Our Weekend - The One with Friendsgiving

We had one of my favorite weekends yet this fall… I swear, they just keep getting better and better! 

Friday I spent the day getting the house prepped and ready to host our very first Friendsgiving!  I was pretty exhausted after a busy week and a busy day, so we grabbed Mexican for dinner and then watched Despicable Me 3 at home with the kiddos.  After having a margarita for dinner, I ended up passing out cold on the couch while they all finished the movie, but it was just what I needed after a long week.  I love a good couch nap!  Getting the kids in bed gave me my second wind, so B and I continued our movie watching with Oceans 8 after they were asleep. 

We slept in until 8:30 Saturday morning and then it was homemade waffles with a side of ESPN College Gameday for breakfast.  All of our friends were due at 5 for a Friendsgiving feast, so I spent the rest of the day cleaning, cooking, and getting the house ready for the party.

My girlfriends and I had a huge feast prepared and everyone was responsible for bringing a couple of dishes.  Since I hosted, I volunteered to do the ham plus a couple of sides and I also threw a cheeseboard in there so people would have something to munch on before dinner.  I had never made a ham before so I was a bit nervous, but everyone told me to just buy a fully cooked ham because you can’t mess it up.  And you know what?  They were right! 

I got a fully cooked ham from our Walmart Neighborhood Market and it came with a glaze packet.  I covered it in the glaze plus some pineapple rings and baked it at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours, and it could not have been more perfect!  It tasted just like my Momma’s! 

The Georgia vs. Kentucky game started at 3:30 so I took a break to sit down and watch the first few minutes of that and then I had to get back in the kitchen to finish preparing my dishes so B gave me the play by play when I wasn’t able to watch.  The Kentucky game is usually an easy win, but this year they have been really good plus it was their first chance to make it into the SEC Championship game, so they were PUMPED to play us.  Since it was at Kentucky, all of us Georgia fans were a little bit nervous and it ended up being one of the most important games of the season so I didn’t want to miss a second!

Four of my girlfriends, their husbands, and all of their kids arrived around 5 and it was time for the festivities to begin!  My friend Jeannine set up their bouncy house in the back yard for the kids, the guys all watched football on the back porch, and all of us ladies poured some wine and chatted while getting together the last few things for dinner. 

This was the first time in years that every single one of us was present – five of us ladies, our five husbands, and our NINE kids.  Just eight years ago we had ZERO kids among the five of us, and now we have NINE!  Whew!  We’re all so busy and we’re always going in different directions, so usually one whole family or some of the husbands are missing, but Saturday night every single one of us was there! 

Us girls decided that it needed to be documented, so I whipped out my fancy camera and tripod and we managed to get a miracle shot of every single one of us.  And every single person has their eyes open and most are even smiling.  Y’all, it’s like seeing a unicorn!  Haha.

As the evening went on, the drinks continued to flow, and before we knew it, it was time to feast!  We had ham, dressing, sweet potato soufflé, mac n cheese, corn casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, and three different desserts.  It was delicious!

I had set the table for dinner, but the weather was perfection so we all opted to sit outside under the twinkle lights instead.  We watched the end of the game and Georgia ended up whooping Kentucky which means that we’ve already clinched the SEC east and we will be moving on to the SEC Championship Game again! 

Fun story, my aunt and uncle were at the game and my aunt texted me from the game and told me that LUKE BRYAN WAS SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM!!!!  I was soooo jealous!  She said my uncle fist-bumped him and she snapped a picture of him to send to me.  I told her to grab his butt for me, but for some reason she wouldn’t do it.  Hahahaha.  I kid, I kid.  Well, I did tell her that, but ya know… that probably wouldn’t have gone over very well if she had tried.  Hehe.  I just love him, though.

Anywaaaayyyy, once it got dark out, we all moved inside to let the kids decorate cookies.  My friend Jeannine had brought cookies, frosting, sprinkles, and all kinds of other fun toppings and the kids ate their way through everything while the adults ate dessert. 

After the cookie-decorating, some of the kids started a movie on the back porch while the adults cleaned the kitchen and then it was time to say goodbye.  One of my dearest friends, Katie, and her family are moving to South Korea in a couple of weeks and I’m absolutely crushed.  Her husband is in the Air Force and they are getting stationed over there.  Since they’re not originally from here they won’t be moving back once their time is up over there, so sadly, we probably won’t ever live in the same city again.  She has been one of my closest friends for eight years and I’m going to miss her and her sweet family dearly.  It just breaks my heart even thinking about it.  I am so thankful that we were able to do Friendsgiving before they left.  It was an extra special evening that I’ll remember and cherish forever. 

Sunday morning we were up bright and early for 8 o’clock mass and it was so nice to push those clocks back first.  Despite the fact that we had been up late watching the Bama vs. LSU game I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day.  I LOVE FALLING BACK!!!!

After church we rewarded the kids with donuts for their excellent behavior and then we headed home for a couple of hours before heading over to my MIL and step-FIL’s for Sunday lunch and to celebrate my step-FIL’s birthday (although a little late!). 

Sunday afternoon the clouds rolled in and hung low for the rest of the day.  It was very chilly and the absolute perfect snuggling weather.  We headed to my Momma and Daddy’s for Sunday dinner where she had White Chicken Chili waiting for us.  It was the absolute PERFECT meal for this kind of weather.  We popped open a bottle of wine, as always, and spent the evening talking and laughing and filling our wells with all things good before hitting the hay to start the new week.  I can’t think of a better way to end the weekend and start the new week!

Now if you need me, I’ll be holed up in my office, snuggling under a blanket, drinking my hot cinnamon tea, listening to Christmas carols, and catching up on blogging.  The weather today is dreary and chilly and I just can’t think of a better way to spend that kind of day!  Happy Monday, y’all!

Don't forget to link up with Heather, Johannah, and myself... just grab our new Christmas graphic and link up below!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.

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