Thankskilling, Pt. III

(contd.)

We all slept in considerably following our two-day stint downstate, and after slowly getting around for the day we once again set off on the road, this time north towards Clare for the Hough side of the family's annual Day-After-Thanksgiving hangout.

To pacify and occupy the littler cousins, my folks created a scavenger hunt throughout their yard, which would burn up some of the little kids' pent-up energy, running around trying to find pine cones and leaves and stuff like that.

Dad goes over the rules with the younger kids (maxed out with 12-year-old Scarlett.)

The parents split the kids up into teams, with Jax, Owen, Kinsley, and Louis on one team. . . .

. . . and Levi, Scarlet, Sam, and Nora were on the other.

On the hunt for items (I tried getting the kids to go out on the pond's thin ice, but they're all cowards.)

Louis, in the zone.

Jax, Owen and Louis take stock of what they've collected so far.

Confusion in the ranks.

Dad had to step in and corral them a couple of times, but the kids got the hang of it pretty good.

Doling out the prizes for the winning team (and the losers, I guess.)

Cindy always does a great job with these charcuterie boards.

Nana's legendary Meat Flower.

Hough Wives - Nicole, Nagatha Christie, and Clarissa.

Blake and I go to the same tattoo guy (BrassCat Tattoo in Midland), so we were discussing our sleeves and what else we have planned for filling in space on our arms (my next session is on January 9th, in order to get the rest of my forearm completed.)

Borthers.

This one was really good - gonna have to remember it for next year, for sure.

At one point I organized the kids on the staircase at one point so we could get a grandchild pic for the parents, since this was a rare event where we had all dozen kids together all at once. And, per Hough custom, we had to arrange them oldest-to-youngest (to not do so would be blasphemous.)

As this picture illustrates, there were LOTS of outtakes - I took like fifty of these pics in order to end up with one that was worth keeping. Kids are the frickin' worst.

We didn't bother with having everyone bring homemade dishes for yet another Thanksgiving meal - no turkey or stuffing or pies or any of that crap - instead opting for Buccilli's, the greatest pizza on Earth.

Adults, standing around waiting for the little kids to get food first.

The Kids Table, feat. Jeff and his wife.

Most folks in this family are black belts at standing around grazing in the kitchen. 

Carissa and some incredibly handsome guy.

Following pizza, Dad broke out some crafts for the little kids to do in order to keep them from burning the damn house down.

The Nieces.

Hey Levi, who's gay?

Dad helping the grandkids out with the craft stuff.

Sam, Scarlett and Nora.

Alayna invited Sebastian along with us to Clare today - nothing like throwing some poor, teenage boy to the wolves. . . 

Abby and I broke out some of the old Christmas music after dinner and screwed around on the family piano for a bit. Not as cool as drums, of course, but it'll do in a pinch.

Clarissa, Nicole and Kris, cluckin' about wife stuff.

Chris and Cindy

Dad, Jeff, and some special needs kid that wandered in off the streets.

Some finished Christmas Trees.

Before folks took off back for Midland, we were able to get some of the individual family pics on the staircase (excluding the Whites, probably 'cause Jill didn't want to participate.) Here's Chris and his branch of Houghs. . .

Baby Jeffy and the new Houghs. . .

. . . aaaaaand the original (and greatest) Houghs.

After getting our family pictures done on the staircase and saying our goodbyes, we drove home and got to work crossing one, last Black Friday task off our list: decorating the Christmas Tree. Kris and I made sure to whip up some Christmas drinks for this, and, as usual, I settled on a Merry Irishman for Yours Truly.,

Sebastian (and Samson) hung out and watched while Kris, Alayna and I set to work on the tree (Abby, per the usual, retreated to her room.)

The Cannonball requested to hang up Watson's ornament this year (not surprisingly.)

Samson, watching the tree decorating, not understanding any of it.

We still try and lump similarly-themed ornaments together, and have various franchises on the tree now. Kris hates the fact that all of the ornaments reflect my interests and not hers, but it's not like I'm stopping her from buying Christmas ornaments throughout the year, she just doesn't. Sorry you don't like Star Wars, Nintendo, and Indiana Jones, spouse. . .

We usually stick the 'landmark' ornaments - the girls' first ornaments, our first one as a couple, our first one as a married couple, each of our pets' ornaments, our first year in the house, etc. - prominently in the front.

As we've done every year since, oh, 2006 or 2007 or so, Kris and I put on Some Like It Hot while we tackled this undertaking. Still one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.

We're gonna have to buy another tote of Christmas ornaments soon (we're currently at two totes, but they're just about full.)

Alayna, funned out with ornaments, sits down to work on some sort of bracelet craft thing. Kris and I finished decorating the rest of the tree about halfway through the movie, which is pretty par for the course.

I forgot to take a 'finished product' shot of our Christmas Tree, but I'm sure I'll get one in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here's a picture of Jack Lemmon giving Tony Curtis the business.

- Brian