Days with the Jensens: Thanksgiving....Just the 4 of Us

Since we just got home from Disney on Sunday and I met Gayla halfway between Atlanta and Nashville on Monday morning to pick up Rane there was absolutely no way the four of us were getting back in that van to go anywhere for Thanksgiving! My Dad also had to work the day after Thanksgiving so my parents couldn't come down either. Spencer and I talked a couple of weeks earlier and said how weird it was going to be to be without family for the first time on a major holiday and we thought we might get a little lonely. However, with the fast paced week we had last week, all the car rides and fatigue from traveling we were actually very thankful to just have this week to spend with each other and rest! We all slept in (until 7 a.m.) each morning, except for Ella-Ann, who went to bed at 6:30 p.m. most nights and would sleep until 7:30 a.m.! Poor girl, she still hasn't recovered from Disney! On Thanksgiving day I made all the sides and the pumpkin pie for dessert but I didn't feel like dealing with a turkey so we bought a huge pre-cooked breast from the grocery store. Yes, we did go vegetarian but we couldn't skip out on turkey for Thanksgiving! We played Christmas music, the kids danced around the house all day, we baked and cooked together, had a super fancy table (according to Ella-Ann), and really enjoyed our time together. I was so excited because all of the food turned out great and all of us ate a ton! What warmed my heart the most was when Ella-Ann said, "Mommy, this food is SO good! You did such a good job! I love it!" Ahhhh....words that rarely come out of the mouth of my picky eater! Rane, on the other hand, demonstrated his love of the food I cooked by devouring a massive plate full and eating a large piece of pumpkin pie...his first! It was wonderful!

On Black Friday I ventured out with both kids (Spencer worked that morning) to Nordstrom Rack, Toys R Us and TJ Maxx in hopes of snagging some good bargains, which I did not but bought a few items anyway. I was pleasantly surprised by how there were no crowds, no lines for me to wait in and no crazy people! The kids did well too and we had a good time. Ella-Ann and I watched "Beauty and the Beast" that afternoon while Rane slept and Spencer visited with his cousin, Chad, who was in town for the holiday. It was the first time she watched it and she cried and cried when the Beast was near death after the town tried to kill him. It was so hard to contain my laughter....it was too cute! We also watched a Christmas episode, which we've seen before, of Disney World getting decorated. It was fun to watch that with her because since we just got back she recognized all the decorations, trees and sights around the parks. She loved it!

We mainly just hung out around the house the entire time. On Saturday I worked on getting a good Christmas card picture of the kids and Ella-Ann helped me decorate the house, which was fun. However, I am super close to turning around and putting it all back up in the boxes because Rane is already driving us nuts with continuously touching everything in sight! I only have a few "up high" places to put decorations so Spencer and I have said, "NO RANE!" at least 50 times this afternoon! The tree and presents should be quite fun with him. We also played outside in the backyard that afternoon. It was cool and sunny, a perfect fall day. Spencer raked leaves for the kids to play in. It was Rane's first time and he kept saying, "Uh-oh," to Ella-Ann throwing the leaves up in the air and having them go everywhere! He is such a neat freak!

My little helpers on Thanksgiving morning!

For many months now Rane takes some of my kitchen gadgets out of a cabinet and gets inside. Every so often he will pop his head out and yell "BOO!"

Spencer carving the turkey.

Every time we eat by candlelight Ella-Ann goes crazy. She thinks it is so much fun! I used all of our good serving trays, bowls and utensils, along with cloth napkins with napkin rings even if it was just us 4!

Ella-Ann did a fantastic job helping me bake the pumpkin pie. The best part was she actually ate it!

On Friday afternoon I took the kids to Baskin Robins for some free ice cream. I signed the four of us up to be members of their birthday club so we got a free scoop of ice cream on our birthday. I even got a coupon for Spencer's half birthday so Rane got a scoop too! Ella-Ann didn't speak a single word until her chocolate fudge ice cream was gone!