Thanksgiving Runaway....I Mean Getaway : )

Thanksgiving is due up in a few days. I'm REALLY excited this year! Honestly, I usually dread it. I know that's awful. Sure, I'm thankful--I'm a person who tries to be thankful everyday though. No Debbie Downer here. But...Thanksgiving usually consists of running constantly. Either in my own kitchen--which I don't really know what I'm doing, so there's smoke, pots boiling over and lots of crying--or Mom does the cooking even if we're at my house for dinner--and what's the point of going to someone's house to cook? So usually it goes like this:

• 45 minute drive to my parents' house.
• Spend a few hours laughing, eating, maybe arguing, crying, time-outs, maybe apologizing, hugs, miss yous, see you laters.
• Another 20 minute drive to Husband's parents' house.
• Spend a few hours laughing, sitting, eating, yawning (by now it's late and I'm beat), time-outs (kids are tired too...), and then we're on the road again.
• Now it's an 1hr+ drive home filled with whining because someone (I'll probably blame Husband) forgets car pillows. Diva Haven can't get comfortable to conk out so we can listen to her snore for the duration of the trip. 
• Both fall asleep so when we get home, they either wake up wired or cranky. Either way, I usually want to lock myself in a room for them to fend for themselves.
• Then by the time I do get to bed, I'm so tired that I sleep like the dead--but not long enough, because you can be sure Ashton will be up bright and early ready to rock the Ironman. The dogs will whine, because they think they need to pee.

...and by this point I swear off all holidays. At least leaving my house for them.


Not this year. This year we'll be relaxing, smiling, laughing, remembering, hugging, probably a little a lot of drinking, EATING and sleeeeeeeeping. We rented a vacation home through one of my clients and we are spending 3 (count them 1, 2, 3!!) nights down on the Lake. We arrive the 23rd and come home the 26th! Plenty of time to prepare before and chill and clean up after. It's going to be....what's the word???.......FUCKING AMAZING! No it's not the beach, palm trees and tequila...but I'll sell one of my children one day and be able to experience such things :) However, there will be fishing, a hot tub, a dock, and lots of amazing photo opportunities. My Mom, Dad, and brother are coming down to stay with the four of us. I'm so excited--If I didn't say that already!


So on the down side of the getaway, we will miss dinner with The Husband's family. It's a bummer, but there's always Christmas. I will miss seeing everyone, but there's a billion of  them--dinner will go on. We went back and fourth before making the decision, but you know what--we deserve this.
We so deserve this.

..and this.

So I sort of need a favor. We are menu planning for the week--including Thanksgiving dinner. Yikes. What are some of your favorite meals--breakfast, lunch and dinner--and what is your favorite dish at Thanksgiving dinner? Recipes would be cool, too.... I know, I know... I'm an information whore. Give it to me!!! Ahhh..thanks :)