A Sunday Night
Right now I am sharing the couch with two Bulldogs and Scouters. Aaron is at the Vikings/Bears game, where I should be too, but I opted out. A 7:15 p.m. kick-off was just too late for me after such a busy weekend.
On Thanksgiving Day we traveled to the South suburbs to his aunt and uncle’s to spend the holiday with his entire maternal side of the family. I met his three cousins and their spouses and children, and of course we played a lot of Texas Hold ‘Em. I’d never played poker till I met A and his family. His grandfather, a former Golden Gloves boxer, is a card man, and it’s a hobby he passed on to his four kids. It’s always a fun time, but it’s a little unnerving when you’re the only one left in with Grandpa and he goes all in and you have to take him out. Sorry Grandpa.
We dubbed Friday our day of fun, but it ended up being a day of work, as we cleaned the house and pulled all our Christmas decorations out of storage and unpacked and sorted it all. That night we drove back down south, where one of A’s uncles treated everyone to dinner at Maggiano’s. It worked out that we sat at a table with the cousins we didn’t sit with the day before, so I felt like I really had a chance to get to talk with everyone.
On Saturday went over to my father-in-law’s where we had a second Thanksgiving meal with my FIL’s inlaws. They are definitely foodies, so the meal didn’t disappoint. Aaron and I provided the turkey (courtesy of Aaron’s company), and my FIL brined it for three days and butterflied it. It was ridiculous. At my request, my husband made his famous mac and cheese, which was a big hit as always. It is no diet food, but I don’t even care.
After dinner we stopped by a tree farm and picked out a beautiful seven-foot Fraser Fir. It now sits in our living room decorated and lovely. My mother has taught me many, many things, but one of the things I am happy to have learned well is how to put lights on a tree. It’s a skill you only need to employ once a year, but it’s a nice skill to have.
The only disappointment of the weekend is that I have yet to have my annual Gingerbread Latte. But I plan to rectify that soon, I promise!
Thanksgiving on Ice
This morning we slept in (hooray!), before taking the dogs out to the lake. This time we remembered the video camera.
Thanksgiving on Ice from Hannah Beth on Vimeo.
Giving Thanks
In so many ways 2008 was the best year, but also the hardest. I got married, but then I had to move away from the city, the job, the church and the friends I loved. But even up here in the frozen tundra, there is still so much to be thankful for.
• My husband. Marriage has been so much harder — but also so much more amazing — than I’d planned. He is a saint.
• Facebook. Seriously, because without it I don’t know how I would stay in touch with my Atlanta friends. (Or any of my other friends — silver or gold! — for that matter.) It’s been a real blessing.
• My MATH ladies. Up here in this land where I have no friends, they have been my anchor and touchstone. I couldn’t have gotten through these past 200ish Minnesota days without them.
• Molly Beth. Sometimes when I think about her I get a little teary.
• The dogs. (All four of them.) Even though sometimes I promise you that they are going to drive me insane, they are great fun and sweet companions. And Aaron and I like to make up songs about them.
• My parents. (Again, all four of them!) For many reasons, but this year I am specifically grateful to them for the wedding. It was a dream, and a dream that was only possible because of their generosity.
• The wedding! It was — in a word — perfect. I got to get married next the ocean and have a party in a big, pink palace. I sometimes still can’t believe it.
• Honeymoons!
• Puppies. Who wouldn’t be thankful for puppies?
• Hot chocolate. Especially when my husband makes it on the stove with steamed milk and gives me extra Cool Whip.
• Starbucks, particularly the ones with a drive thru. (And even though the Starbucks near my house is one of the 600 that closed, I can’t stay mad at them.)
• The New Kids reunion tour. Floor seats and getting to go to that show for with my Mo = priceless.
• Minnesota. It’s a pioneer land, but I will conquer it and make it my home. (Scout already owns it.)
• First, last and always, I am thankful for salvation, and the fact that His mercies are new every morning. I need it.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. May you always remember to be grateful, and may you get to eat a lot of turkey and gravy. (I plan to!)
Frozen
Tonight we walked over to the lake and in the past week it has frozen over. The ice wasn’t super thick — a few inches or so — but since it’s shallow at the beach we all walked out on it a little ways.
Since it hasn’t snowed yet, there was nothing covering the ice and you could see through the ice to the bottom. For someone who has lived the majority of her life in the South, it’s pretty neat to walk out on a lake that just a few months ago you were swimming in.
The dogs loved running around on the ice. Scout tried to run after the Frisbee and found herself slip sliding all over. It was great fun.
How We Entertain Ourselves
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Compassion
