The countdown to the holidays is on! I absolutely love this time of year! I love the memories that are made with my girls. I love sharing traditions from my childhood and creating new ones! It is seriously the best time of year, and being a Girl Mom just makes it that much better!
Thanksgiving is my 2nd favorite holiday of the year! Christmas is by far my favorite, but Thanksgiving is a very close second! I love being with family, the food, and the traditions that are carried on throughout the years!
We always spend Thanksgiving with family. There are two years that I can remember that we did not travel over Thanksgiving weekend. One year, while we were living in Indiana, we had Thanksgiving with the football team since we had a game the next day, and one other year, DJ's dad and stepmom came to Indiana. We have traveled every other year.
Gretchen's first Thanksgiving (above) was spent at DJ's grandparents house in Indiana. It was the year after when DJ's parents came.
That year, I carried on the tradition of making homemade rolls, just like my grandma makes every year.
Gretchen and I on her 2nd Thanksgiving.
Once we moved closer to Arkansas, we were able to start traveling to my mom's house for Thanksgiving.
We have been carrying on this tradition for four years now.
Sadly, DJ is never able to travel with us to Arkansas. We haven't been able to spend a Thanksgiving together as a family since Gretchen was 2. I know, it sounds very strange, but football still happens every Thanksgiving weekend. This year, the team plays the day after Thanksgiving, sometimes it's the Saturday after, but the team still has practice on Thanksgiving day. DJ's Thanksgiving day will be spent at the football offices, and then he'll have team meetings and a team dinner on Thanksgiving night. I hate that we aren't able to spend the holiday together, but as I've told him, there's no way that I'm cooking for the 5 of us. Unless we have family that wants to come to our house, DJ lets the girls and I enjoy the holiday with my family.
One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, are the outfits! I love any excuse to dress the girls the same! I found matching smocked squirrel dresses and bought them for the girls. My sorority mascot was a squirrel, so these dresses were an obvious choice!
Last year was Adalyn's first Thanksgiving, and my mom made the girls pants and I made them turkey shirts to wear.
Yes, I use any excuse I can get to coordinate the girls.
I have a large extended family and I love that they all get together for the holidays! Typically, Thanksgiving is held at my mom's house, unless she's scheduled to work that day. Then, it's usually held at my aunt's house. I get a "kid free day" because my relatives don't get to see the girls often and they soak up all they can and steal my babies away for the day! I totally do not mind!
Last year, the girls and I headed to my mom's the day before Thanksgiving. We went to my sister-in-law's house and spent the afternoon baking pumpkin pie and making homemade rolls. 
My grandma and I also spent time debating the best ways to make her rolls, and this year she has told me that we aren't making rolls! I beg to differ! I want my girls growing up knowing how yummy her rolls are! When I was a child, they were the only food I would eat on Thanksgiving!
We watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade every year as well! I loved watching it as a child, and my girls love it too!
One year, I was invited to dance in the parade. Unfortunately, my mom wasn't so keen on sending my 16 year old self to New York City alone, so I wasn't able to go. I remind her of the missed opportunity every year as we watch the parade! Ha!
Once the parade is over, we get dressed, and our family arrives around noon. Then we eat until we are totally stuffed! Everything from turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, broccoli/cheese/rice casserole, and grandma's homemade rolls- yum!
For as long as I can remember, the girls in my family pack up the day after Thanksgiving and head to Branson, Mo. We rent a condo (or two) and then we all pile in, shop all day, and then hang in our pj's at night! I love that the girls have been able to share in this tradition!
You can see all of our Branson Trips HERE.
And all of our Thanksgiving's HERE.
What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Favorite foods? Do spill!
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