Joseph and I are lucky enough to live close to our families. We love to spend time with them, but it gets a bit overwhelming to cram it all into the same day!! This Thanksgiving was the Jennings "big" year, where extended family comes for a reunion. I was asked to make one of two turkeys as well as some sweet potatoes. It was also going to be a "big" year for my side of the family, with Andrew, Phillip and their families reuniting with the brood we have here already. I had my assignments for the meal with them as well! Plus I was playing hostess (I'm afraid I'm no good at that... Sorry guys!) It was a LONG day, I'm not sure that any side of the family got the best side of me. I'm thinking next year we are going to do one family, and the next year we'll do the other. That way we can spend some quality time with family and relax and have time to think about all we have to be grateful for instead of keeping an eye on the clock.
Two Thanksgiving meals later we found ourselves at home. But I didn't stay long! My sister-in-law accompanied me to walmart for a black friday shopping attempt. One LONG line later, we returned home with what I went for! A new camera! (Nevermind the fact that later on that day it was available on the internet...)
The next day I proceeded to take an insane amount of pictures. When you have 2 parents with 10 of their 11 children, and 11 grandchildren, plus spouses and some great-grandparents, there are many pictures to be taken!!
We started Friday afternoon at the Conway Riverwalk
Addison, Sarah and Maddy
Benjamin confined to the swing... at least he doesn't realize it!
Sarah, Sophie, Maddy, Abbie and Scott
That would be my daughter, with her cousin, sister, cousin and Uncle
(it is so hard to give everyone their correct title..)
Jumping up and down on the bridge
I love those big blue eyes!
I wish I continued to take pictures, but I couldn't because I was involved in what might have been the largest freeze tag game known to man. 9 of my siblings, and 9 of the grandkids and my sister-in-law and my dad, all running around this playground. Once you were tagged you had to freeze until someone crawled under your legs to free you. I don't even think you can imagine correctly the scene unfolding on the playground. One by stander asked my mom if we were a church group... SO funny!
After our game we strolled around the riverwalk and headed back to my grandparents for Thanksgiving left overs.
The kids set up in the backyard, the weather was gorgeous! They colored while they waited for their food.
Maddy with her Aunt Allie (yup, my youngest sister!)
Jake (Andrew's son)
My sare-bear
Porter getting his chub on hard core!! (Steph's son)
My neice Addison (Phillip's daughter) with her Uncle Reagan (my second youngest brother) her cousin Sarah (my daughter) and cousin Noah (Andrew's oldest son) playing with the turkeys that Mamacheri made out of pinecones
Ben with Aunt Neenee
Phillip (my brother just older than me) and his lovely wife Stefani
My mom's dad. We like to call him Papa
At a very young age, Porter has learned to defend himself against his cousin Ben
Phillip and Andrew catching up (my oldest brothers)
Porter and his mama Stephanie (not to be confused with Stefani)
Mom's mom, or Mama as we call her, busy cooking!
Abbie (Andrew's oldest)
Cooper (Phillip's son) although he looks like he could be mine with all that red hair!
My youngest sister Erynn with her niece Addison
Cousins! Sophie (Andrew's second oldest) and Maddy
Concentrating on the game Andrew was explaining
When I was young my mom started a tradition of giving us Christmas Pj's and an ornament on Thanksgiving. It is still going strong, and my older siblings who have their own children have continued the tradition...
Abbie and Erynn are both rockin' their jammies!
My oldest brother Andrew
My oldest brother Andrew
He always has the best games for us to play when we all get together!
Obviously the game was not interesting for Porter!
Me and Molly (Andrew's youngest) She is so stinkin' cute!!
My mom, Sophie, and her mom Sarah (Andrew's wife, not to be confused with my daughter!!
Obviously the game was not interesting for Porter!
Me and Molly (Andrew's youngest) She is so stinkin' cute!!
My mom, Sophie, and her mom Sarah (Andrew's wife, not to be confused with my daughter!!
We have a few duplicate names... makes things really fun!
Scott was rebelling and hiding in his room while the rest of us played downstairs...
Ben and Molly still don't know if they like eachother or not!
The next Phillip and Stef headed home and the rest of us headed to the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach. We are quite the group of people too! So many kids! Mom jokingly said that we should count off to make sure everyone was there, but then someone pointed out how well that worked in Home Alone... we all laughed and crossed the street and began our walk on the boardwalk. Mom was telling me something about a friend of Ryan's and wasn't sure if she had the facts right. She turned around to ask him, and he was missing! He had fallen alseep in the van and we had left him! It was pretty funny. (he is 13, so it really wasn't so bad!) We stopped our walk and the kids played on the beach until Ryan was recovered...
My little sand thrower
Who would have thought it could bring him so much joy?
This was our grumpy clan... they would walk faster than all of us and then sit down on a bench and wait until we passed them. Then they'd walk fast and pass us and sit down again...
Check out the Sky Wheel! Nice to look at, but I'm not paying
After the pier we headed back to Mama and Papa's for Thanksgiving part 3... then Andrew and Sarah headed home. It was a great weekend! The only thing missing was Kevin. Christmas week will be great because we will all be together for the first time in YEARS!!
Scott was rebelling and hiding in his room while the rest of us played downstairs...
Ben and Molly still don't know if they like eachother or not!
The next Phillip and Stef headed home and the rest of us headed to the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach. We are quite the group of people too! So many kids! Mom jokingly said that we should count off to make sure everyone was there, but then someone pointed out how well that worked in Home Alone... we all laughed and crossed the street and began our walk on the boardwalk. Mom was telling me something about a friend of Ryan's and wasn't sure if she had the facts right. She turned around to ask him, and he was missing! He had fallen alseep in the van and we had left him! It was pretty funny. (he is 13, so it really wasn't so bad!) We stopped our walk and the kids played on the beach until Ryan was recovered...
My little sand thrower
Who would have thought it could bring him so much joy?
This was our grumpy clan... they would walk faster than all of us and then sit down on a bench and wait until we passed them. Then they'd walk fast and pass us and sit down again...
Weirdos!
Check out the Sky Wheel! Nice to look at, but I'm not paying
$12 bucks to ride it!
We walked out onto the pier and hung out for a little bit. What a beautiful view!
After the pier we headed back to Mama and Papa's for Thanksgiving part 3... then Andrew and Sarah headed home. It was a great weekend! The only thing missing was Kevin. Christmas week will be great because we will all be together for the first time in YEARS!! 
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