Turkey Day

For the second year in a row, I got to host Thanksgiving at my house. Last year my parents came up mostly to help with a major home-improvement project, but we made sure to take some time out to be thankful. This year Tessa, Mo, and the kids drove in from Minnesota...quite impressive when you realize that it took two days to drive and they inadvertently spent the night in South Bend, IN, the night before a Notre Dame home football game. The kids were off from school the whole week of Thanksgiving so they were able to take off after work on Friday and got to my place in time for dinner on Saturday. We decided to go out to Texas Roadhouse so that we could all talk and let someone else do the cooking/cleaning that night. An added benefit (to me) for their driving in for this visit was the fact that they were able to bring along some of the stuff I left at their house when I lived with them for a few months before I moved to PA (including my fish tank stand, pizza stone, and a favorite sweater).

On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed the special service that day that focused on a missionary family that was back from China for a few months. This was especially fun for the kids who are learning Mandarin in school. I also got to introduce Tessa and Mo to some of my new friends here in PA during the all-church dinner following the service. When we got back from church, we all got to play in the freshly fallen snow for a little bit and even take a walk along the abandoned train tracks behind my house. This was followed by mugs of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows!

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I still had to go to work, but the family would come pick me up for lunch each day. We visited Baby's Diner and the Waffle Shop (two State College classics). Graeson and Parker had fun making "transformers" out of the utensils.



In the evenings we would make dinner and play something with the kids (i.e. Legos or dominos) and/or watch a movie.


On Thursday, we had a pancake breakfast and then I got started on preparing the feast while Tessa made her family-favorite Jello salad. For the most part, dinner went well. The kids were a little picky about what they wanted to eat (pretty normal for them), the stuffing was almost forgotten, and the turkey was mostly cooked... It was only after dinner, when I was cutting the leftovers off the bones that I realized that it hadn't cooked all the way through. I put the turkey back in the oven for a few hours so that we would still be able to have turkey sandwiches later that night. Fortunately, the meat we did eat was done and no one got sick--crisis averted.


On Friday, I somehow talked Tessa into waking up TOO early for Black Friday shopping. We left the house at 4:30AM and hit the circuit: Circuit City, Best Buy, Staples, Target, and Sears. At this point we returned home for food and then I went out for a little more (JoAnn's Fabric Store--to get a serger for a great price). I kinda feel bad when I go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Because, while I do occasionally pick out gifts for others, the majority of my purchases are for myself. Granted they are usually things I've wanted for a while, but wait until this day to get the best price--like the 120GB external hard drive I pick up for ~$50 (after rebate). That afternoon we all enjoyed leftovers for lunch and a little nap time:)

I thought it would be fun to have the kids help me decorate for Christmas while they were here. While Mo helped me hang the lights outside, Tessa and the boys put the tree up. We then hung the ornaments and made some decorations of our own.


For dinner we went out for fire-roasted pizza at Faccina Luna--a big hit with everyone. After dinner, we went back to the mall so that Mo could buy Tessa some gifts, too. The boys met these interesting ladies in the Women's department:

When Saturday came, it was time for my friends to take off back to Minnesota. We loaded up the car and made one last "pit stop." There is this restaurant here called "Quaker Steak and Lube." The food is decent (I love their hot wings), but the atmosphere is the major highlight, especially if you're under the age of 6. There are cars hanging on the walls, a Bat-mobile in the lobby, and tons of other automotive things to look at in the dining area. This was a great end to a fun and full week with friends...or are they family...