humble abode. . .

. . .and we have become quite the team.

Service with a smile.  I was, mind you, a waitress for 5 years.

  But this time, I admit, I got a little lazy.

We ate off our everyday plates, used our everyday flatware,

and we were even lazy enough to ask everyone to just bring their plates directly

to the pan each dish was cooked in so I could avoid washing more dishes.

Yeah, THAT lazy.

This is what I ate. 

There was a salad, but there was no more room on my plate. 

(Translation: I have priorities.)

Can you tell that my mom’s stuffing is my favorite

part of the classic Thanksgiving Day feast? 

I could go without the turkey,

but don't skimp on my mom's amazing stuffing! 

We served champagne, wine, & beer.

 Oh! And IBC rootbeer for the parentals who were skippin' the booze.

And you know what? 

We all had a blast.  Just like we always do.

Me and my Momma gettin' ready to dig in.

My brother, Sean, just inherited a fancy new camera,

and he was happy to be our photographer for the evening. 

He got some good shots of the dogs.   

Guinness being his usual handsome self.

And Raja being resourceful, yet cute, while checking for scraps under the table.

We even decided to use the tripod and take some family photos.

A rarity.

Here's the fam bam breakdown.

Sean set the timer to take multiple shots at once.

It captured Guinness trying to make out with my Dad.

And me unsuccessfully trying to stop him.

And, well... we got a little silly and thought doing the wave would be fun.

And if you can't tell. 

It was.

But more than anything. . .
. . . it was fun seeing my mom and dad laughing
so hard their mouths gaped wide open.

And seeing my siblings and their sig others delighted to be altogether.

And as exhausted as we were from a day full of cleaning,
visiting family, eating, prepping, eating again, and then cleaning some more. . .
. . . at the end of the day, it's all worth it. 

 Because this is the good stuff.  
The stuffing of the night, so-to-speak.