Thanksgiving in a NUTSHELL!

I hate my title of this post. If I was dedicated to this I wouldn't have to put ANYTHING in a nutshell! I do have a good excuse: I work retail, it's the holidays and I have a toddler SO don't judge!

There really isn't much to tell about our Thanksgiving besides it was VERY relaxing. We slept in as much as Ryder allowed us, my mom came over with YUMMY food in hand and we cooked what was supposed to be a SMALL lunch. My in-laws and niece Jordan came over so I finally got to use my dining room table which has been collecting dust for about 4 years now. I even insisted on using my mom and stepdad's old china. Great memories were in my mind while sitting at that table eating off those plates! They are materialistic things but my childhood with my stepdad were created with those "things".

This isn't even all the food for our SMALL meal! I think Ryder is READY!

It's impossible to get this kid to look at the camera anymore!

 The highlight of lunch- watching Ryder take each dog a piece of ham OVER and OVER and OVER!

If you're wondering why we wanted a SMALL lunch, it's because we had BIG plans later that evening- PAULA DEEN'S! We have NEVER, as a family, went out to eat for Thanksgiving but Trav's whole side of the fam went to see other family members which I think left my MIL in shambles. She is used to cooking HUGE FEASTS for our BIG family but we insisted she not go through the trouble of feeding 6 of us since she tends to always want to overdue it......

My mom, Ryder and Paula! LET'S EAT!

 My child ate more than ALL OF US combined! It was a little ridiculous!

 After about 3 plates of fruit, veggies and MEAT it was time for his ICE CREAM!

He LOVED running around the casino!

We won't EVEN discuss the struggle it was to get those DANG Willett's on his feet. If your wondering what a WILLETT is, like me a few months back, it's those HUGE white walking shoes that my mother bought him! Trav HATES them, my mother LOVES them! This is a losing battle we go through every holiday! Ryder is getting too big, in my opinion, SO we will be done with the smocked, john-johns and jumpers after Christmas......

It was ALWAYS a tradition growing up that my mom would put the Christmas Tree up Thanksgiving night! I tried to do this the day before Thanksgiving but Trav threw a fit! He never celebrated holiday's growing up so it's funny that NOW he has an opinion! :-) I think the fact that his family didn't get together for Thanksgiving sent him into a funk so the thought of me celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving REALLY sent him over the edge! HAHA!
SO we put Ryder to bed and I went to work. Ryder was VERY surprised when he woke up the next morning. I think we heard a lot of WHOA'S over and over!

I just LOVE our tree!

 Ryder checking things out!

WHOA!