Perfect Thanksgiving

 This year's Thanksgiving was designed just for me.  My in-laws invited us, Nick's brothers, my parents, my siblings, and their families over to their home for dinner.  What a generous gesture.  They were quite overrun with my family and did not seem to mind.

 This meant that there was no rushing from one house to the next, no deciding which family gets priority, no trying to hold back on dinner number one so that there will be room for dinner number two.

It was a beautiful evening.

Patsy made turkey cupcakes for the kids.  Honestly, I wanted one (I've got an unexplainable penchant for candy corn) ... but pie is more important.

I started this session just taking pictures of Sterling (the infant below), but look at the great crew that formed, posed, and smiled!  Normally, these pictures require coercion.  I guess these guys have been coerced so much it has become habit.  What a great set of cousins.

A word about doorbusters... Yes, I do them!  Some people throw such a fit about how dumb anyone is to get up so early for sales.  Try living in my shoes.  Running the simplest errand is an all-day ordeal.  Diapers, coats, shoes, diaper bag (two sizes diapers, wipes, snacks, extra clothes, baby toy), another round of diapers, whining, ruined naps, "be nice," "don't run," "no touching," "please excuse my crazy children,"combined 15 minutes of productive shopping, crossing the parking lot without anyone being run over, not letting them see the presents I am buying (barely ever possible), getting home late, without dinner...

If you could avoid all this by getting up early one morning, you would do it too.  You think it seems crazy?  To be out, running errands and accomplishing anything by myself or with Nick (left the kids sleeping at Grandma's) is rare and peaceful, no matter the hour.

I had Christmas nearly completed that morning.  I even bought paper and tape and wrapped all the presents that night.  Now who's crazy?