Thanks giving.

Thanksgiving this year was a bit different.

It was definitely the smallest Thanksgiving gathering I have ever been a part of... which makes it kinda nice when it comes to clean-up and leftovers haha.

Bill, Lexee, Emmett, Mauri and I.

I had seriously contemplated going OUT for dinner, but thought it would feel more traditional if we didn't. And I like tradition. (Cue Fiddler on the Roof.) Even if it means cooking/baking a 22 lb. turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce, then assembling the cranberry fluff salad, veggie tray, and cheese tray (which certainly wasn't anywhere near as lovely as the one Austin assembled last year).

Those bunches of grapes, tho... HUGE.

It was super fun to have my lil' bubby Emmett at the table.

I actually made some new joke cards this year, and I pretty much nailed it.

One joke in particular may forever henceforth become part of Syddall lore. I'd share it, but that would take the fun out of next year for the rest of the fam.

 After the clean-up (which was definitely the quickest Thanksgiving dinner clean-up I have ever participated in), and some siesta time (ahhhh... the food coma is real), Tay, Nae, and Evie, who celebrated most of the day with the Fisher side of their family, joined us for pie... and a Costco pumpkin cheesecake. The three pies are homemade by yours truly. 

Good enough is good enough, I like to say. 

Despite the {not-so-varied} choices (a whole lotta creamy texture, there), Evie opted for an ice cream cone.

Then we took a drive to downtown Castle Rock to check out the lights. I thought it might be kind of busy, but I thought wrong. We practically had the park and town to ourselves. (Although as we walked the silent streets of downtown, we randomly came across the local outdoor ice skating rink, which was surprisingly busy...)

This tree is usually pretty cool, but half of the lights were out, which was a bit of a bummer. We'll have to go back another night to get the full effect.

It was a lovely day.

The best part was being together and counting our blessings.

AND the leftovers, which sufficiently covered another complete dinner for us, Tay, Nae, Evie, and a trio of missionaries the following evening. Yes, I fed the elders leftovers.

Good enough is good enough, I like to say.