Happy Thanksgiving!!

Well, this post is just going to be picture overload! Yesterday was Thanksgiving, which was at my sister's house. I just took so many nice pictures (and a few funny ones) and there's so many that I couldn't narrow it down.

I am the baby of eight kids in my family...five of us were at Thanksgiving. Linda lives in California, Dianna in New Mexico, and Mark in Nebraska, so they weren't with us. But the rest of us are local.

Here is my brother-in-law Gene (Catherine's husband) carving the turkey. He is seriously a gourmet chef. He's so good, I bet he could be the next Iron Chef. He even makes everything all pretty and visually pleasing when he plates it!!

My nephew Joe (brother Mike's son) in the foreground here, but my nephew Vann (Catherine's oldest) is in the back with my sister Ann and her husband Mike just coming in the door. Unfortunately, this is the best picture I got of her.

Every time I tried to get her picture, she would literally turn and show me her bum!

This is Ann's husband, Mike. And yes, he is wearing spandex. :) Usually when we get together for holidays, Mike rides his bicycle to wherever we are. And this time, he rode from their house in Fayetteville to Catherine's house...33 miles. Yes, he is crazy. It's funny because when Chris and I were on our way, there was this cyclist up ahead, and I jokingly said "That better not be Mike Sorenson!" And we got up next to him and it was him!!

Here's Chris, nicely stuffed after dinner.

My brother Mike and his oldest, Joe.

Joe with the farm wagon. For a while he was pulling Dalton around in it, but I missed the photo op on that one.

My mom, enjoying the fruits of her labor...sugar free pumpkin pie.

My sister Julie with Jackson. This was after Jackson threw an hour long screaming fit. Dinner was served at around 12, so that my mom could eat quickly, then leave for an hour of adoration at church from 1-2, then she came back and we all had desert. So Jackson slept for 20 minutes in the car on the way to Catherine's, then I tried to put him down for a nap while my mom was gone. But the room he was in was too bright, and Gene went in there to get his laptop and woke him up, then Dalton walked in there thinking it was the bathroom...so the poor kid was just overly tired. He got up after crying forever, had some milk, was happy for a while, slept on the way home, and then he was just a big grumpy Mr. Cranky Pants for the entire rest of the night!!

My niece, Lauren (my brother Mike's youngest), with Miss Kitty.

Lauren with some of the horses. Lauren love, love, LOVES any and all animals, but especially horses. Sometimes I think she was supposed to be my daughter. :)

Dalton chilling on the steps to the barn loft.

Even the dogs and one of the cats got to partake in the feast. Miss Kitty with Max. Look at them, putting aside their differences and sharing food to join in the Thanksgiving holiday!!

Josie with her haul.

Jackson seemed to enjoy the horses, too. He was a bit confused, wondering why the dogs grew so big out here. Ha!

But he petted Dobber and managed to keep all his fingers. That's a pretty good accomplishment.

Dobber had just finished licking Jackson's helmet.

Dalton always gets a kick out of them, too. Here he is with Vann and Dobber.

Vann just loves kids. He's seventeen years old, and has always been great with the little ones. It's nice to see a teenage boy like that!

And I'll even post a few pictures of me with the horses. There's hardly ever any pics of me because I'm always the one taking the pictures. Dobber, here, was constantly licking my coat, my hands, my pockets, my face. I don't know what he thought I had hidden away!!

He was trying to lick my face. But I do really like this picture. I just look so happy. Which, of course, I love animals of all kinds, but I especially love horses, so I guess that explains it.

And then after we got home, we watched Elf (first Christmas movie of the season, yay!) and Dalton snuggled into a snoozing Chris to do this.

And of course, I love the movie Elf. I still believe in Santa myself, and with it being the first Christmas movie viewing, and the movie itself, I was practically sobbing by the end. :)

So all in all, it was a great Thanksgiving. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday, too, and found lots to be thankful for!!