Happy Thanksgiving

We had the pleasure of spending this Thanksgiving in Minnesota at my parent's house. Our little Nissan Altima was 1 of the million cars traveling the stretch of I-90 and thankfully we were able to dodge all of the (not so) inconspicuous State Troopers that were parked along the Interstate (honestly, we counted 8 within 5 miles!). Our uneventful drive came to an end when we finally pulled into my parent's driveway at midnight Wednesday. Thursday morning we were greeted by my niece Jada who was anxiously waiting for her "Tayle" to get out of bed and make up 3+ months of lost play time.





Thanksgiving morning consisted of the women (me, my mom and my sister Sarah) slaving away in the kitchen . . . In all honesty, we had a blast! We enjoyed making memories, sharing stories, reminiscing about the past and giggling as we baked, sliced, stirred and carved. While we prepared the feast, the men (Josh and my dad) sat in the basement trying to figure out and hook up the new Wii that my mom surprised us with (more on that later . . .). Thanksgiving dinner was served right on time (12:00 noon) and was nothing short of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, homemade stuffing (I'm a Stove Top girl but I must admit, this was the best stuffing I have EVER had - way to go mom!!), green bean casserole, fruit salad, dinner rolls, pies and ice cream (hence the reason we are all now 5+ pounds overweight).

After we stuffed ourselves to the max, we decided to go downstairs to the family room to try out that new talked about Wii. All I can say is AWESOME!!! Whoever thought this game up needs to win some type of award - maybe even made President or something significant :). We played game after game - ranging from tennis, bowling, golfing, baseball, boxing (my favorite!) and of course, Josh was hooked on the Cabela's game my mom surprised him with (Thanksgiving night I woke up at 2:30 a.m. wondering were my husband was . . . all I could here was the clicking of a gun - sure enough, he was HUNTING in my parents family room!) Cayel and Jada even enjoyed playing - it was hilarious to watch them play tennis (uncle Mark, you would be proud of Cayel - tennis :)!! Not only is this thing incredibly FUN - holy cow is it a good WORKOUT!! Me, Josh, my dad and my sister Sarah sat up one night until midnight boxing each other - our arms were so sore the next day (Sarah was still complaining about it Sunday :)! So, that's my "sales pitch" on the Wii . . . it is SO much fun! THANKS MOM!!!








Friday night Cayel got to experience his first movie in a Movie Theater. Me, my mom, my sister Sarah, Jada and Cayel had a "date night" and went to the movie (Madagascar 2). I wasn't sure how he would do (he usually lasts about 30 minutes watching a movie at home before he needs a change of scenery) but of course, he proved me wrong and was a PERFECT little boy. He sat in his own chair and got to fill himself with as much junk food (pop, twizzlers, popcorn and fruit snacks) as he could cram in during the hour and a half movie. At one point my mom asked if he wanted to sit on her lap and his response was "no Nana, I watching the movie." It was a lot of fun and hopefully a new tradition we can keep going as the kids get older.

Saturday we got a babysitter for the kids and had an "adult afternoon." We all drove to Mankato and had lunch at Famous Dave's (once again, over stuffed ourselves) and spent some time at the mall. It was nice to get out of the house and have a chance to spend some quality time together. It still amazes me how as you get older, those little bratty sisters that once used to be an annoyance, are now friends that you yearn to have bonding time with. It was a great afternoon!



Saturday night we continued the Monopoly war and once again, my dad took the trophy. I'm still not sure what his tactic is but he sure knows how to play Monopoly. Sarah and Josh tagged up and were a little competitive so needless to say, I was usually the first one out (after Chelsea that is :). Along with the Wii, Monopoly was the other game of choice for the weekend - we spent MANY hours at the dining room table buying and selling property.






Sunday morning our family-filled weekend came to an end as we packed up the car to make the journey back to Spearfish. It was an amazing weekend filled with laughter, fun, bonding, new traditions and memories! I have always loved Thanksgiving and Christmas but after a weekend filled with family, it makes me realize how blessed I truly am!