Thanksgiving 2012

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and we hope you did too!  This is a peak inside of our holiday!

 

After a few years ago in 2009 when Mom and I cooked for just she, Dad and I, we knew there had to be another way without a million leftovers.  In 2010, we went to McCormick and Schmicks after the Thanksgiving parade in uptown Charlotte.  That was delish.  In 2011, we went to the club with Kevin's parents - amazing. 

 

This year - we repeated last years - went to his parent's club for dinner at "high noon!"  And boy was it amazing!

Putting some shades on Kendall!

 Brittany, Joe and Kendall!  Today is her FIRST birthday!  Happy Birthday sweet niece!

 

Kevin's family and my family minus my brother, SIL and two nieces.

My parents with Kev and I.  I love this picture of the four of us.  This reminds me, I need to get some new pictures printed for "our" house.  All the pictures in there now are of my family and friends.  It needs to be "our" family and friends!

 

Kevin's Dad and my Dad!

Comparing guts after a big dinner.

 

Awwwwwww.

 

Can't forget ole Mills.  My parents brought him a couple chew/teething toys and this super cute Santa hat.  We need to get better pictures of him in it ASAP because it isn't going to fit his big head in another week!

 

Poppa with a sleeping Mills.  I love this with the Golden Retriever blanket in the background. 

 

We worked ALL weekend on the house from Wednesday afternoon when my parents got into town until Sunday at 11:30am when they left.  Non stop - 7am-11pm.  Every day. 

 

They were SOOOOOOOOOOO helpful.  Don't know what we'd do without them!

 

I did make a couple of meals along the way.  Wednesday night we had to let my parents try Cantina 1511 for the first time.  Friday night we had leftover BBQ, Pioneer Woman's mac and cheese and a salad.  Saturday night I made PW's Beef with Snow Peas and a salad.  All was hearty and just right after a big day of work.  For appetizers I did a cheese plate one day with the cranberry goat cheese from Trader Joes.  Yum, pick some up.  Another cocktail hour time I made PW's Restaurant Style Salsa.  Delish. 

 

I can't even begin to tell you what we got done on the house because it was so much but let me try to list some things out so I have it on record:

 

1.  Dad and Kevin did the wiring for the TV and stereo.  This was a huge project.  We now have a TV over the mantle (not really a fan of over the mantel but we have no choice with how the room is laid out).  The cable and electricity weren't in the right place so Dad had to cut holes, patch old ones, repaint, fish wires through the wall, run miles of speaker wire. But it's done.

 

2.  They cleaned the inside and outside of windows and put some screens back on.

 

 

3.  Dad fixed our mailbox.

 

4.  Hung CO2 and smoke detectors.

Checking out the kitchen island. ha!

 

5.  Took Mills out a million times a day.

 

6.  Mom styled our bookshelves which needed help in a big way.

 

7.  Mom and I (mostly Mom) made a wreath.  She also designed a little arrangement for our mailbox.  I'll have to show you all of my Christmas decorations soon.  She has such good taste. 

 

8.  We got a wreath for Kevin's office door and put it up. 

 

 

9.  We decided on paint stuff.  This was finished up today.

Had to take some things back to Avenue that the buyer wanted.  Weird.

10.  Mom and I shopped on Black Friday.

 

11.  Dad fixed toilets and tried to get more flow out of shower heads.

 

 

12.  Dad installed our new dishwasher. 

 

13.  Mom and I wrapped Christmas gifts.

Using his shop vac Santa brought him early.

 

14.  Dad set up timers on our outdoor Christmas spot lights on the front door.

 

 

15.  We washed the inside and outside of all four of our outdoor lights.  This was a bigger task than one would think.  We also replaced light bulbs.

 

16.  We cleaned the chandelier in the dining room and took some wax catcher things off of it.  I'll have to do a before and after photo of it.  This actually made a big difference.

Dead asleep.

 

Gosh I know we did more than this but this is a good start.  We had a LONG list of stuff to do and we got it all mostly done.  Now I just need to finish bleaching grout in the bathrooms and polish all of my silver.  I finished putting up the Dickens Village last night.

 

Thank you to my parents for helping us SO much.