Thanksgiving Recap

It has been a crazy week.  Do you guys feel like things have just kind of crept up on you?  I sure do.  It already seems like Thanksgiving was so long ago and I'm in full Christmas hustle and bustle now.

So, here's a recap:

We had all of our family over to our house for Thanksgiving. This year we had a group of 20. (there were a few missing)

Here's a dark picture (taken with my phone) early on Thanksgiving morning. 

Normally for family get togethers we all just sit where ever we can find a spot but for Thanksgiving, I like us all to be sitting at one table as a family.  The last couple of years I put the food out on the table but it was too much of a hassle to pass it all around so this year I set up food and drinks in the dining room and we did a buffet.

I cooked my cranberry glazed turkey again this year but, I have to be honest, I don't think it was as good and juicy as in years past.  I think it is because I cooked a 20lb turkey this year and every other year I had only a 15 or 16lb one.  I think next year I will either cook 2 smaller ones or maybe go back to a 15 or 16lb turkey and then also have a ham or brisket on the side.

I also tried out 2 other new recipes and they were fantastic.  If you are looking for a couple of recipes over the holiday season, check these out:

Whipped Sweet Potoatoes with a Brown Sugar-Pecan Topping

and

Cranberry Pineapple Minis

We had quite a spread of homemade macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, potato casserole, corn, mashed potatoes, the sweet potatoes, cranberry minis, cranberry relish, and rolls.  Not to forget some fantastic homemade desserts, too!

The kids had a great time playing with their second cousin, Kenzie, who lives up in Chicago.

 We ended the night by Gaga reading "The Elf on the Shelf" just like every other Thanksgiving evening.

(Please ignore Gracie's look-hahah!)

The difference this year, though, is that we could not find our elf, Chuckie.  We looked and looked so early on Friday morning (the first day he was supposed to appear), I had to run out to Target to buy a new elf.  Scott sent all of the kids into every, single room looking for Chuckie so when Susie and I got back from Target we hid him in the laundry room and it just happened to be the last room they looked in. 

Mission Accomplished!  They were so happy to have finally found Chuckie!