Long ago in a land far away....

I posted on my blog!! ha, ha! You know that sometimes when things get profusely busy my blogging is something that pretty much goes out the window. It's just a little clue into my life. No blogging = crazy busy. I am so far behind in the marvelous things I want to tell you about that I almost don't know where to start...

(Note: **** Some names have been changed to protect the identity of the innocent)

First, we'll go alll the way back to Thanksgiving. For the first time in forever we did not host Thanksgiving at our home. It seems to me, if my calculations are correct that we've hosted Thanksgiving dinner in our home for 13 out of the 15 years that we've been married!! What fun it is to have a hoard of friends and family over for such a special holiday! LOTS of people think I'm crazy and would prefer the quiet, subdued option. Those two words usually only occur after my children are in bed, so it seems unnatural for me to consider that as a valid option. Another reason that we've not often ventured away from home for Thanksgiving is that Brian has usually been needed the day after to work. The world of retail comes alive with lots of big green monsters starting on that day after and usually that means a work day that starts sometime before 5 am. YUCK! Not exactly condusive to holiday travel. This year was different!! We actually went to our relatives home in Indiana from Wednesday evening until Sunday afternoon!!! We had a wonderful time! We went to Brian's Uncle and Aunts home and there we met up with two of his cousins and their families. We all had a great time enjoying each others company. The kids all got along wonderfully and played endlessly from dawn until dusk, and beyond!! Even though we weren't hosting the gathering I was still able to bake lots of yummy treats to take along. I love to bake and cook, so this was no stress on me at all. I did get a little stressed when I happened to burn my first pan of cinnamon rolls. I tried setting my alarm on my cell phone as a timer, but obviously that didn't work right because they were too dark. They weren't actually burnt, but they were too dark and dry to be acceptable. I didn't throw them out though, they're saved in the freezer to use on a recipe for bread pudding that uses just such a creature as over baked cinnamon rolls! I also made one of the yummiest pies I've ever made...Chocolate Pecan Pie. It's sooo yummy. The recipe I have calls for maple syrup instead of corn syrup and I think that makes all the difference and keeps it from becoming too sweet. It was so good that I knew I would need to bake two pies, and indeed we did eat them both. (I think a piece found its way to my plate one morning for breakfast, but we'll just keep that a secret.) Another traditional Thanksgiving treat that I got to share was Pumpkin Rolls. If you haven't made or eaten them, you should. Your life will be so much closer to complete if you include these yummy things in it. I made two of these also and I think we even ate one of them for breakfast one morning, but don't quote me on that.
While we were preparing our Thanksgiving Feast the children were all outside playing in the cool fall air. Uncle **** and Aunt **** live right up against a nature preserve so there are fantastic woods with trails and such right in the backyard. Of course, that means there were trees and trees must be there to be climbed, right? That is the opinion of Caleb and also Leon**** as we soon found out that day. As we were bustling around the kitchen and figuring out the seating Caleb appeared and said he needed a bandaid. I sort of halfway looked at him and asked him what he needed it for. Had I looked fully as I did a few minutes later I would've seen the nice cuts and punctures that he had on his chin. While he and Leon**** were climbing the tree and breaking branches off, he lost his footing and fell to the ground. He was unfazed by the whole ordeal and began to get back up and "have another go at it" when Leon**** mentioned that maybe he should get an adult....and hey Caleb, you're bleeding. That's when he came in asking for a bandaid. What he got was some hydrogen peroxide and an ice pack instead of a bandaid. He bore his wound bravely and was back up on the tree later on, no worse for wear. After all, what's better than climbing a tree than climbing a tree after falling off and getting a glorious wound that looks much worse than it is?? Isn't boyhood wonderful? :)
Sophia and Miss H. had a wonderful time playing all things girly while the boys rampaged around inside and out to their hearts content. Uncle *** took the children on a few rambles through the woods which always proves to be a welcome distraction for both the children and the adults that are left behind. ....ahhh, a cup of coffee and the newpaper, hmmm, how about some pie? Yes, it was wonderful for all and as a special highlight the children all come back tired. Of course, they also came back starving, but isn't that just the way things go?
On the last night that we were there, things took a downward spiral as Caleb and I got the stomach flu. It was awful, really awful and to make it even worse, the next day, as Caleb was feeling better, I was not. It was all the best for me! Sick stomach, fever, aches and chills all the way home for 3 1/2 hours. Oh, and don't let me forget that as we approached the end of the street after pulling out of the driveway to come home, Sophia said those feared words "I feeel sick..." Thankfully, Brian had thought to bring some handy bags and/or shall I say receptacles for our trip home. ewww, it was disgusting. It was the most horrible car ride I have had in a long while. Which unfortunately brings up a horrible memory about being on vacation with a car sick DOG.... Okay, this post is making me nauseated so I'll stop.
Hope you had a great Thankgiving!! Despite the horrible ending it was still a great holiday!