Thanksgiving Recap

Well, I know I am a little late, but I have to tell you about my first Thanksgiving as a married woman. Mike and I did make it to Hilton Head, and the weather was wonderful. We got in late Wednesday night, and woke up Thursday to start cooking. Let me tell you the cast: Mike and me, Mike's pregnant sister, her husband and their two year old, and my new mom and dad in laws. I had prepared myself to expect new traditions and attempt to embrace them. I truly have never had so much good food at one time in my life. We didn't stop eating for 3 days. And we never had leftovers! There was something new every night! (Which I love because, quite honestly, I don't love turkey leftovers as much as my family does.)

A few blips in the road: My first attempt to make a pie. I have a confession. My mother is a baker. I am not. However, at some point, I told the Cherbonneaus that I would contribute the "Blackburn" portion of Thanksgiving with a homemade pie. Everyone was all impressed that I could make a homemade crust until they found out...I can't. I lied. My plan was to practice several times before Thanksgiving and then have everyone be amazed with my pie baking skills. Yes, I have made pies with my mom, but NEVER alone. And that whole, "practicing" thing just never came to fruition. So, when I was offered one of the pre-made crusts, I took it, saying, "It might just be easier." Now, somehow, Mike's sister had been told that we were having a bake off. That is the only way I can explain this:



My pie got locked in the oven. I can only suggest sabotage. Have you ever heard of an oven with a "lock" button?? We started to smell something burning (perhaps the pecans that I so lovingly chopped?) I ran over to the oven to pull out my materpiece and realized no doors were going to open. After a lot of yelling, "Michael!! Michael!! MY PIE IS LOCKED IN THE OVEN!!" Someone somehow got it out. I have to say, it wasn't so horrible after you smothered it with whipped cream!

Then we had the family photo. I had been instructed to bring black and white so that we would all blend in the picture. Mrs. C decided on Saturday afternoon that she wanted to take the pic. Instead of everyone changing into their planned outfits, everyone just made sure that the colors they were wearing "went together." Of course, this was the day I chose to wear a fushia shirt. I didn't blend. After rummaging through Mike's mother's closet and Kristen's closet (Remember, everyone is at least 2 inches taller than me and someone is pregnant....) I ended up in the back of the picture with a khaki maternity top on. Yep. I don't have a copy, but I am not so ashamed that I wouldn't post it. After the picture, Mike informed me that we had to keep up with his Thanskgiving holiday tradition. When I asked him who it involved, he explained that it was just him. And we were headed to....

Wing World. Or something of that nature. To order a platter of 6 types of wings. We wrapped the night up with a chocolate martini and headed home to play dominoes with the rest of the family. So, we survived. And I learned that every family operates differently. I had a wonderful time spending the holidays with my new family, and am looking forward to seeing how Mike integrates into our holiday traditions...I kinda don't feel like he is going to be getting up for a run with my dad and me on Christmas morning! Hope that everyone is having a wonderful, and somewhat stress free, holiday season.