Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving over at my mother-in-law’s house. What can I say...our family is slow. Seriously though, in order to get everybody together, we couldn’t do it on Thursday and I had to work Friday so we decided to file over to my MIL’s house yesterday, cook the turkey (and fixin’s) and eat when she got home from work.

I missed Thanksgiving last year because I was only about a month out from my surgery. I suppose I could have gone but I still couldn’t really eat anything and what I could eat I didn’t want to eat in front of other people. I’m still sort of like that. Plus, sitting up for any length of time was still really painful so Gary went and brought back some stuffing and potatoes for me. This year was more of the same but at least I got to go. And because of my new found sense of...self?...I was also determined to get pictures this year. I’ve never been fond of having my picture taken but I’m not nearly as embarrassed or ashamed of myself as I used to be so I decided I was going to start capturing my life on film like all the normal people do. This was the third family get together that I’ve done this with...the first being Valley Fair in June (which I posted about including pictures and no I’m not posting a link you lazy asses can look in my archives), and the second was my SIL’s wedding which I still haven’t seen the pictures from but I hope they look ok.

Gary dropped me off around 1:30 so I could get good old Tommy prepped and in the oven. His sister got there a short time later and the Thanksgiving merriment was well on its way. By that I mean that her husband also took off for awhile so Lynn and I sat at the kitchen table and dished about our husbands and respective in-laws (which is hard seeing as she *is* my ‘in-laws’ aheh) and just had fun talking.

Gary and the kids showed up about 5 or so and then his mom came home from work around 6....

When they were very little, it was Alex that was the ham in front of the camera but of late, Ryan has been taking on that duty. He’s making a pouty face in this one but you can’t really tell...



Alex is going to be 14 in a couple of weeks and is now taller than his gramma and I think his voice dropped another octave since last weekend...




My mother-in-law...keepin’ the smokin’ dream alive...





No, mom...I’m not stoned...




Lynn and I have gotten really close over the last year and I’m glad because not only is she a really cool and sweet person but she’s a professional make-up artist and hair stylist and I got her on the way up...booya bitches!




Gary had to make a special trip back after picking up the boys because I forgot the camera and the crackers for my dip...he only bitched a little...*coughlikealittlegirlcough*




Turkey?? Did someone say turkey?!





Lynn was in charge of potatoes and gravy, two of the cornerstones of any successful Thanksgiving meal. She did an awesome job! And she can baste a bird like nobody’s business...her husband is one lucky fella...




For whatever reason, my mother-in-laws dog has something against the oven and whenever you try to open it she tries to attack it. Someone has to hold her back and she barks and half growls and just generally goes ape shit until you close it again. Then she runs over and bites the side.

Don’t open that!!!!!!! Are you crazy!? You’ll kill us all!!!




I was in charge of the turkey, stuffing and rice...I’m about to baste...does someone have the dog?!




We were supposed to eat around 6 but didn’t end up sitting down to dinner until around 7 or 7:30...and even then the turkey didn’t get done all the way...we’ll be nuking leftovers.

I think the dog is hungry...somebody watch her. We don’t want a repeat of the Bumpus hounds!!




Oh my god I need a break!



So yah, it was a pretty good day. I meant to get a picture of all the food on the table before everybody dug in but we were all too hungry...it didn’t last long. And I did get pictures of Lynn's husband Scot but I took them from the kitchen looking into the living room so they didn't come out. They're all dark and you can't see anything...sorry Scot :(