This picture was taken a few months back when Great Grandma Armer (Ryan's Grandma) was in town visiting from Kansas. I can't believe how young Bentley looks in this photo, she has a head full of hair now!! We unfortunately do not get to make it to Kansas as much as we would like. Ryan is from Kansas and everyone on his side still lives there except for his parents and sister, they are here in Texas with us. Ryan's job allows him to only be able to take vacation certain months of the year and that makes it even more difficult. We would love to go during the Holidays so we can visit all his family on both his parents sides, any other time during the year it is hard to get everyone together... but Holiday months are the months he cannot take off. He is in the wine business and of course Holidays are the peak of wine so he is very much needed. It is so fun there, the weather is completely different than what I'm use to. I have seen snow every time I have been there where as here in Texas I have seen very little snow. Our snow is not anything compaired to theirs. In Kansas when I have seen it.. it is WHITE and deep (you can play in it)... in Texas the snow barely covers the ground and it is yellow since it's not so deep!!! We have made 1 snowman and he was about 2 feet tall (Bryson was almost 3 and Brenna was 2 months old) and that took A LOT of work and ALL the snow in our yard. It took hours and the snow was melting by the minute. Oh and yes!! Our snowman wore a cowboy hat for laughs!!! I will have to find that picture. So we really wish we could make it there during the Holidays... but this Thanksgiving half of his family will be coming to Texas. Grandma Armer (above) and her daughters & family will be enjoying Thanksgiving here!!! YYAYYY!!! We are very excited and look forward to seeing them all. I could not ask for better inlaws, they are so great!!! We miss them dearly and often wish they would pack up and move down south!!!
I know many of you are from all over the world and I would love to hear how you celebrate Thanksgiving.. and your family traditions. I am facinated by how different everything is in other locations. I am a small town girl and to be honest I have only been out of state when we went to Kansas. So I would love to hear everything about your Thanksgiving. I am not sure how I want to do this, so I want your feedback. The easiest way is to have you post about it... you can just leave me a comment and I can go to your blog and read all about your Thanksgiving traditions... then I wondered if my blog friends also want to know how other people celebrate Thanksgiving so thought maybe Mr. Linky? That way you can get to everyones blog from my blog and read them all yourself as well??? Which do you think. Comment or Mr. Linky? We will probably do this Tuesday or Wednesday... I will let you know once I hear what most of you want to do? Just comment or email and let me know!!!
PS.. I think I am going to do a blog design giveaway here very soon. I have a couple of mine that I have used before and no longer need... I might as well give them away!!! I will keep you posted!!!
Crystal, We traditionally just get together, say a prayer of Thanksgiving,...and totally "Pig Out"...Then we hang out and be silly. (That's it in a nutshell)
ReplyDeleteThere are 18 -20 of us and so we have to have a ton of food!
As soon as my brood walks in the door they start putting stuff in their mouths. I make Chex mix, and a veggie trays with dip, and sometimes have cheeses and crackers too cuz they can't seem to wait until I get the main food set out, so I have those things out for them to grab and eat before dinner.
I have the granddaughters set the tables with placemats, napkins, siverware and glasses and salt and pepper shakers and butter.
Grandpa fills all those glasses with icewater.
Then my 3 daughters help me pull things from the oven and set everything out buffet style, with a stack of plates for everyone to take one as they go through the line.
People get seconds, but I always remind them "we have desserts and coffee, so save room!" (:>)
After eating the guys always sit down and fall asleep in recliners and on the couch while the sports games are on tv.
The bigger grandkids always go for a walk, while the little ones run around the house, (or outside in the yard if it is nice weather).
Usually someone plays pool and the kids take turns playing around on the piano, or in Grandpa's ice cream palor room. It can get pretty noisy with 11 grandkids and 7 or 8 or 9 adults all talking over the tv and the noise!
My girls and I sit around and visit, and catch up on things. But it seems that goofy-ness and silly-ness always happens and we end up taking pictures of everyone.
Clean up is a joint effort and grandma usually gets told to sit down and relax! (:>) I like it when that happens.
Since we have nearly a dozen grandkids we usually celebrate a birthday or two during holidays also, so we have to also sing Happy Birthday and open gifts as well. The little kids like to perform for us on their instruments or they sing, or play piano for us.
We live in Kansas and the weather may or may not cooperate for our gatherings, but everyone usually makes it.
We gather like this and celebrate every month for birthdays except for January and February, cuz nobody here was born in those months.
So, there ya have it.
We did our Thanksgiving on Saturday this year so the kids could go to the in-laws. I hope you enjoy yours.
Luv, Linda @ Truthful Tidbits
What part of Kansas is your hubbys family from?
I saw your comment on my SIL's blog. Hudson's cardiologist is Dr. Sapire at the TCH satelitte clinic in Clear Lake. His surgeon was Dr. Salazar. Thanks for your prayers!
ReplyDeleteStephanie
I'm a small town Kansas girl myself!! :) I'm from Northeast KS (North of Topeka).
ReplyDeleteGrowing up we normally celebrated with my Dad's side of the family, until I was in High school when my grandpa remarried (my mom's dad) and we would do the every other year thing it was either at my parents house or my Grandma's house. My dad's #5 out of 12 (so most of them would be there and their children and now grandkids and great grandchildren) so pretty well once everyone or the majority showed up at the designated time, you just started making your plate (to make sure you got food!). When we had Thanksgiving at my parents, my favorite memory is waking up in the morning smelling the turkey that had baked in the oven on low all night long! The whole house smelled of delicious turkey. (It does not feel like Thanksgiving without smelling that turkey in the morning!!). After we finished eating, the kids would all play either outside running around playing some sort of game or playing in the snow, etc. The adults would then play the card game Pitch until LATE (I don't recall it ending until often close to midnight!)
As an adult, my husband's in the ARMY and we're now stationed in Germany. We invite deployed families and various friends over and single soldiers. I make pretty well everything, which I LOVE to do! After we're done eating the kids play and the adults play either some sort of board game or cards, always lots of laughter and great memories.
We are down here in Texas, but my parents are from Kansas, so that is "home" We don't get up there much to see all the family. I love it when I can go up there and spend a few days just to enjoy the fam.
ReplyDeleteI want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
ReplyDeleteAnd you et an account on Twitter?