This year we celebrated Thanksgiving in Chattanooga at my husband’s sister’s family’s house.
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My husband’s brother’s family from Upstate New York also made the (grueling) trip down. So we were three families, eighteen people in all.
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Our hosts knocked themselves out making us comfortable. They gave up all their bedrooms, and each family got their own bathroom. There was a hot beverage bar complete with hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows, flavored creamers, and a steady supply of candy canes. All mugs, wine glasses, and regular drinking glasses were labeled with each person’s name. The whole setup was the epitome of thoughtfulness and efficiency.
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Other things that happened: multiple sessions of Take One, a speaker phone conversation with The Grands, a simultaneous skype session with the West Coast and Hong Kong families, front-yard sports, movies, card games, and lots of eating, cooking, and cleaning up.
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Saturday morning on our way out of town, our family stopped at Krispy Kreme to goggle at the production line, sip the free mocha shots, and order a bunch of donuts for the trip back. Four hundred and seventy-five miles, multiple bathroom stops, and a bunch of hamburgers later, and we were home.
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The end.
This same time, years previous: in my kitchen: 7:35 a.m., the day before, the quotidian (11.25.13), a treat, kale pomegranate salad, Thanksgiving of 2012, monster cookies, pot of red beans, Thanksgiving of 2011, peppermint lip balm, butternut squash pesto cheesecake, Thanksgiving of 2010, and apple chutney.
9 Comments
Melissa @ thelittlegrayhouse
Oh my stars! They live right up the same street as the parents of one of my high school friends!!!! (The Moneys) Such a crazy small world! I rarely comment but ive read your blog for years now. I went to high school in that neighborhood when Tennessee Temple was still open. Sadly it is closed now. Their house is beautiful, I always admire it when in leave my friends parents house after a visit. (Obviously you don't have to publish this comment.) Hope you had a blast while in Chattanooga!
Kate
Wow, Melissa. Small world indeed. Stop by and say hello anytime you see us outside.
Anonymous
Since we're asking questions 🙂 – how were the names put on the wine glasses?
Kate
I used the P Touch label maker by Brother for the labels. We put them on our mugs, wine glasses and plastic cups. I ran all everything through the dishwasher a few times while company was here and was pleasantly surprised that almost all the labels stayed in place through multiple washings.
Anonymous
Thank you so much – I'll have to look for one of those!
Anonymous
The paint color question. Wow. Isn't the internet awesome?!
Kate
The paint color is Copen Blue by Sherwin Williams.
Kathy ~ Artful Accents
Thank you so much!
Kathy ~ Artful Accents
Sooo, I have a paint color question. 🙂 Maybe your sister-in-law is reading this comment and can help me out. I love the color of the blue wall in the picture where the cousins are sitting on the floor and playing a card game (4th pic from the bottom). Any chance you could tell me what that color is? It's a perfect shade of blue! Thank you!