Thanksgiving Weekend 2011.

Thanksgiving 2011 was at our house this year!  Since Aaron and I married over 10 years ago (wow) we've eaten everywhere from a restaurant with my parents in 2001 (our first apartment was soooo crappy),  our next little house in Austin with my folks and a few other friends,  Aaron's parents house,  Aunt Kathy's house in San Diego (I was sooo pregnant with the boys that we had to stop for Mylanta for my heartburn and I was wearing flip flops)  and Aaron's sister, Valerie's house.   Based on that lineage alone,  we have so much to be thankful for: people who love us and share their homes,  plenty of food lovingly made.  We've never had a year without somewhere to go. 

This year was particularly fun for me as I love  entertaining in our home here.  Our kids are also getting old enough to understand holidays and traditions.  Their excitement motivates me to make the most of these annual events.  Also,  for the first time in a few years I had the energy (sleeping through the night) to tackle and enjoy extra project.  We had 15 people for dinner and two sets of house guests:  Aunt Alene and then the grandparents.  Opie enjoyed getting to play with Lacey,  who I guess would be his mother in law? 
Unfortunately,  I took very few pictures!  A couple of these I stole from Alene who is excellent in the kitchen and behind the camera.  She's good at Lego building too.

Rachel evaded any photo that I wanted to take.  She also threw a coup about sitting in her high chair.  Daddy still had a lovely meal in the extra lawn chair. 

Aaron got up at 4:30 to put the 18 pound bird in the smoker.  It was fabulous and my whole oven was freed up!

I made this centerpiece using a Country Living as inspiration,  a growers bunch from the store and stuff I had around.

Aunt Alene caught the boys in their matching shirts.  Apparently Tommy was feeling feisty.  He told one of our guests that they "sure had a big,  fat head"  sigh.