Thanksgiving 2011

We had a great Pennsylvania Thanksgiving with my family, despite a nasty stomach virus that hit my mom the day before.  I thought we were going to have to cancel Thanksgiving if we all ended up sick.  But I'm happy to report no one else did and the holiday went as planned.  We just didn't let mom touch anything and she stood in the kitchen and bossed us all around to get dinner on the table.  It was delicious, as always!

Kids table

and the grown-ups table

We did our annual Black Friday shopping and completely enjoyed the early opening times.  We headed out around 10pm and hit Walmart, Target and Kohls and were home and in bed by 2:30am.  And we all got exactly what we were looking for.  Black Friday shopping gets such a bad rap, but we really love it.  And we didn't meet any mean or crazy people.  So fun!

Friday afternoon we enjoyed another family tradition, our sleigh ride.  Except it was 60 degrees and breezy so it was a wagon ride.  But fun regardless!  This was our fourth year and our third without snow, but we don't care.  The kids love it!  They each get a turn driving the horses and halfway through we stop at a cabin for a little break.  At the cabin we have snacks and the kids put on some sort of short play/program.  This year's was a hit as we figured out what Christmas is all about: Christmas is Christ.  Growing up we went on sleigh rides for several years with my grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousins and I love creating the same kind of memories with our kids!

Haven's turn with the horses.  She loves it! Mati would have nothing to do with it!

The kids getting ready for our show!  Then it's time for hot chocolate, caramel corn and humdingers!

 Trying out the horses before we headed back

 And of course the biggest kid couldn't be left out! 

The whole gang: Thanksgiving 2011