Thanksgiving Day {2016}

Last Thanksgiving, I tried to make a bunch of new recipes...and only one of those turned out great {Very Berry Cranberry Sauce - It was from Pioneer Woman so duh, of course it was yum!}.  The rest were total bombs.  So this year I decided to go back to our basic recipes....which meant that instead of cooking crazily all morning long, we had time to play Apples to Apples as a family before everyone came over.

My mom and the Stellmacks showed up and my mom gave me this mug from my sister, Davese.

She had it made with this picture and  "Dad's Favorite Girls" on it.  It's my new favorite mug.

And, yes, I waited until I was done crying before I took that selfie.

~

All ready to eat!

The only food pics I took was of the pumpkin pie and banana meringue pudding.

A couple of hours later Ry tore into a turkey leg.

J9 {Jeanine}, me and my momma.  They are such amazing ladies.

My momma, my kids and me.

This is our first Thanksgiving.... actually our first holiday ever without my dad.   I don't even know how to describe how it felt.  He was supposed to be here.  He was supposed to be enjoying these moments with us.  He was supposed to be encouraging us in life and giving us hugs.  I miss him telling my boys how handsome they are and Payton how beautiful she is.  Because that's something he did all the time  We had some tears, but we also had a good Thanksgiving.  I guess that's God's grace - that we can be sad and grieving....yet continue on and enjoy life with those around us.  

God is good y'all! {I do live in the South, so I get to say that now!}  

All the time.