Friday is still Thanksgiving

Friday was a blur.  Robb got to the hall early and starting baking the turkeys.  I picked up Leon, the keg (of rootbeer) and then back to the house to load up the minivan with tons of supplies that we'd need at the hall.  

Speaking of the rootbeer...  The brewery screwed up and sent a 16 gallon keg instead of the 8 gallon one that I'd ordered.  I got it for the 8 gallon price... s.weet...  We weren't able to finish it.  When I took it back to the liquor store on Monday, there was still some sloshing around in the bottom.

Anyway, back to Friday.  I left Leon with Meri and his dad and took a crock pot full of sloppy joe stuff to the hall and started getting things brought in from the car.  Luckily a sister with a billion kids showed up and helped make short work of it.  I guess I needed more children...  I'll have to get on that.

Family trickled in all afternoon and finally some boys big enough to help move the piano out of the kitchen and into the big room. Why it was in the kitchen, I'll never know...  I guess people like to be entertained while they cook.

Around 4pm, Ruth Ann was carving the turkeys and she got a phone call.  The sister that was bringing our parents had JUST left our home town...  Just under 3 hours away.  REALLY?...  Dinner is at 6...  They said to hold back some food for them.  So we were frantic in the kitchen.  What possessed them to wait THIS long??!  Apparently they'd said they were confused as to where it was being held.

They were five minutes away...

Revenge must be swift... but what??...

We tried to come up with a skit for the talent show, but got caught up with things and forgot.  We'll zing them next year!  For me, that's swift.  Jokesters...

Too many people brought paper products, no one brought enough other varieties of pop so Melanie (another sister) ran to the store for me.  Other than that, there was SO much food!  

The talent show started around 7-ish and half way through I noticed a couple sisters disappear.  more on that later.

Our crazy gang!

My niece and her son.  They were saying a poem and he would spontaneously break into song on the tiniest violin imaginable.  Oh and he can't play...  It was very funny!

My sister, Tammy, had moved to Nashville when she turned 21, to hit the big time in the music industry.  She got married and had nine kids.  But she can still belt out a tune!

A couple nephews and their dueling guitars.  Amazing!

Leon told me a little bit into the show that he wanted to sing "My Little Pony" theme song.  I said to take it to the emcee and he did!  What a brave kid!  Tim got him in after a few talents.  Leon got to the piano (I didn't know he was going to play!) plinked on two separate notes repeatedly for what seemed like hours.  Robb finally decided that was probably enough.  The family was getting restless, so he started clapping loudly.  Leon took that as his queue, bowed and ran to sit back down.

He's a born performer!  I asked him why he didn't sing "My Little Pony" and he said that he did while he was playing piano.  Oh.  

I may need a hear aide.

I sat next to my favorite cousin for most of it and yes, it is common knowledge that she is my favorite.  She and I are right at the same age and always hung out together at family get togethers growing up. 

 Her boys brought dates this year!!

I finally got a good shot of my parents and Julie's (favorite cousin) parents and just noticed that Jacob is giving me the eye!  I kept having him back up for the shots but really hadn't for that one.  

So the missing sisters...  Ruth Ann and Teresa were in the kitchen doing cleanup!  Washing dishes, counters, sorting through the stuff to determine whose was whose.  We were OUT of that hall by 10:30pm!! In the past, it's been midnight and I'm dead tired, but dragging myself home.  This time was awesome!  I got home and still had enough energy to bring a few perishables in.  yay!  Thankfully it's been pretty chill at night and the minivan makes a good second/third fridge.

So all in all, it was a good Thanksgiving.  I'd like to be the one that doesn't thrive on chaos, but I think that's the only way my house would get clean.  

We did miss Maddy and Matthew though, completely! They spent the whole weekend in Michigan visiting his grandparents and other relatives.  So the Robby and the nose flutes reunion will have to wait until next year.

And guess what?...  On Monday, they got engaged!  

I'm gaining another son!!! Yay!

I'll catch up with Ruth Ann yet!