Thanksgiving with my Turkeys

They just LOVE this part of my Thanksgiving tradition!

A little pre-feast fishing.

My weirdo. Don't ask.

That's a lot to be thankful for sitting all at one table!

As usual, the highlight of our holiday was the girls' annual Thanksgiving play.

No better way to wrap up Thanksgiving than Rhodes Family Christmas!

We had to return to Donut Hole on Black Friday for dessert! Their desserts are epic. 

 

 

Speaking of donuts, there is a magical Busy Bee gas station somewhere off I-10 that has the best Dunkin' Donuts I've ever tasted! Their creamed filled powdered donuts are super fresh and filled to the brim... we got them on the way up, and I craved them all week. We stopped on the way home and Tate got a gator donut. Made for a happy road trip.

The Gang's All Here

It's that most magical time of the year... Thanksgiving at the beach with all the cousins! Ellie got a mermaid fin for her birthday, and she's super duper proud of it. All attempts at getting her to cover her belly have failed. She's gonna flaunt her mermaid self! 

 

 

Frozen II with the whole crew! Tate loved the fire spirit... made him laugh hysterically. Asa spent the whole movie yell-whispering down the row that he was thirsty. 

Even Chimichanga & Aunt Angel are here!

Grandma's little kitchen helpers.

Tate can't get enough of Uncle Andrew hurling him through the air. These are the memories they will cherish forever!

Pals in Panama City

We headed up to the panhandle a couple days early so we could see our Panama City crew. They are still very much in raw recovery mode from Hurricane Michael. It's sad to see how the devastation is still so apparent. We went to Jenks Avenue Church of Christ with the Pattersons and Coles, and they are still meeting in the church gymnasium. Hopefully the main church building will be repaired by next year. It's a long wait when every single structure in town is on the waiting list. We had lunch at Five Guys, and Michael made a friend in Catherine, who is sassy and likes no one. But his ability to go nose to nose with her won her over. Rob got back from a business trip to Norway just a couple days ago and brought her a toy Pegasus that she guarded heavily. Michael kept threatening to take it. It actually made her warm to him, and Page was impressed. Then there's my feisty one with her photobomb of Kristy & me: 

There are a few newly-built places up and open in town... lucky for us, one of them was Homegoods!

Enjoying a little sunset swim at the hotel before dinner.

When you have the politically incorrect seaside taco shop all to yourselves...

 

Dinner at Muy Wayne O's... Their slogan is "E's preety good." I kid you not. And not-so-subtle jabs at being fake Mexican abounded. Wesley begged me to order the dog bowl dinner, and actually came in a doggie dish:

Anna Kate & Tate played lots of MASH.  Tate kept giddily exclaiming, "I hope I marry one of my two crushes!"

 

Tate gave sweet kisses in the kissing booth, but Daddy tried to gross out the kids.

Emily brought her crew to our hotel for a beach day Monday morning. They are still displaced after Hurricane Michael destroyed their home. I am so in awe of my fiercely strong survivor friend who is so full of love and grace and faith and thanksgiving, despite such extreme heartbreak and stress. It was such a blessing to spend the day together.

Carigan and Amelia always pick right up where they left off. The girls spotted a jelly fish on the beach and we were sure to get a pic.

I love that our kids match up so perfectly in age (except Emily went for an extra round with Julia!)

Love this sweet family!