The Quinns: Thanksgiving 2012

We headed to my parents in Jackson for Thanksgiving this year. Curran was SO excited when I told her we were going to MS- I made the mistake of telling her 5 days before we were leaving town, so she asked about every 5 minutes for those entire 5 days if it was time to go to Mississippi yet. :) My whole family was there, so it was nice to get to spend time with everyone, but with three small children, it was hardly relaxing. But that's ok. It was nice just all being together.

We left right after work on Wednesday night and had a nice, quiet, uneventful drive there. Thursday morning, Curran was excited to get up and watch the Macy's Parade. Then she and Sinclair had fun riding around on John.

My mom always does pretty arrangements. Wish I had that talent.

My grandmother was able to come, and SC just LOVED her! It was so precious, and I'll always treasure those memories. It was Gran Gran's second time to see SC, but she has Alzheimer's so of course she doesn't remember her. She doesn't even know us anymore. Even though she has no clue what is going on, she's still as feisty as ever and loves to boss us around. "Don't hold the baby like that!" "She's going to choke on that!" "Watch her- she's going to fall!" She sang some old songs to SC and was just a hoot. Phoebe, who is one of my mom's best friends, sits with my grandmother at the nursing home a few days a week, so she joined us for lunch too. She is so sweet, and the girls had fun seeing her, too.

I got tickled when my mom was trying to say the blessing before lunch: Sinclair was having a very loud meltdown because she spotted the cake and wanted some, Sallie Cate was "talking" loudly as she played on the floor next to the table, and my grandmother was singing some old song to herself. :) It was quite a sight. My dad was supposed to say the blessing, but he has gotten so emotional in his old age and he got choked up before he even started it. I love that about him. We are not a family who is super comfortable praying out loud, so I think he gets nervous about the blessing anyway, but now he just tears up any time he says it. You can tell he just gets so moved by his abundant blessings. But anyway, it was kinda humorous to see him fighting back the tears while all that crazy commotion was going on around him.

Big and SC

Attempt at a family pic on Thanksgiving. Proves to be literally impossible to get a good pic of all 4 of us.

We had a nice treat when our brother and sister-in-law drove through town Thursday night and we got to visit with them! The girls were excited to see Uncle Charlie and Uncle 'Mille.

Tried to get a pic of their matching jammers. Easier said than done.

Oh don't worry, Sinclair was just trying to shove a jingle bell in SC's mouth.

love it

Snack time on Friday afternoon

On Friday night, we took the girls up to Canton to see the lights on the square. This is the third year we have done it and always look forward to it! Sinclair and Curran both had a great time, and SC got lots of comments on her cute little bundled up self {reminiscent of Randy from A Christmas Story}.

an elf and a reindeer

Daddy and Uncle Craig wanted to hop in

riding the carousel with Big, Sinclair and Uncle Craig

C was about to drive me crazy about that darn carousel. She asked about 85,000 times when she could ride it. And she was serious about that waving: she had her hand poised and ready in the wave position the whole time she was riding, and every time she passed by us, she would start doing her pageant wave, barely cracking a smile.

riding it again with Daddy

SC and Cricky

Then C talked my dad into riding some fair-type car ride with her, and he could barely fit his legs on there. We were afraid they were going to make themselves sick on it, but they survived. Not sure those rides really fit in with "Christmas on the Square", but they are surely a hit.

SC getting some snuggle time with Big. I'm glad I caught this sweet moment on camera. My dad is not too hands-on when the babies are little {he is just a little more comfortable when they are less fragile :) }, but as each grandchild comes along he seems to get more and more comfortable with them. He held Sinclair a good bit more than Curran, and now with Sallie Cate he actually reaches out to take her from me, which I think is so sweet. He really didn't do that at all with C. I don't mean to make him sound like he doesn't like babies- he loves to stand close to the babies, analyzing each little feature and talking about how perfect and precious and brilliant they are- traditionally, he just isn't big on handling them. :) Ya know, some men just get nervous with teeny babies. But with SC it's different. Can't wait to see how he is with his 4th granddaughter in a few months! :)

visiting with Uncle Walter {this is the only pic I have of him to prove he was there}

On Saturday, we went to lunch with our friend, Morgan, and she got to meet SC for the first time.

That night our cousin, Cindy, and her mom came over to visit and see the girls. It was so fun seeing them! Cindy used to babysit us when we were little and took us to do fun things all the time.

This was Cindy and SC trying to figure out what cousins they were {2nd cousins twice removed- I looked it up, Cindy :) }. Her dad and my granddaddy are double first cousins.