Gasbarro Family: Thanksgiving 2011

Looks like I got a little ahead of myself with my blog posts because I forgot to post about our Thanksgiving weekend. Another year, another visit from the Mesicks and a little bit of fun for all. This was the first Thanksgiving in a while that I was able to be off from work for more than a day at Thanksgiving. Of course this holiday season I wasn't working, so I had weeks and weeks to celebrate the great turkey day. To celebrate Thanksgiving we decided to make it a 5 day holiday!

Wednesday started with a girls outing to Sweet Pete's candy company in Springfield. Springfield isn't the best part of Jacksonville, it is the stereotypical part of downtown that was at one time filled with beautiful houses, but now is covered in homeless people and chain linked fences. A few years ago when the housing market was at its peak a few brave people went in and rehabbed these amazing homes including turning one home into a candy factory.

To mark the start of Christmas we went to Pete's to take in all of their awesome holiday decorations and candy canes! Yep, we participated in a private candy cane pull and everyone loved it. A full morning of sister and cousin bonding.

So Wednesday was candy and Thursday was turkey! Thanksgiving is my ultimate favorite holiday. It is an excuse to wear elastic waistbands, eat until I want to puke and there is the joy of family without the stress of gift giving (except for the little ones). Anyone else notice the pattern in my immediate family...no boys! That's right, the women in this family have the power of numbers which does have its advantages. If all of the Sewell girls weren't enough we also had to special guests this year...two more ladies, Christan and Autumn.

The incredible edible turkey!

Eating, vegging and hanging out on Thursday led to shopping at the outlets at midnight on Thursday and then a sleepy day on Friday. The problem with crazy woman shopping on Black Friday is that you end up spending too much money and the next day the kids don't exactly let you sleep in. The good thing is that this year we had the two best babysitters you could ask for! Brooke and Adelaide were attached at the hip and Hannah was the best big cousin to Penelope.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday AND now SATURDAY! Saturday is Riverside Arts Market shopping day. I love arts markets when the breeze is blowing, the crafts are cute and there are plenty of friends and family to enjoy it all with. This year there was a special surprise for Adelaide, butterflies!