Oyster Roasts, Santa in a Row Boat & Lots of Pie!!

Phew!  We made it through Thanksgiving y'all!  Hopefully you ate lots of yummy turkey and pie and then maybe did a little Black Friday shopping to walk off a few of those extra calories.  

I spent my Thanksgiving holiday a little different this year.  My husband and I made the 14 hour (yes 14!!) trek down to New Bern, North Carolina to spend the holiday weekend with some of his family!  It was well worth the long drive!  It was a great change of pace for Thanksgiving in the Carolina's by the water versus Indiana in the snow.

The holiday festivities were started with a fantastic Oyster Roast!  You have to be quick on shucking the steamed oysters before they all get eaten!!  They go fast!  Don't forget the butter, hot sauce, and saltines!!

As Thanksgiving Day arrived, it was a day filled with everyone cooking.  Literally everyone was in the kitchen cooking their favorite dish at one point! A little cooking with wine, all-day smoked turkey, time with family and friends, and lots and lots of eating the most delicious food!! 

I was in charge of the table arrangements for our Thanksgiving dinner because of my mad skills!!! :) My mom is a florist, so the little floral arranging skills I do have, come from her.  They turned out beautiful.  I picked some flowers, boxwood greenery, fresh holly from our Aunt's yard and used some decor from around her house -- driftwood, miniature sailboats, and birds -- to create a coastal Thanksgiving vibe for the tables! 

 

I think we had about one whole pie for every 2 people!  Apple Pie.  Pumpkin Pie.  Sweet Potato Pie.  Pecan Pie.  Pumpkin Roll.  I could have ate just sweets for dinner!  :) We were eating pie at every meal trying to get rid of it!!  It's bad to waste.

Instead of Black Friday shopping at the mall, we followed a family tradition of welcoming Santa into town as he arrives by boat.  Followed by a little shopping at the most adorable seaside shops!

One of the coolest things I have seen was on the streets of our Aunt & Uncle's house.  Year after year, everyone on their street of the neighborhood has been making these Christmas light balls and hanging them up and down the streets.  They make these light balls of all sizes, from 12" wide up to 3-4' wide.  All of the neighbors hang them from different heights through the trees.  Some hanging over the streets.  Some hanging inside the trees, glowing through at night.  They are made out of chicken wire and then wrapped with Christmas lights.  Once the sun goes down, this street is glowing with the most amazing light show!!  It was gorgeous!!  

We ended the weekend with a birthday celebration for my brother-in-law.

It was such a great Thanksgiving weekend!  Yes, it was A LOT of driving, but it was well worth it!  We had a great time!  Now I can officially start planning Christmas festivities without everyone getting on me about decorating before Thanksgiving!