Sneek Peek - Christmas Card Photo, and then I talk about Thanksgiving

Well sorta. My parents-in-law are almost as technologically challenged as my own parents. I don't think it would hurt any of their feelings to hear me say so. It's almost like this.

Every so often my mother-in-law calls to ask how to find a certain channel or get the tv off of DVD mode. So it was actually pretty impressive that my father-in-law, back from the deer lease, was able to get the Thanksgiving pictures off the camera onto the computer and then attach one to an email. My mom and dad couldn't have done it without major guidance. Somehow, though, he shut down after sending this outtake one instead of the actual one we want to use. We'll get it evenutally, I'm not (too) worried.

The real one is the same pose in the same place but Will's hand isn't blurry from slapping his daddy in the face and we're all smiling bigger. I must have been laughing I'm smiling so big and Brian seems to have forgotten getting beat up by his son and the fire ants that bit his hand because he's offering up a big genuine grin. Even that ginger son of mine is giving a big gap-toothy one. I emailed this to my mom and her response was, can you edit out the sooty chimney in the background? I don't think so mom, I don't come from real techy stock, remember?

Thanksgiving was the most peaceful one I can recall. My parents came over to visit from Sunday til Wednesday and spoiled the heck out of me and their grandboy! My mom and I together got a lot of cleaning and organizing done, my dad did a ton of trimming, we gussied up Will's secret hideaway in the back yard, Brian and my dad worked on a wooden toy dump truck he's building for Christmas and we just had a lot of quality time spent together. They headed down to the Valley to be with my mom's side of the family after that and the three of us went to Austin to be with Brian's parents and family.

I don't want you to get the wrong idea about the Thanksgivings I'm used to because they've always been big happy occasions, but when you get a bunch of family together (anyone's I think!) there can be some fussing and carrying-on sometimes. Brian and I remarked on the way home that this was the most conflict-free Thanksgiving either of us ever remember. No one whined or complained, no one raised their voice to another, everyone got along, and no one even "passed" when it was their turn to say what they're thankful for. It was wonderful! We had a huge meal, of course, and there was enough for at least 6 Thanksgiving feasts left over when we were all done! I've mentioned all the leftovers we brought home, and that was only a fraction of it! My MIL might not be all that savvy with the remote, but she can make some good pies (and stuffing, and corn, and turkey)! In fact, to feed the 11 of us (including the baby), she made 9 pies! We took a whole one home. After din din, and our little family photo shoot which my stylish sister-in-law helped coordinate, we played Uno and visited until Will let us know time was up.

I'll go ahead and share the recipe for C.C.'s (now Flossy's) Fruit Salad I mentioned. First because it's delicious and if you need something to bring to a get together, this would be great. Second, even though it's easy to remember, I usually don't, and it'll be good to have it someplace I can come back to.
The trick to remembering the recipe is that everything comes in 2s.
2 cups peeled and chopped oranges
2 cups sliced bananas
2 cups of red grapes
2 cups of marshmallows - leave them out if you want this to be a real food recipe. I'm going to next time.
1 large can of crushed pineapple, drained really well - that's the equivalent of 2 cups
toss all that together in a bowl.
then, in a saucepan over medium low heat, combine
2 tbsp sugar - I'm going to try honey, again to make it real food worthy
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
Cook that, stirring often, until it starts to get a little thick. Don't let it become scrambled eggs though.
Pour that over the fruit and stir it up.
Optional, but really really good, fold in two cups of (real) whipped cream.
Chill and serve.