Thanksgiving 2011

I am SO thankful! I am thankful for my awesome husband and our two amazing children. I am thankful for our extended families. I am thankful for our (general) health. I am thankful that Keith has a great job, and is able to provide for our family so that I can stay home and raise our children. I am thankful that Granny's great fall down the basement stairs a couple weekends ago did not do more damage than it did (and that she was home from the hospital in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with us). I am thankful for my friends, including the friendships I have made because of Down syndrome.

I am also thankful for my DVR, because without it, I would never be able to watch my favorite shows (and I wouldn't have a stockpile of recorded episodes of Etta's FAVORITE show- The Fresh Beat Band). I am thankful for online shopping and for coupons. There are so many things I am thankful for, but on Thanksgiving Day, I think the thing I was MOST thankful for was an open walk-in clinic.

We got up for the day on Thanksgiving morning around 7:00, only to discover that Etta's eye was crusted up and half closed. I knew immediately that she had Pink Eye. Poor kid. It took me a while to find a walk-in clinic that was open on Thanksgiving, but I FINALLY found one up in Brentwood (which would be on the way to Granny and Pop's house- where we would be celebrating Turkey Day).

So, I signed up to bring the turkey (which went into the oven at 3:30am), gravy, mashed potatoes, this rice and corn casserole thing, some sweet tea, and chocolate pie. Etta and I made the chocolate pie the night before. She was a great little helper.

I love this next one. She's pouring milk right on the counter and the look on my face is like "yikes".

We were supposed to be at Granny and Pop's house between 12:00 and 1:00, with plans to eat at 1:00, but with our unplanned stop at the clinic, we didn't make it until 1:30. By the time we got there I was super stressed out. Etta was a MESS while we were at the Minute Clinic. She wasn't feeling well and it was really nap time for her and I knew she wouldn't be getting a nap that day. Also, Daniel was upset and ready to eat when we arrived.  And since we were an hour late (with two of the main dishes), the whole rest of the family was ready to eat- though they were all very sweet and no one complained. I was also so stressed out that Etta's Pink Eye was highly contagious and I felt certain that she was going to contaminate everyone there (not sure if anyone caught it, but none of her immediate family seems to have). 

We ate and we visited and Daniel was passed around to eager relatives.

Daniel and Nancy

Uncle KJ with DJ (both of the "J"'s stand for Jackson)

Daniel and Fran

Then, it was just time to go. Etta was melting down and I was exhausted. We got back home around 5:30, fed Etta dinner, and got her in bed. Then, believe it or not, I went Black Friday shopping at Target at midnight. I gave Daniel a bottle around 10:30, left the house with everyone sound asleep and that's how I found them when I got back home at 2:30. I took a quick shower, gave Daniel a bottle, and was FINALLY asleep by 3:30am. As you can imagine, I spent most of the day Friday sleeping in and recovering from the day before!