Thanksgiving Day 2013 with the Jones Family!!

The Native Americans were here first, so I thought it appropriate to start my post with Indian extras! Marilyn...these pics are for you! So, a while back my awesome mother-in-law gave me this big bag of Indian/Native American stuff to use with my kinder kids at school for our Native American Day celebration. I sorted through it all last month, gluing and sewing where necessary to make repairs to all the cool little bags, feathered headbands, etc.

We used the whole get-up at school for a fun photo shoot with our tee-pee and buffalo! 

But the most fun thing was having it all available on Thanksgiving Day to do a photo shoot with the little cousins!! The big kids didn't get into it so much, but the littles loved it! So stinkin' adorable!!

 

 

After each cousin was able to choose their accessories for their picture, and photos were all done, a handful of kids still wanted to use the things to play. So they did and it was just so fun to see little Indian kids over the next couple of hours. And at the end of the day I actually came home with all the parts and pieces! 

Kallie especially loved it and hailed stuff around for quite awhile. She did a pow-wow dance with aunt Darla!

Thanksgiving Day was so, SO great this year!! Dean and Michele hosted....they are so willing to have all the Jones family gatherings at their plantation! We tried to show up early. I think we made it before 10:00 AM. And we were the last to leave at about 10:30 that night. I think it was one of our best Thanksgivings, to just chill with family and not be in a hurry, and with so many people, there was surprisingly very little chaos. 

The weather was beautiful, so there was lots of outside playing. The kids played tag with Devarie's help, and kids and adults played soccer for long time. It was so great to see the big dads and uncles all the way down to the tiniest cousin, all in the same soccer game!! Love it. LOVE IT!!

I was put in charge of the table decor and kids entertainment. (Hence the Indian dress-ups.) You know me....nothing fancy, so we used paper goods. The Indian corn cobs are also from Grandma Marilyn. I've had them for years and years and they are my favorite Thanksgiving decoration! 

And, in true Jones tradition, we had little favors of mixed corn nuts, Rieses Pieces, and candy corns. 

Took three long tables to fit us all. And I am serious, it was not chaotic! Miracle! 

Nice perfection on the bird, Dean and Michele! Fun to have these beautiful gals in the kitchen too!! And FYI, the loaded up plate belongs to Evan...he knows how it's done!

 

Thanksgiving BINGO with a bunch of fun prizes for the kids. (And Evan...he's a good sport!)

Making Christmas treasure boxes with the littlest girls. Ellie and Ashley were the helpers. 

 

And this is pretty much the cutest stinkin' thing of the whole day!! Eric kept Darin company watching something on the computer for awhile. He had to fold his arms just like Darin. Adorable!! That little boy cracks me up!!

 

After everyone else had gone home, we stayed for a few more hours. I pulled out some more projects and the kids had a fabulous time with their cousins. Logan and Carter made awesome paper airplanes, and the girls made stained glass painted ornaments. They watched a movie and played Friends LEGOS, and ran around outside in the dark with the neighbor kids. Darin, Dean and Morgan braved Walmart for early black Friday sales. Michele and I sent them off with lists and stayed home to shop online and have precious time alone to chat the time away!! 

 

What a perfect Thanksgiving!! Thank you thank you Dean and Michele for inviting us!! It's the exact kind of holiday I was hoping for!