We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our only Thanksgiving in Florida was so lame with our dinner at Cracker Barrel (delicious but the company was grouchy). This year we got to spend it with the whole Redman clan and it was exactly what Thanksgiving should be. It has always been my favorite holiday.....I am sure a big part of that is that I get to eat awesome food but I have never had to cook...I hate to cook but love to eat. As a kid all of my favorite Thanksgiving holiday's were on Long Island with the New York cousins. So many great memories and I know my kids feel the same way about Thanksgiving with their Redman cousins.
This year every single Redman was there except for my nephew, Brett, and his wife, Amy. They live in Texas and are newly married with fairly new jobs and can't just run around the country over every holiday. In other words....they are grown ups now. My mother in laws brother, Lindley, his daughter and her husband also got to come and eat turkey with us. It was just filled with family and we appreciated it more than ever because we had to miss out last year.
Almost all of the Redman's got up to do the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I even got up...but I went to be the paparazzi and Shane went as the pack mule.
Rick and Barry frying up a Turkey.....Gary isn't in the picture but he was cooking, too!
Oh, there's Gary.
Sue stirring the gravy (a very important job!). She wasn't very happy with me for taking this picture but isn't she cute?
Big Chris and Little Chris.....or old Chris and young Chris :)
Tucker and the only girl cousin, Lexanne. Ten boys and one girl.....the testosterone is off the charts!
I love him <3
Shane and Garrett....he is the biggest Packers fan that ever lived.
Chris and his favorite uncle, Lindley. Now...we could argue that he is his only uncle....but he is pretty great regardless :)
Shane and his Aunt Tammy
After we eat the big feast.....and it is a FEAST...everyone plays games. This year Apples to Apples was a favorite.
Lexanne brought her boyfriend, Jon. We LOVE him.
Since this was the first time in 10 years that we have all been together, Nana wanted family pictures. Since I love pictures I was all for it. A real photographer took beautiful pictures but I took some of the process. My favorite pictures are the ones that capture what is going on behind the scenes.
This is Gary, Chris's oldest brother and his wife, Sue.
Shane and me
Mason and Joseph
This picture is probably my favorite from the whole weekend. It just makes me laugh. Poor Tammy......surrounded by boys her whole life.
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My baby
The Boones Creek Redman's
Our nephew, Nash...he is so much fun.
We scheduled Shane's first college visit at East Tennessee State for the Monday after the holiday. It was a great visit to a beautiful campus. So exciting for Shane.
Over the month we had some different school things go on.......
Mason played someone important in the class Thanksgiving play. I just can't remember the important persons name right now. I'm old....most of the time I can barely remember Mason's name. He did a great job...that I remember.
Tucker played Batman in his drama class play. He was too funny. When did he get so ripped?
Mason was Joseph in the children's choir performance at our church.
Scott, Rose, Austin and Caitlynn came in for Shane's birthday!!!! We were so excited...it just made Shane's birthday extra special. So blessed to have such wonderful friends.
PF Changs.....it was so yummy.
We also went and found our Christmas tree over the month. We always get a real tree but I am wondering if we need to rethink that next year. We just never know what to do with it when we are done.....it's a pain in the tush.
We got Tucker a gift and wrapped it up in a Victoria Secret box. It was pretty funny when he had to open it.....and find something that was unrelated to lingerie. Torturing 13 year old boys is pretty awesome.
Mason had another Star Wars themed Christmas.
We had another exciting year in 2011. The last few years have been filled with big changes for us.....most of those we have not welcomed. We are happy to be somewhere that we think we will be able to stay for awhile. I am praying it is 10 years so I can keep these boys in the same school until they graduate. Overall, it has been another great year for our family.
