Thanksgiving 2023

 We decided to try out a new state for Thanksgiving this year, and visit the Ferrells in South Carolina!

We left on Sunday November 19. The plan was to drive until we got too tired and find a hotel, but we just kept driving and driving. We arrived in South Carolina between 2:30-3:00 am and Justin was kind enough to wake up and let us in. 

Monday was spent sleeping in and the kids played their hearts out. We went to the local library for a craft kit and to a local park.

Tuesday we had planned to go to Myrtle Beach, but the weather turned cold/rainy so we decided to stay local. 

Wednesday we baked pies and played games.

Thursday was of course Thanksgiving. Dale, Justin and Kimball went to their ward's turkey bowl. Kimball got a couple good plays in and no one got seriously hurt. The Ferrells deep fried the turkey, we cooked lots of food, and finally ate a large, delicious meal. 

A couple nights before Thanksgiving, Kimball said he’d like to make a chocolate hazelnut buttercream pie with raspberries. We thought he had seen it posted somewhere, but he just made up on the spot. So Justin used “Chat GTP” to make up a recipe using that description. We went to the store to buy the supplies, and Kimball made it happen. The pie was delicious!

Friday we went to Florence with plans of going to an arcade, but decided to shop the mall instead. It was a bit chaotic with 7 kids, but we found a few good deals and didn't strangle anyone. 

The entire week we played lots of games, including Werewolf, Jackbox TV, and more. The kids loved playing in the Ferrell's spacious backyard, and running up and down the stairs. 

Saturday we woke up, loaded up the van and said our goodbyes. We drove, and drove and drove for over 17 hours, and made it home between 2-3 AM. The boys were able to go straight to bed, but the girls had slept just enough to be wide awake for a bit.