Da Tree and Tunes

Well we still managed to keep the weekend busy and entertaining.  We meet up with Ella in EC to catch a show and a cool little venue for a 'super group' comprised of the lead singers from 3 other bands we like.  The opener was a great find as well.  We had a nice dinner and a room with a great view of the city.  Sunday we meet up with her and her boyfriend for a wholesome breakfast and then headed home.   Back home with the smell of chicken soup cooking, the trees finally blossomed into a Christmas tree with Sophia, Grace and Amy adding the adornments.  Ornament breakage was minimal and the process was efficient...older kids make it easier and harder and it took a week to just align two of their schedules to pull this year's decorating together.

T-Day a New Way

 

All the thankfulness of each previous year, but we did it differently this year.  Amy, Ella, and Grace all headed east to visit extended family; leaving on Tuesday night to make early flights and ultimately getting delayed by a winter storm for an extra night in Baltimore.  They made the best of the extended stay and found a Christmas market to tour, shop, and laugh.  Merrick, Sophia, and I all had a large thanksgiving day breakfast...we also all decided that is sort of the best way to do it.  Breakfast food is always great, and we had pork served three different ways, you aren't full from previous houses you had to visit and the dishes clean up is quick.  Sophia even left me a pie, but to be fair she needed most everything I had on hand to make it.  It was ultimately delicious even though she arrived with frozen apples. We just left them in the oven longer and it might be my new preferred way to back them.  400 for about an hour and then shut the oven down and leave the pies to continue to back, caramelize, and get a nice crispy crust.  The rest of the week was pretty quite although Sophia and her boyfriend did stop back Friday to play cards and laugh well past midnight.  Again so much to be thankful for including rested and ready to return to work.