christmas-y thanksgiving.

It was a Christmas-y Thanksgiving to remember! The stars aligned and we were able to do all the holiday things while at the lake this year. For starters, on our first night there we went to The Ritz for the "Lighting of the Lake" festivities, which included live Christmas music, cookies and hot chocolate, Santa's arrival on a loader, the lighting of the tree, an ice slide, and real snow! 

Thanksgiving Day was perfect from sun up until sun down. We started our day by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while sipping on mimosas (well, Mama and Nannie). Once the cousins arrived, we spent most of the day outside. The weather was beautiful! We went on several nature walks, played cornhole, all the while one turkey roasted in the oven and the other fried in the fryer.

There were lots of smiles, lots of wine, and lots of love. This year, we are especially grateful to still have my sweet Gram with us. This August she turned 98 years old and I was just so thankful to see all of her great-grandchildren surrounding her and to sit across the table from her for yet another dinner.

The next day was just as beautiful. John ran in the Turkey Trot and we cheered him on at the finish line. We are so proud! 

Then, we took the kids to the Lake Club indoor pool to swim. I think that this was the highlight of their trip! 

Later that afternoon, mom and I took the girls to see Frozen 2. We laughed a lot and ate way too much popcorn!

The next morning, we went to the Lake Club to see Santa Claus.

Camp asked for a blue dump truck, Brooks asked for a dirt bike, and Ann Bennett also asked for a dump truck...hmmmm. #nerves

Later in the afternoon, the boys opted to stay home while the ladies took the girls to Build-a-Buddy and story time with Mrs. Claus. It was a very sweet day!

Phew! 

I'm worn out from reliving our short, yet eventful time at the lake! We definitely made an effort to pack it all in, but it's not necessarily what we did, but who we did it with. We love our family so much and are so thankful for our time with them. We cannot wait to see them in 2020!