and the Blessings Were All Counted

The past week has been a blur, but the pictures are clear, even tho they are still in two different cameras. I'm starting to think Thanksgiving should be a week long celebration. I'm starting to like it better than Christmas. It's like all the fun without the gimme's and commercialism.
We began celebrating on Sunday with our kids and my sister & brother in law. Kevin & Erica cruised in first on Saturday night late. It's always good to see them. Susie & Truman were next, arriving early on Sunday, while I was in the midst of cooking. I like to cook it all, so no, no one else has to do anything. I did have Kevin & Erica bring the rolls, and Danny & Felicia brought deviled eggs. But I think I'm taking those duties back next year. (I also forgot to buy/make those things, so it was great to delagate at the last minute).
We didn't have pumpkin pie, but we did have Triple Berry/Apple/Rhubarb Pie and those Cream Cheese bars that I "never make for us" and of course, Kevin's Pink Fluff. But all the boys love the fluff, it's not just for Kevin. He just brought the recipe home. So we ate way too much food, watched way too much football and played a game of Trivial Pursuit til I couldn't stay awake any longer.
They even cooperated and wrote up journal cards with what they were thankful for. Which everyone was pretty much on the same page, except Patrick, my out of the box thinker. He was "thankful my mom makes us do these wonderful activities" and leftovers and of course, "thankful for tomorrow when everyone leaves". He likes being the center of attention around here. Which is hard for him to do with two older brothers in the house.
I made it through work Monday and was totally shocked when a co worker offered me FREE tickets to the Packers/Saints game that night. Then I was totally sad when I had to turn them down because we needed to pack for our trip on Tuesday. But it's a good thing we didn't go, the Packers lost badly. It would have been too painful to watch in person. Kevin & Erica went, and had a good time, despite the loss. Our tickets went to another Packer fan friend, who had never been to a game. So I'm glad for that.
Tuesday we flew the friendly skies for 3 hours to Milwaukee and then drove til 2 a.m. (3 hours after landing) to the inlaws house in the woods. Yes, there was snow on the ground and it was 13 degrees. Yes it was d-mn cold, especially since I left my coat packed in my suitcase.
Wednesday after sleeping in, we just hung out at the house until it was time to go to mass/Eucumenical service with the inlaws. Rick and I both got put to work there. I helped with the refreshments and he helped his dad with the collection/handing out programs/everythingelsehisdaddoes. It was a very nice service and the church was packed with people from 3 churches in their community. By the time we got home, Rick's sister had arrived with her husband, daughter and two granddaughters. The grands were already asleep, but we chatted til the wee hours with the adults.
Thursday was dinner at their friend's lodge on the lake. What a nice dinner! We gathered for attitude adjustment at noon and dinner was about 1. It's such a beautiful old lodge, over a hundred years old with alot of old handcarved woodwork and history throughout. Dinner was scrumptious and afterward the kids cleaned up while the adults chatted. Such fun!
Sadly Rick's sister & family had to leave right after, but it was good to see them for a short time. I had fun with the girls, they are at the fun age (4 & 7). All the little ones were so well behaved.
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing. I put a huge dent in my Christmas card making and showed Rick's mom how to make bows for her packages. She was so enthralled that the next day we went to Hobby Lobby and bought her all the supplies she needed!
Saturday my brother drove up from Illinois to visit. It was great to see him again! We spent most of the day just chatting but took him to the lodge for dinner. He loved the place. After we got back to the house, he showed me some neat tricks with my camera, and we looked at old pictures from Rick's family. It was well after dark when he left, so I worried about him making it home (3 hours).
Sunday, all too soon, it was time for us to go. The snow I had prayed so hard for had begun to fall. But it wasn't heavy enough or falling fast enough for us to delay our trip, so off we headed. Of course, THEN, it started pretty heavy, but the roads were good enough to get us through. It was a very pretty drive, tho, I would have much rathered sit in the house and watch it fall.
After plane delays and plane delays we finally made it home at 11:55 p.m., I headed straight to bed, opening my suitcase only enough to get my jammies out! It was good to be back in my own bed.
Our trip was fantastic, never long enough. The week was peaceful, relaxing and reflective. Just what a Thanksgiving celebration should be.
Pictures another day, I promise!

:J