Florida Happenings

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and survived Black Friday. I surely enjoyed both days.  Turkey Day dinner was held at my aunt Chris' house this year. I LOVE it when my mom's family all get together. We eat, we talk, we catch up on gossip, we laugh, we make innappropriate sounds at the funniest moments....That's how ya'll celebrate too, right? Right? No?

This is my cousin, Kevin, making his best pie ever, otherwise known as chocolate pie. Now, this isn't just any ordinary pie. No, Kevin takes the time to use REAL ingredients AND he made his own real whipped cream! Boy, it was good! This kid's got it all. He's a gentleman, he cooks and he's just about as cute as he can be. Sorry ladies, he's taken though. Just wanted to point him out so you single ladies know there are still young men being raised right!

Here is the finished creation. I didn't get my phone out quick enough to snap the pic before my uncle stole a piece.

The spread...need I say more? Oh my gosh! It was all soooooo good. I wait all year for my mom's cranberry salad. My aunt surprised us with my grandma's Taffy Apple Salad. Tastes just like eating a carmel apple. I'll be sharing the recipe for that soon. We had lots of drama with the turkey. Seems ole Tom decided to fake my aunt out about being done. She roasted him all morning and checked the temp and it showed he was done. She turned the roaster down to keep him warm and, when she went back to check on him, the meat temp had dropped like 15 degrees. After much conferring, we started roasting the sucker again.  Luckily, he cooked completely in the next 45 minutes. Then it came time to carve that bad boy. All you could hear was crickets chirpping when she asked for volunteers. Not one male family member was brave enough, so yours truly was the official carver for the evening. Not much different than when I carve a chicken up, just way more meat! The turkey was perfect as was everything else. We ate until we couldn't eat anymore then we ate a bit more. We talked about the upcoming wedding, the upcoming births, the people who couldn't be there, the past, the future. We laughed until we were crying at the mishaps of my cousins and their pets. We compared notes on menopause (who's going through it, who's survived it and who's doing her best to just avoid it), men, birthing (the words vaginal and vagina were used more than any of the men would have liked), sore backs and aching knees.

Even though hubby and my dad couldn't be here, I wouldn't have changed one minute of it for the world. I got to spend some awesome time with people that I love so very much but hardly get to see anymore.  They are the most amazing, loving, hilarious, kind hearted, goofy and wonderful people so here's my little tribute to them:
To Chris, Brad and Kevin-thank you for opening up your home to all of us and providing us with excellent grub and even better memories.
To Jimmy and Cindy-thank you for making the trek down from Gainesville and spending some wonderful time with all of us even though you are in the final stages of planning your daughter's wedding that will take place tomorrow!
To Angie and Steph-I love you two so incredibly much! Thank you for making sure we had a place to stay (and goodie bags in our room!), the free movie passes and the great pumpkin pie (which I never got a piece of!). But mostly for making me laugh so hard I was sure I was gonna pee myself at some point.
To Jan and Dennis-Thank you for the laughs (and that incredibly dry humor uncle D!)Those stories are the best remedies for ANYTHING that ails you.
To Kelsey-My other redneck Barbie. Thank you for being our nation's protector you bad a$$ Marine!
I love you, kid!
To Jennifer, AJ and Maddy-Thank you for being there and sharing that precious little girl with us. Cannot wait for baby number 2 to come along!
To Jason- You are almost (one more day) an official family member. You fit right in and we are glad you are here!
And last but not least to my grandpa- One of the most amazing people that will ever walk this earth. Thank you for providing this family for me. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Thank you for being you because no one can compare to you!

Enough mush!

Tomorrow is the big wedding day and then we leave EARLY Sunday morning to drive (UUUGGGHHHH!!!!)back home. I may take a few days off from blogging to spend a little time with the hubs:)