I feel like I’ve been looking forward to Thanksgiving since the beginning of October. Normally Thanksgiving just sort of comes and goes, but I’m super excited for this year. I’m going home for a full week (Tuesday morning through Monday night!) and I just can’t wait to eat, sleep, catch up with friends, introduce Teddy to my family, and host the Sail to Sable event!
My family is pretty casual when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing too, too fancy. Which is just how we like it. We can all relax and enjoy each other’s company and remember how thankful we are for everything in our lives.
The one major tradition we have is that we take our Christmas card photos before dinner. My mom stays behind to get the food ready and my sister and I get all dressed up and take photos with my dad. My mom used to like to get the photos earlier in the year, but once I started college, Thanksgiving was the first day we could. My sister and I are available and we have to get dressed up anyway.
I don’t know about you guys, but we also work the best under pressure. Thanksgiving (especially this year) is basically cutting it close to the wire in terms of printing, addressing, and mailing cards out. And we have the additionally tight deadline of getting the photo done before dinner. (My mom jokes that we can’t eat until we come back with a winner.)
#cringe
Whoops– I wore Stacy’s dress the next year…
(One of my favorites!)
Now we face a few challenges every year that I imagine many families can relate to:
1) My sister and I have to choose outfits that coordinate. This is difficult because we both have such different styles (Stacy is way more trendy/bohemian). Oh, and my sister and I have extremely different coloring. What looks good on her looks terrible on me and vise versa.
2) Someone is always having a bad day. Either I’m uncomfortable or annoyed with the outfit choice. Or my sister is exhausted from being out too last the night before. Or my dad is frustrated that my sister isn’t smiling the way he wants her to smile or the location isn’t working. Every year, without a doubt, someone isn’t happy.
3) My eyes water. If I even so much as think about the sun, my eyes water. We’re not just talking a few tears here. Full fledged waterworks. Many a photo has been ruined by my constant eye watering. This also really limits where we can take our photo.
4) We have run out of locations. Not the biggest of deals, but we’ve definitely been recycling backdrops. Who knew that over the course of the fifteen years, we would completely exhaust all the “cute” places in Tampa. The creativity has dried up… but some of the places are now “classics.”
5) Selecting the picture is an ordeal. We get them all printed and lay them out on the island in the kitchen and vote for our favorites. Stacy and I each have our “things” that we want to avoid. Crazy hair flying for me and one slightly smaller eye for my sister. But here’s the thing, you have to be there to get your vote. Stacy has been away with friends when we do the final voting a couple of times. You snooze, you lose.
As you can tell, we take these very, very seriously. At times growing up, I found this to be extraordinarily annoying too. Sometimes the challenges are just ridiculous and it would be oh-so-much easier to simply skip the photo. But, challenges aside, the photos are truly treasures for our family. (The hallway between the foyer and the living room serves as a “hall of fame” for our holiday cards of Christmases past.)
What is one of your favorite family tradition?
xoxo
Thanksgiving is really relaxing for my family too, we go to my Nana's house every year,but other than that we don't really have any traditions. We don't get to see each other much so it's nice to get to see family and catch up.
http://loriscreativity.blogspot.com/
Carly, maybe i'm the only one and my web browser is being wacky, but I can't seem to go to the next page of your posts on the blog. I see the most recent posts but at the bottom of the page, there is not "older posts" button to click on. Just an FYI for you to look at incase it's not just me, lol, but it's totally possible I'm just blind.
I love the idea of taking a yearly family photo. And the last one you posted is gorgeous.
Mana
Fashion and Happy Things
I'm sandwiched between two boys, so picture taking is an ordeal, if it even happens. Half the time we can't even get into normal clothes from basketball clothes (I'm not just talking about my brothers, either…). Oops. Haha. Hopefully this year we can grab a pic!
it's so nice to see how both of you have grown up over the years 🙂
Aw, such nice photographs. It's great to see how both of you have grown and defined your different and personal styles 🙂
So cute!
http://preppygermanlady.blogspot.de
This is so cute! We don't have too many traditions at my house for Thanksgiving, but the one we always practice is that we each make our own dish for dinner!
Hunter
Prep on a Budget
Such a sweet post! Where was that one taken with the two of you against the colorful sculpture-thing? My dad used to sell prints from what I *think* might be the same artist.
Arielle
This is all too adorable and reminds me of my family. Thanks for showing us your family photos, even though it makes you cringe at times!
Your Friend, Jess
I'm going home to celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend, yes early – my sister is a pharmacist who works in a hospital so she can't get off ON Thanksgiving. She and I were discussing yesterday all the topics we need to bring up with family, and they're usually controversial ones. We tend to debate and get into arguments on Thanksgiving, but they never really tear us apart. We just like to annoy my Aunt. 🙂
<3
carelesly graceful
I have been looking forward to Thanksgiving for weeks too. It's my favorite holiday… basically I love any holiday I get to spend with my cousins. Those pics are adorable, so funny to see your grow up!
-Alex
http://www.monstermisa.blogspot.com/
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays…except my family gets all dressed up. It's definitely the "fanciest" holiday for us. Black Friday (basically a holiday for me, my sister, mom, and aunt) is a WHOLE other story, though!
xoxo
Kathryn
http://fridayiwander.blogspot.com
Your old pictures are so great! Maybe I'm creepy but I love childhood pictures of people. I can't wait to head home for Thanksgiving either.
Katie
http://casually-obsessed.blogspot.com
That is so cool! I wish that my brother and I had pictures like that, but he avoids pictures at all cost!
The backdrops on some of these photos look like Tampa, were you guys from there? (I love Tampa !)
I love this, also the nostalgia seeing the 'popped collar'.
Christmas pictures always equal drama in my house because no one can agree!
Kristin
crumbsandcurls.blogspot.com
I live and work in Tampa! You should check out 1102 N Florida Ave for your picture – it's the building with the large Tampa postcard mural on it…and the building I work in! 🙂
You two look so stunning in all of the pictures! My favorite is definitely the second to last one! You are so lucky you got to pick your own outfits… my mom just put me and my younger sister in matching Lilly dresses!
You two look so stunning in all of the pictures! My favorite is definitely the second to last one! You are so lucky you got to pick your own outfits… my mom just put me and my younger sister in matching Lilly dresses!
You two look so stunning in all of the pictures! My favorite is definitely the second to last one! You are so lucky you got to pick your own outfits… my mom just put me and my younger sister in matching Lilly dresses!