Happy Anniversary!

 Well folks, it's been 31 years for the hubster and I.  We're celebrating in our usual day to day activities.  I'm giving a half dozen piano lessons, going to church bell choir practice, finishing up some church bookwork, a few housekeeping chores (Cici and Esme just got baths.....me too!), etc.  The hubster is getting anhydrous tanks refilled and distributing them to the appropriate fields, and he is doing some banking for me and picking up a couple of things from Walmart.  I declared on Friday that I was not entering Walmart again for at least a week.  No, I didn't go Black Friday shopping, but just went to pick up a few things with Sarah in the afternoon.  It seems that in preparation for Thanksgiving, I was in Walmart about every other day for the last 10 days or so.  

So, Thanksgiving................

My sister-in-law announced that she and her husband were coming from Texas and she would be in charge of Thanksgiving for all of us at my in-laws on Thursday.  She told my hubby to have me bring the turkey, homemade rolls, and pecan pie.  She said there would be 10 for lunch.  Then my mother-in-law told me she wanted homemade noodles and I was to put them in a crock pot and to bring a crockpot of mashed potatoes and she wanted sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, and cranberry sauce from a can.  (I should note here that she was just returning home from 2 months in a hospital/rehab place from a stroke and was obviously hungry for home cooked food.)  Oh, and a card table because the crowd had grown to 14, which explains the crockpot request since we would have to do buffet style serving.  Of course, this meant I would need a bigger turkey!  And then it wasn't long before the SIL and MIL were arguing about who was in charge.  I just kept listing what I was asked to bring (recite the list here), and to let me know if anything changed.  

Of course the hubster felt badly for me to be caught in the middle of the arguing.  I wasn't arguing, I just kept making trips to Walmart.  (partly due to the fact that I was also doing my MIL's Christmas shopping  and wrapping for the gifts to send back to Texas................the SIL is going to have a GOOD Christmas!)  

Apparently hubby felt so bad that he woke up Wednesday morning sick.  A pot of homemade chicken noodle soup was made.  Sickness has been going around, so I kept him away from all the food preparation and hoped Sarah and I wouldn't get sick (What would they have to eat at my SIL's Thanksgiving if we couldn't come?).  Well, homemade chicken noodle aside, the hubs was still sick on Thursday, so he got to stay home and miss the "festivities".  We did leave him a little of the turkey, and all the fixins including a piece of his beloved pecan pie.  

Sarah had delivered the card table on Wednesday, so that they could have the tables set and ready to go.  While she was there, my Bro in law asked Sarah how the hubs was fixing the turkey, smoking? brining? etc.  She replied that MOM was cooking the turkey.  (note that I did have to access a Youtube tutorial on carving since I wasn't letting the hubs anywhere near the food prep).   It was knowledge that will be used again when I cook the smaller turkey that is still in the freezer.  It might have been nice to park close to the door for hauling all the food in, but those spots were already taken, so we parked close to the shed and carried food in.  

I have to say it was delicious!  My DD said, "Well of course it was.  YOU cooked it!"  Gotta love her!  The crescent rolls might have been the best ever.  We knew this since we had eaten a few as they came out of the oven before going to the dinner.  Another way to tell how good the food was...........I didn't bring home ANY turkey or rolls, just a piece of the pie, and very little of the sweet potatoes.  

And the best part of the day was this...........

We got to hold Flynn!  He was so soft and snuggly!  Four of David's great nephews were there.  The 2 year old was disappointed that Uncle David wasn't there to give tractor rides.  

My DD did help me put up Christmas decorations as well while she was here for the week.  She also attended church with me the Sunday before Thanksgiving.   

When we moved the bookcase to make a place for the tree, we discovered where all the cat toys had been hiding!

I did more cooking on Friday as we were going to the neighbors for an appetizer night.  So on Saturday, I declared a NO COOKING or CLEANING Day!  I spent time in my sewing room and got the first clue of Bonnie Hunter's new mystery quilt completed!

We also watched some movies during the week and I did some binding on a couple of projects.  The first is a wall hanging called Meowily on High.  

And I got the binding on this Elenore Burns Quilt in a Day pattern called Patty Cake.

Well, I need to get to those housekeeping and book keeping chores.  Cici is sunning herself in the window seat trying to get dry from her bath.  Esme has probably retreated to the sewing room to dry out.

Christi