Thankful for Thansgiving

My favorite holiday of the year has come and been gone.  But life with 4 kids is more time consuming so no blog.  Unfortunately I had to work this year and for the first time since having kids I missed Thanksgiving dinner with my grandparents and extended family.  As soon as I got off work I headed to West Virginia.
I had given Marko strict orders to go on Wednesday with the kids.  My little sister Karlee drove from Florida to Virginia to surprise my parents, daughter and grandparents.  After she visited with friends and visited mom and dad around 6:30 she came by and Jayna was thoroughly shocked.  Jayna rode to WV with Aunt Karlee while Marko took Angela and Anthony.

I got to Nana and Papa's about 2:30, just in time for annual dish duty with the cousins.  Then we all relaxed in the living room a while chatting and searching the black friday adds, yet another WV cousin tradition.

Beth's Thanksgiving morning paperwork

I may have missed the eating, but I still captured my annual Sr, Jr Thanksgiving nap picture!

At 5 all the cousins hit Walmart!  It was the madhouse of fun and excitement Black Friday always is for us!  We all made impulse purchases but more important we were together having fun.  Together.  Next was Big Lots so Amanda could check out the DVDs and Izzy could check out the Christmas decor.  Then we parted ways.  Anthony, Angela and I headed to the mall in Beckley: JCP bound mostly and finally KMart.  Supper took place at Sheetz where the kids and I waited forever.  Poor employees had the joy of computer failure on the worst possible day. We made it back to Nana and Papa's around 2:30 or so.

Too  much fun at Big Lots while Izzy and Vicki shop

Friday morning started with a fabulous Pancake breakfast from Nana!  Lauren's eye was hurting so we made a pit stop to the best dr in tow, Dr. Laura who was kind enough to allow us a drop in visit at her house complete with a prescription for eye meds to treat her eye infection.

 And then it was time with our annual fun with Uncle Alden.  Since we grew again from last year we had to upgrade from just Uncle Alden's truck to us both taking our vehicles.  We went down below the Big Bridge.  We stopped about half way for a hike, a climb, and then to watch a serious climber.

Then we made it old bridge underneath of the New River Gorge Bridge.

Then of course it was time for our Annual lunch at Dairy Queen.  Thanks Uncle Alden for always spoiling us and treating us to these most fun traditions!  I can handle working on Thanksgiving and missing food, but not missing out on all this fun togetherness with my family!

Then we headed back to Nana's where the kids entertained themselves:  watched tv, climbed trees, lots of laughter, one even took a nap, played outside.  We gave Nana and Papa their Christmas gifts.  Then it was time to help Nana start dinner.

Our good friend Kelvin joined us for dinner. He quizzed the kids and they questioned him right back.  And Angela finally figured out her favorite holiday! (Kelvin's last name is Holliday)

Then we headed to Josie, Aidan, Dr. Laura and Special K's house with the kids.  They played on the trampoline, took 4 wheeler rides, played in the game room and even roasted marshmallows.  The adults mostly sat around the fire.  It was actually quite relaxing and nice to get to know the cousin's best friend-family better.

When we took all the kids back to Nana's it was bed time.  Saturday morning started off with more of Nana's from scratch pancakes and with Marko and Angela going on a secret mission to Walmart.  While they were gone I did all the packing up and straightening up of bedrooms.  While Nana made lunch and Papa relaxed in his chair, Tricia, Amanda, Marko and I were assembling project new home phones.  Recently Nana and Papa's phone company made them upgrade their phones from their old beloved rotary ones.  So they quickly dropped from 5 phones to two at home.  The cousins informed us they were  frequently loosing their cordless phones so we bought them a new five phone system and now all the rooms that used to have a phone in it, once again do.  And we installed it without being noticed!  I even snuck behind Papa's chair to plug in one phone--- claiming i was getting Jayna's sock haha!  After we left we had Tricia and Amanda spill the beans.  They are now enjoying their new phones, we are told.

Lunch, like every meal was fabulous.  We had our choice of Nana's home made chili or veggie soup and grilled ham and  cheese sandwiches.  The kids all tried custard for the first time.  2 of 3 like it.

I went outside to capture some cousin shots in the leaves.

And then sadly it was time to say our goodbyes :-(

On the way out of town I saw Aunt Chris's car at her preschool.  So of course we had to stop and say goodbye!--- and get the tour of the best preschool in all of West Virginia and likely the USA.

IN THE INDIAN ROOM

ENJOYING THE COOLEST SAND SHE'S EVER PLAYED WITH