Thanksgiving Extravaganza

I know - I am a just a tad behind!! See the Christmas post on Jan 7 for an explanation of why :) Actually, in retrospect I think it was Thanksgiving that put me so behind for December. The four of us packed up and hit the road with both dogs for Thanksgiving week. Husband #1 and i realized this is the first time in 12 years of marriage that we have not been home for Thanksgiving. We were gone for 9 days and then had to regroup when we got home and then Christmas parties and other festivities and then all of a sudden it was Dec 22 and I was not done Christmas shopping or baking or cleaning or wrapping or anything!! AGH!

Back to Thanksgiving...Husband #1 said we looked like the Clampitt's. I should have gotten a picture of the truck! Generally when we travel south we leave Belle (our older dog) home with a dog sitter. However, Louie is not yet able to be alone that long with only going out twice per day so we decided to bring both dogs. They fight when in the kennel together so we had two kennels in the back of the truck, covered in blankets and then covered in a tarp, all fastened down with numerous bungees! We were quite the sight! It didn't help that for the first four days of the nine day trip we spent each night in a different place so that involved lots of loading for Husband #1.

We left Friday after school and we try to drive to the middle of Mississippi. Double A started having stomach pains and was rocking back and forth crying around 9:30pm. We stopped to make sure she did not have appendicitis (surgeon husband) and get her some stomach meds at Target. At that point we were all tired and grumpy and they had a Drury Inn there (always take pets, remember the dogs??). We spent the night there - somewhere in Arkansas. Got up Saturday morning, finished the drive to the in law's in Laurel, MS. Went to the Southern Miss home football game that evening. Good times with Husband #1's brother and his girlfriend even though it was cold. Spent the night at the in law's house.

Husband #1 and I watching the Golden Eagles play at The Rock

Got up Sunday morning to drive another 1.5 hours to go visit Husband # 1's grandparents in Southeast Mississippi. While we were there we went out to my in law's property in the "woods." The dogs enjoyed running full tilt and wading into the pond. Husband #1 was shooting his new shotgun for the first time. The dogs were not so thrilled with that. His dad was acting as his personal skeet thrower - tossing extra house siding tiles into the air for Husband #1 to shoot. We spent the night at Husband #1's aunt and uncle's house. The kids love playing with their older cousins. The cousins are great kids and indulge my little guys with constant playing.

Husband #1 giving his new shotgun a trial run for the first time

Skeet thrower (and supervisor)

The kids experiencing cotton for the first time in south Mississippi

Grandmother and Bumblebee at Greatmother's house

Bumblebee helping warm and comfort Louie after his romp in the pond and while the shotgun was scaring the puppy

Husband #1 with Bumblebee and Double A on the porch swing of my in law's cabin in the woods

Got up Monday morning, loaded the truck for the fourth time (counting the initial load to leave our house) and drove to my parent's house in Louisiana. We were staying four days so we settled in. Louie was able to slip through the fence so every time we opened the front door he would be sitting there!! Crazily, by the end of four days he had grown so much he got stuck in the fence!!

Louie stuck in the fence

My kids played with their cousins (my brother's girls) as much as they could until they left for their Thanksgiving trip to my sister in law's parent's house.

My kids and my brother's girls

On Tuesday night Husband #1 and I went to New Orleans with my brother. Husband #1 and I realized it has been WAY too long since we have been to Bourbon street - possibly med school!! We ate a fantastic meal at Bacco's. I literally was moaning after each bite it was so good - Bacco's shrimp!! We then hit Tropical Isle for a Hand Grenade, Tropical Itch and Horny Gator. Then off to Pat O'Briens piano bar for some really fun times. We requested Gin and Juice and Sexy Back and they played both!!

Husband #1 and I at Tropical Isle, Bourbon Street

My brother and I at Tropical Isle, Bourbon Street

The unfortunate portion of this trip was Bumblebee got a bad stomach virus or something. I ended up washing all of his undies three times in one day. He had no idea when it would just start running out. Poor kid. He was bad on Wednesday, fine on Thursday, then bad again on Friday (the day we were driving 1.5 hours to my in laws)

My dad and Bumblebee charting our next Bahamas trip

My mom and Double A

Friday after Thanksgiving we loaded back up and headed back to the in law's house in Mississippi. Husband #1's brother and girlfriend, sister and her husband were all there. We celebrated Thanksgiving and my father in law's 60th birthday!!! This was the first time we had been all together in a year and a half (and that was a sad occasion so no pictures). We had good food, and good company. We played lots of games, especially Bananagrams and Phase 10.

My father in law as he celebrated 60 with his German chocolate cake

Sadly, the good times came to an end when we had to load up again on Sunday morning and drive home.