Thanksgiving 2011

I love that our family is now mostly in one place so we don't have to travel much for the holidays with little ones. This year my sister, Katie, and her husband, Chad, flew out to stay for a week and enjoy Thanksgiving with the rest of us. It has been so nice that my maternity leave has coordinated with the holidays! I was able to just hang with them all week. 

Our Thanksgiving was low key and flexible with the kids schedules. We planned to prepare a meal at my mom's house and also attend the Gillespie Thanksgiving meal held at his parents house. I think it's so awesome that the entire Gillespie clan gets together every year for Thanksgiving. We did not stay to eat, but were able to visit and introduce Lacey to Granny.

Here are some highlights:

Allen started preparing the turkey a couple days in advance. Thanksgiving day he was up early to beginning the long, 8 hour smoking process. He did an awesome job!

Luke, our little sous chef, was right in on the cooking action with "Tee", short for Auntie.

Beautiful apple pie masterpiece!

I'd love to say I put this cute apron to good use and was a busy cooking bee, but the truth is that I was on kid duty all day so others could cook. Advantages and disadvantages to that!

Lacey's first Thanksgiving!

Check out my adorable turkey bow!

 Granny meets Lacey. 

Four generations of Gillespies!

Tee and Lacey

Mommy and Lacey. 

All the girls!
(Not our best picture, but it's the only one I had. Sorry girls.)

Oh, Luke...this was his Thanksgiving plate. Since Mr. Picky Pants would not eat most of what was made,  he got a legless turkey shaped PB&J, which he loved.

It was a long, tiring day, but good to be with so much family all in the same day!