So... my weekend adventure started Wednesday right after work. Myself and the fam headed off to church for a Thanksgiving service. Leon had already gone to his mom's right after school got out for him. darn.
Thursday, Thanksgiving. Robb got up early and made a lasagna, because doesn't EVERYONE do that on Thanksgiving?? I had made a couple loaves of french bread during the afternoon on Wednesday so I prepped the house for company that would be arriving while we were gone. Encouraged to leave early, we did. We left just after 9 and headed to my hometown. Got there just around noonish starving. Dad wasn't home. I called a sister but they had just finished lunch and was settling down to watch a movie with her kids...
I think we got there too early. We tried to get Dad's tv to work and were unfamiliar with his cable and remote. The only channel we could watch was a dog show competition.
So Meri and I left to forage for food. According to my son, the only things my dad's fridge could provide for us was "some pretty boss ants on a log." Meaning Dad only had tons of condiments and celery...
Meri and I found out shortly that a lot of people took this, "No retail on Thanksgiving" thing a little too seriously. The city was dead... I did NOT know that also meant "fast food". We finally found a HyVee that looked hopping and we picked up some frozen chinese food. yum.
Mom and Dad finally showed up after having had a great dinner at the nursing home. We headed over to the senior living community building where the descendants/spouses of my parents would be gathering.
More sisters, a brother, lots of nieces and nephews showed up and the party got rolling.
One of my sisters had arranged the get together and did a fantastic job. She had her son and his wife organize "Ye Ol' Fishing Hole" for the littles. I do believe though that I may have heard a great-nephew swear for the first time ever when he got an ornament craft when he was hoping to get a mask like another another nephew. OOPS!
The one in blue plaid is the cusser.
Eh - he got back in line and got some more stuff. Too fun!
Teresa and I had both brought lasagna so I took a comparison shot of them. Which looks more appetizing? They were both good... Ours was on the left.
Robb, Meri, Ryan and I needed to take off around six, so when it was getting close, we did the gift exchange. It's been a long time since this many were together and we probably wouldn't all be able to at Christmastime so we took advantage of this time and anyone who wanted to participate brought a white elephant gift. It was the type of exchange where you could go select a gift off the table or you could steal it from someone else. A niece-in-law and my dad were the favorites to steal from.
A gift I had brought (a table centerpiece vase) was wrapped up in a big Hollar.com box and an 8 year old niece was convinced there was an American girl horse in it or something fab. I have no idea why... since the tag said "for a woman". But she clung to that thing like it with all her soul. Another niece who, undoubtedly, thought the same thing, stole it from her. Lily sobbed and sobbed and was told to select another gift or steal from someone. BUT NOT BROOKE! More sobbing... My oldest sister had to get up for a gift and she whispered to Lily to just go grab the gift back from Brooke. Brooke was ok with it and went for something else.
Lily wasn't too pleased when she opened the box. So Ryan traded his gift of a craft set, for her gift. She'll never trust my gifts again... Ryan plans on re-gifting this Christmas.
It was loads of fun and everyone played games, bingo or just hung out talking. They were breaking out the Pie Face as we were leaving.
Also as I'm hugging folks good bye, but promising to see them the next day back at our place, my brother pulls out his phone and starts whisking through photos of a trip that he and my dad took last week to see a late uncle's grave marker in Nevada. They had visited casinos and some grand hotels too. Robb was in the car with the kids and texting me... Seriously Mark!!! We've been through a ton already, can we look at the rest tomorrow! We didn't... I should have taken the time...
We got home around 9pm-ish and our company had already gone to bed. Must have been a rough day! We got the turkeys brining for Friday.
But that is another story, for another day. tomorrow!!
2 comments:
I thought my holidays were exhausting. I could not take yours on. It sounds though like you enjoy it, so that is important.
We were completely opposite over here. Slow and easy. It helps that we all live in the same town.
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