Our Thanksgiving...

And now, I present to you, our Turkey Day.

Our family is getting fairly good at these big, messy, loud, cousin-infested affairs.  Which is so, so good for all of us... to schlep babies into bunk beds and lounge around late at night talking and laughing, and then to make light of lots of work with many hands.  It's the best kind of chaos and we're creating our own well-oiled holiday machine of sorts.

Of course we traveled to the much-loved "Red House" where it was a whopping one degree out the morning of Turkey day.  But the temperature didn't matter much because the day was all about food and family.  And let me tell you... there was both -- in bulk.  The spread my mama is able to put on will just about bowl you over with goodness.  And the accessories were appreciated too, because everyone loves a good table accessory.

What I love most about holidays, though, is the fact that we're together for days... 

And this family wastes no time with a million activities despite what the thermometer might say.  We were out in the snow in Grandpa's ice fishing sled mere moments after dinner was devoured and cleaned up, for an afternoon of sledding unlike any other.  Grandpa made five hundred and twenty-seven laps around the yard {give or take a couple} and to say it was a hit would be the understatement of the century.  I would try to further convince you, but I'll just let these pictures do the talking.

There was a plethora of games, an immense amount of food, a snow bunny, some bunny hunting, movies, an all-adult male / all day bird hunt aaaannnd mandatory cousin photo shoots taken by what we'll call the "mamarazzi".  Plus more sledding.

THEN there was some sledding.  Have I mentioned we went sledding?  Did I say something overly exaggerated but bordering on truth like, "My kids like sledding almost as much as they enjoy breathing?"  Because, you know... if the shoe fits.

Have I shown you a couple of my favorite down-hill sledding shots of all time?

Well, allow me...

I do believe their faces say it all... 

#Human Brakes #Brake Failure #Toe Plows

Yes, we hit that tumble weed at an impressive speed.

I barely survived.

And after sledding there were "horsey rides".  I'll be straight with you... If Ace would have asked me for a pony as he grinned atop that moving mammal I would have had no choice but to buy old Chip right out from under my brother.  Have you ever seen a kid smile using every cell in his entire body?  Well, now you have.

Don't think I didn't google "horse drawn sleds" just now to see if maybe a random one was for sale on Amazon for a killer deal.  We do have my brother's family for Christmas this year.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have holiday magic to evoke, trees to decorate and halls to deck.  But don't think for a moment, that this week of thanksgiving was anything but...

I mean, how could a girl not be thankful for these little snow men?

Who are complete angels...

At least a good 10% of the time.

:)