Oh my oh my, it’s the Monday after Thanksgiving and as I’m sitting down to put in writing this recap I’m considering I ought to have achieved it sooner. My head is already abuzz with the happenings of a brand new week upon us (and cyber Monday offers to peruse, as effectively), so I greatest replenish a second cup of espresso and recap whereas it’s all as recent because it’s going to get.
This weblog (particularly the private life recap part) has change into such a private diary/document e book so whilst you would possibly encourage me simply to maneuver alongside, I can’t do it. I like having these life occasions to learn again on! So let’s time journey again to every week in the past (cue dream sequence music…)
The ladies and I headed all the way down to Georgia on Monday and met mother at her property. When my Nannie handed away final yr her cozy dwelling and acreage in rural Georgia was break up between mother and her siblings. Whereas they offered the home (to a very nice couple which eased the ache of realizing it’s now not Nannie and Pawpaw’s farm), mother is holding onto her 35+ acres of lovely meadow, woods, and creek that additionally holds the household pecan tree, from which Nannie gifted us shelled, frozen pecans from every year. We walked the property, chatted with my uncle (who lives adjoining), and picked up pecans. It was very nice to have just a little of our conventional Thanksgiving really feel in a yr wherein we’re beginning a brand new custom.
Way back to I can keep in mind, Thanksgiving has been at “the farm” however this yr mother took on internet hosting and the ladies and I have been excited to come back down early and assist the place we may. After our nation tour, we headed to mother’s home for snacks and drinks on the dock.
The following morning we walked the canine, walked via the Thanksgiving sport plan, then walked some outlets earlier than ending up on the movie show to see Depraved 2. The theater was PACKED, children in costume and all the pieces. I had low expectations concerning the film primarily based on some critiques I learn, so with that, we have been pleasantly stunned and truly discovered it fairly pleasurable.
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We have been all excited Wednesday morning as a result of my brother and his crew have been up and on their method brilliant and early. Whereas the ladies and their cousins instantly took off to catch up and play, the remainder of us started working baking pies, getting the parts prepped for Nannie’s stuffing (Kris took this one on which I admired as a result of it’s an outdated trend household recipe with instructions like “one can of broth” and no actual measurements), establishing tables, and dry brining the turkey.
David arrived within the afternoon and he and Kris put in a brand new TV downstairs for mom- a much bigger, flatter display for extra optimum soccer viewing and permitting for extra flooring house, which the ladies took full benefit of once they offered us with a Thanksgiving play wherein the acted out, comedically, our lengthy standing household Thanksgiving traditions and tales from the time the children bought misplaced within the woods to David being requested by Nannie to say the blessing. It was all very candy.
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Kris grilled up some fabulous ribeye steaks and all of us loved catching up over a scrumptious dinner earlier than calling it an evening to get some relaxation earlier than the primary occasion.
Mother pulled the turkey out of the fridge at 6:00 AM and it was baking and filling the home with a scrumptious aroma inside an hour or two. The children sleepily trudged upstairs and have been greeted with Nana’s scorching chocolate and “Nana” nut bread to get pleasure from whereas watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It made such a festive background as the remainder of us bustled round to prep the meals, the tables, and ourselves for the primary occasion.
By the point 11:30 rolled round, household was starting to reach. It was an attractive day and the afternoon unfolded in such an natural and pleasurable method, one would have thought we had at all times had Thanksgiving at mother’s home. The primary occasion was my cousin’s new child boy, who all of us ceaselessly fawned over. Natalia was so gracious in permitting us to take turns holding him, and I believe it was the spotlight of Hailey’s complete day.
We feasted and sipped wine and cheered the Packers to a victory and watched the children all placed on one other glorious Thanksgiving play for our complete group of 25, which I assumed was admirable as a result of that’s a fairly large group to carry out for. Within the late afternoon into the early night issues started to wrap up. Hugs have been plentiful and the normal group photograph was snapped. Mother likes to say that internet hosting isn’t her energy, however I don’t know of anybody else that might make everybody really feel so welcome and so snug and so fortunately fed. She made this primary yr of a brand new custom really feel as cozy and heat as one which’s been carried on for many years.
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With all of the serving to fingers issues have been principally cleaned up by the point we went to mattress that night time, fortunately exhausted.
The following morning after sipping espresso we hugged mother goodbye and took to the highway. We made a fast cease again at dwelling for clear underwear and a coop test (THREE EGGS! I believe we’re as much as three laying hens and it’s extremely thrilling) earlier than heading west to David’s folks’s home, which is a straightforward 45 minutes away from us now. Such a blessing.
We arrived in time to hug all our nieces and nephews who’re all so grown that even on my tippy toes, I’m hugging them across the waist, earlier than the kick off to the Georgia vs Georgia Tech soccer sport. 22 years in the past David and I met at a tailgate for that rivalry sport and it feels just a little like an anniversary to us every year. An anniversary that’s fraught with facet eyed glares of opposing groups, I suppose, however an anniversary nonetheless. 😉
The Dixon crew are all Georgia Tech followers, so it’s robust to be the lone bulldog (not lone, as Kaitlyn fortunately did pushups with me upon every rating). Rather less robust David assures me as a result of Georgia has just about dominated the collection for the previous 9 years. 😉 All joking apart, everybody is nice sports activities and it’s quite a lot of enjoyable (particularly so long as Georgia retains profitable).
In between soccer watching and puzzling we loved Grandpa’s chili and snapped an image within the humorous elf outfits Mema procured for us all! I loved making the rounds and listening to what was occurring in my nieces’ and nephews lives, as I don’t get to meet up with them as usually as I’d like. It’s so enjoyable to listen to tales about school soccer video games, sorority rush, highschool basketball, and soccer tournaments. Children positive do develop up shortly.
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Saturday afternoon we made our method again dwelling to the joyful shock that… STAR IS BACK! That loopy elf put a brand new star on our tree and bought himself all wrapped up within the course of. That may solely imply one thing- it’s Christmas season!
The remainder of the weekend we spent doing laundry, watching soccer, retaining Christmas films rolling, restocking the kitchen, and getting our ft again beneath us. What a beautiful whirlwind Thanksgiving week is. Did I cry within the automobile with the emotion of lacking those who aren’t with us anymore? Sure, sure I did. However does that make me much more understanding of how valuable every season is and to not take something as a right? 100%.
I hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving and be a part of me in leaning into the Christmas season beginning now- play these tunes, sip that peppermint bark creamer, and light-weight these candles. Blissful December!
