What a whirlwind the past 10 days were! From Wilmington to Georgia to South Carolina, it was a successful journey around the southeast seeing so many people we love.

After helping to bake pies and prep Thanksgiving at Nannie’s, we got a good night’s sleep and headed back the following morning for Thanksgiving Day itself. By noon, the place was rocking, and thanks to the beautiful weather, we spent a lot of the time outside.

My uncle built an ax throwing set up, reminiscent of the ax throwing fun we had in Montana this summer, and it was a hit for the kids, all the way up to my 88 year old Nannie!

We do our large Thanksgiving meal for lunch (or dinner in the south; as dinner is referred to as supper). All 26 of us gathered inside for the blessing and to fill our plates with what I’ve recently decided to be my favorite food of the entire year- Thanksgiving food!

We spent the whole afternoon outside throwing axes, playing freeze tag with the kids, my uncle Barry taking the kids riding through the field in the back of his truck, playing touch football, and sampling bourbon from the tailgate. It was truly a wonderful day.

Hearing Mom say it was the most wonderful Thanksgiving we could have had without Dad being present warmed my heart. It will never be the same without him standing in the kitchen carving the turkey, but it can still be good. I feel really fortunate to have so much family in my life.

Late that afternoon we packed up and gave big hugs goodbye as we headed onto the next leg of our adventure, Mema and Grandpa’s house in South Carolina! It’s only about a 2 hour ride and when we arrived we were greeted by the cutest Christmas tree… the Grinch!

How cute is that?? Mema’s friend made that and the kids thought it was just great!

On Friday, David’s brother arrived with his crew and their dog, Cooper. He’s still a puppy himself, about 1.5 years old, but he’s a big, solid dog. We introduced them and Cooper was so sweet; a gentle giant.

Finley started out about as timid as they come, but within an hour had become quite the terror, incessantly chasing Cooper and jumping at him, trying to get him to play. Cooper only really cared about the tennis ball. It was quite amusing!

We spent the days going on walks, playing cards (we taught the girls Samba and they are hooked), watching football, and feasting. It was so nice to be together (and not having to share a groover this time 🤣)

Sunday morning we packed up and after hugs goodbye, we were on the road back home. It was a truly lovely week away, which felt extra special after having to miss last year’s celebration.

Having been gone for 9 days had me playing mental catch up on the way home. I meal planned, eager to be back in my kitchen for the first time in over a week. We got through laundry (I’m team unload and put away everything ASAP) and I got to the grocery store. When I arrived home, David and the kids were putting up Christmas lights outside; let the festivities begin!

Hailey and Kaitlyn were thrilled to see that our elf, Star, had returned. We found him on top of the Christmas tree, placing him namesake ornament right on top.

While Hailey wrapped presents, Kaitlyn helped me make dinner: a wholesome chicken noodle soup recipe to get us all back on track after a week of overindulging. The fresh herbs (from my countertop herb kitchen that somehow survived our absence) and lemon juice makes this recipe super delicious; I highly recommend it!

Also, if you love bone broth, too, Kettle & Fire is having a awesome sale right now: 30% off and a bonus gift! It’s a great time to stock up.

I’d like to say I’m running full steam into this Monday, but truth be told I’m dragging a little. I’m hoping a little coffee (I bought some peppermint mocha creamer- tis the season!) will help boost me into action.

How was your Thanksgiving? What was the best thing you ate? Are you ready to take on this week or do you need a splash of my peppermint mocha creamer? 😉