in case you were under the impression that this was the greatest thanksgiving ever.

things i asked out loud 

while cooking my first 

thanksgiving dinner by myself

{like without sean bc the 

black plague hit him}:

1. how long does it take? the turkey. {max said "ask siri"}
   
2. where’s the tie thing for the bag? i don’t see it in the box. 
3. where’s the baby? {found him in the flour bag in the pantry}
   
   
   
     he offends easily. of course i told him it was all my fault, and cuddled him while he gasped for breathe for the next 15 minutes sobbing on my shoulder. this baby makes me melt. we are doomed.
   
   
   
      
4. how do i get the wings under the turkey? {watched a youtube video. way overthought that one.}
5. when does the stuffing go in the bird? am i supposed to cook it with it? {called mom}.
6. does the neck come out? boy…that looks like a...turkey neck.
   
7. am i supposed to follow the recipe online, the oven bag one, or the stove top stuffing one? i’m doing all three, and i don’t know which one to follow. i feel like there should be one with everyone combining themselves together for the big day. 
   
8. where are the giblets? i don’t think my turkey has any? are they supposed to be with the neck? they’re not with the neck.
9. i found the giblets.
10. they were in the butt. i texted my mom to let her know.

 

{let's be honest. 

i show up for thanksgiving mostly for the baked brie. 

everything else plays second fiddle.}

 in case you were under the impression that this was the greatest thanksgiving ever,

i thought i'd let you know that sean was sick the entire day, and rallied for dinner to help carve.

dean barfed in the beginning, and maybe that night again too?

i can't really remember anymore.

i was exhausted from being sick the entire two days before.

oceans of puke like you've never witnessed before from this gibson house of chaos.

me included.

and then my sweet mother who came to help us all messaged me today saying she's now barfing and is achy all over too.

stay away everyone!

STAY AWAY!
please note: at least one gibson has barfed every single day in this house for the last 15 days.
that's got to be some kind of record somewhere.
just when you think someone is in the clear,
they have a mystery puke pop up!
or a poop. it's not pretty.

also chase broke a wine glass INTO my sweet potato dish i had just finished and had ready to go into the oven, so i had to dump them all and start again bc heaven knows we didn't need to add glass cutting our intestines from the inside out to this week.

nevertheless, the turkey was amazing, and the gravy was like nothing i'd ever tasted before.

must have been the double salts.

P.S.

i stretched the skin bc dad's text came too late before my hands got to rubbing.

it was probably my favorite part of stuffing that bird.

OH THE STUFFING.

it was soooo good.

and we really are very very blessed.

THE END.

SPUDS {and also he told me i can get my christmas tree flocked}

dean didn't walk until he was almost 17 months.

the pediatrician says he's a "classic 4th baby."

i wasn't worried,

but i could tell by the way he was giving me his spiel,

he'd had other moms in there worried.

then it was like he remembered who he was talking to,

and he laughed, and i laughed,

and we remembered how awesome it is to just know that kids are awesome,

in their own individual unique little ways.

and then we discussed at length about how perfectly perfect he is in every way.

i think the thing i've loved the most about the 4th baby 

is that i've never rushed him in anything.

when he didn't want to crawl, i went with it.

when he didn't want to eat baby cereal, i went with it.

when he didn't want to walk, i went with it.

every part of me wants to make him last as a baby forever,

and if that means him not walking until he's 2,

then that means i'm soaking him one minute longer than if he had done it before then.

sometimes i look at sean and can't imagine not having another baby.

other times i feel like we were nuts to have 4.

you know those nights.

when everyone is melting down,

the 4 yr old takes the baby's diaper off trying to help him get in the tub,

but the diaper is full of poo,

and now the poo is all over the 4 yr old,

the legs and feet of the baby {bc the baby is now stepping in the diaper full of poo on the floor that the 4yr old took off on his own--so helpful i tell you},

the rug in the bathroom,

the wall in the bathroom,

and also in the water in the tub.

yep, that happened once.

it's those days where i feel totally in over my head.

but the there's these other days.

where i'm sitting on the floor of the big room playing cars with dean.

and he's making sounds as the cars come crashing down.

everything is calm.

and then he sits his little chubby body on mine and is still for a minute.

i feel like i might die from intoxication of his little baby self.

and i just want to have him be like this forever.

and i can't imagine not having a baby in my house.

i've had a baby in my house for 8 1/2 years straight you see.

and it fuels me.

i makes me feel sane.

except on the days it doesn't of coarse.

all moms know what i'm talking about here.

so for right now,

i'm just not going to worry about him getting any older.

because right now, i'm soaking in every second of him being 17 months young.

also, his little noise he makes when he buries his face into my neck 

and rests his head on my shoulder.

his favorite book is baby beluga.

i sing it to him, and he turns the pages.

sometimes he crawl all over me and pulls my hair.

other times he just rocks his body to the beat of the tune.

and his baby mullet.

he's bringing the mullet back guys.

curlz and all.

this fall's latest trend i say.

this picture of the boys and me made me laugh out loud.

we could barely hold the potatoes they were so big.

we literally kept dropping them, and then they'd roll around on the ground,

and dean would chase after them,

and we just ended up covered in dirt.

then i made mashed potatoes bc it was supposed to snow {and it did}.

on accident, the 5 potatoes i boiled made about enough mashed potatoes to feed us for thanksgiving and christmas.

i asked sean if we could reheat these on thanksgiving,

or it that was sacrilegious?

he said he thinks i'm getting smarter and smarter as the years go by.

this is why i love him.

also, he told me i can get my christmas tree flocked.

i love him a lot.

please note: chase's grubby chubby hands.

also, the gatorade.

i'm happy to report this has been a puke free house since a few days ago at least.

{dean says 

"wooooooaaahhhh!!!" 

every time he puts a car down the ramp.}

why do babies have to grow up?

i want more...sometimes.

'Cause Ain't NOBODY got time to bake rolls on Thanksgiving Day.

Tune into Good Things Utah

this

TUESDAY 

@9am Mountain

for my tips and tricks to homemade rolls

for Thanksgiving Day,

without any of the work!

go figure {thanksgiving}

the things i want 

to remember 

about thanksgiving 

this year:

#1 when i was snuggling with chase on his bed that night, i was burying my face in his giant marshmallow gushy cheeks, and they smelled just like cranberries. it was DELICIOUS!!! and that's when i remembered how he loved grandma max's cranberry sauce so much that he dipped everything in it. his mashed potatoes, his turkey, his roll, his whole face. and then i remembered that i never got a picture of it because i only took about 4 pictures the entire day. and that's when i realized that i've changed a little big over the last few months. i take less pictures, i spend less time on my phone, and i spend more time being with my people, and i like it. except i really wish i had a picture of chase covered in cranberry sauce. i will never forget the way his cheeks and neck smelled last night when i was singing songs to him and kissing his cheeks. just like my strawberry shortcake doll from preschool. mmmmmmm.

#2 sean wouldn't pose for a picture carving the turkey, so one of my 4 pictures i took was of the back of his head.

#3 i was too full for pie at mom's house, and then i was too full for pie when we got home, but at 10:30pm when we were watching our traditional "home for the holidays" movie in our bed, i was all of a sudden STARVING. and i wanted pumpkin pie. i hate pumpkin pie. but i saw the dad sneaking a finger of pumpkin pie in the middle of the night, and our room was all dark, and all of a sudden i wanted pumpkin pie. then i ate some in my bed sometime after 10:30pm COVERED in freshly whipped cream i stole from my mom's house, and then i laid down and told sean that maybe that wasn't such a good idea to do that so late at night after all. then we fell asleep watching the movie in our bed, and missed the whole part where they go to get coffee and the guy tells the girl he saw her naked in the shower, which the movie doesn't show. it's just a picture they're talking about that you never see. anyway, it's a great part, and then they make out on the porch of her sister's house, and she has red lipstick on, but then she magically doesn't have it on, and it's not on him or her, like magic or something {when you've watched a movie every year since you were twelve you notice stuff like this}, and i missed it all. i also missed my traditional texting of favorite lines with my brother because we left our phones downstairs because we were so tired from putting our kids to bed. better luck next year. also i think we left the christmas lights on the house on all night long. they might still be on. i can never keep my peepers open on thanksgiving night.

#4 troy's homemade au gratin potatoes. THE CHEESE. yes.

#5 i used mini marshmallows instead of the regular sized marshmallows on the yams and i was all, "WHEEEEEERE HAVE YOU BEEEEEEN MY WHOLE LIFE?!?!" really though.

#6 remember to use 3/4 cup brown sugar and 3 tsp vanilla on grandma max's sweet potatoes. i didn't write on the recipe, so i will have to remember. i kind of remember knowing this and forgetting from last year...

{the kids didn't even play long enough to make it around GO one time.}

{my cousin troy likes to smile for pictures. he also makes amazing 

homemade scalded potatoes. the cheese. i will always remember the cheese.}

...

turns out i took more than 4 pictures,

i actually took 10.

however, there are non of brennan, chase, or me.

unless you count brennan's hand playing monopoly.

one of the more relaxing holidays i've had in a long time.

it feels like i have a lot of pictures from the day in my head. 

more than i remember about the ones where i took more.

go figure.

coming out of the pumpkin pie closet.

{i sent sean to store last night at 8:53pm to buy this.}

...

let it be known 

that i don't like 

pumpkin pie.

there.

i've said it.

i've always eaten it.

because i'll eat anything smothered in whipped cream.

except for oysters.

i won't eat oysters.

especially not smothered in whipped cream.

shudder.

so when my mother in law asked me if i would like to bring a pie

for thanksgiving dinner, 

i said yes!

i'd love to bring a pie!

how about

a frozen marie callender's chocolate satin pie!?

with chocolate cookie crumb crust!

from scratch.

it says so on the box.

and then to my surprise,

she consented! 

bless her:)

i mean really,

who brings chocolate pie to thanksgiving dinner anyway???

ME:)

i do i do i do.

and who let's you ruin their thanksgiving dessert like that?

my wonderful mother in law,

that's who!

and guys,

i just want you to know 

that i am finally excited for thanksgiving dessert.

for the first time since i was 12.

GLORY BE!

because after a day of eating turkey,

stuffing,

chocolate see's turkey's,

green beans,

mashed potatoes and gravy,

and marshmallow topped sweet potatoes,

i just can't motivate myself to open my mouth for a pumpkin pie.

unless,

do they make chocolate pumpkin pie???

i think i'll have one bite of sean's pumpkin pie,

just to make sure i really don't like it.

or maybe i'll be so daring to mix a bite of the chocolate pie with the pumpkin pie.

oh the agony of being an indecisive person!

better safe than sorry.

that's all i'm sayin'.

in other news...

brennan's so excited to have 5 lazy days in a row.

me too pal!

ME too:)

the love voice {kinder thanksgiving}

6 thanksgiving centers,

about 10 glasses of spilled water,

23 paper bag vests,

13 pilgrims,

10 native americans,

turkey slices,

olives,

turkey candy corn feather cookies,

marshmallow counting,

paper turkeys,

bingo,

and

a partridge and a pear tree.

meet ryann.

brennan's first crush.

:):):)

he has a look when she's around.

this sweet 5 year old,

dreamy eye kind of look.

and he always makes sure she sees his work when it's done.

like when he bites his turkey cookie,

and he wants her to see it.

"ryyyyyyaaaannnnnn, look at my cooooookieeee ryyyyyaaaannnn"

{insert image of cheezy smile here}

in his sweet voice.

you know,

the kind of voice you'd use when you're talking to a baby, 

but not the high pitched kind.

the "i'm going to marry ryann"

because i really like to be around her,

and her hair is pretty kind.

and really,

she is just the cutest little thing.

someday he's going to kill me for this.

but for now,

i'm just gonna document it all:)

the thanksgiving post you've been waiting for.

things we learned cooking our 

1st thanksgiving feast:

no matter how much you prepare ahead of time,

when the turkey is done,

there's a scramble to get the mashed potatoes whipped,

and the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes golden browned.

don't forget

the famous see's chocolate turkeys.

your table will feel naked without them.

i am the only one that liked the vegetable medley.

the out-voting reached epic proportions.

we will go back to green beans next year.

the good news?

i get to make my vegetable medley year round now!

sean is SO excited.

or not...

we need two ovens.

period.

and goblets for cider.

with 3 kids 4 and under,

aim to put the turkey in the oven an hour before you think you want to.

then you will get it in when you wanted to,

not an hour after you wanted to.

thanksgiving dinner at 5:45 pm ya'll.

we are so proud.

at least it was before 6:)

...............

i think we have officially become grown ups.

at least,

that's what brennan told us at dinner on saturday night.

GOBBLE.

appetizers:

grandma max's famous cream cheese and onion ham rolls

meatballs on sticks

shrimp w/cocktail sauce

baked brie w/carmelized brown sugar and roasted pecans

the table:

{brennan, max, chase ray}

the menu:

13 lb 

organic, 

antibiotic free, 

coastal grazing, 

free range 

TURKEY

{my dad--and jamie oliver--are so proud}

stuffing

mashed potatoes--red, skin on

grandma max's famous sweet potatoes

linsey's homemade rolls and grape jelly

{which she hand delivered warm, 

the best friend a girl could ever have!}

vegetable medley!!!!!

homemade turkey drippings gravy

{DELISH}

martinelli's sparkling cider

{original & berry}

-dessert-

pumpkin cheesecake

pecan roasted homemade crust

caramel drizzle

whipped cream

{beth's recipe}

THE END.