Talking Turkey

Thanksgiving weekend started Tuesday morning during Seminary when we took custody of Anna's friend Tuffy for a week.  By the time I got home from work, we also had Simon, of, as Ben puts it, the Vancouver team.   By which I knew that Sariah and company had arrived after spending some time with her good friend Heather (she and her husband are amazing) and their family, now of 7 children, all adopted.  We went over to visit with them and Ruth for a little bit.

 

Each morning for the first part of our doggie week, Ben and I walked the dogs along the parkway.  Saturday, after the siblings stayed up talking until 3am!  I just played with the dogs in the front yard, did some yard work, and hung out some more talking to David and occasionally throwing balls.  Sunday was yard day again.  Monday, the dogs all had to stay home during Seminary and Ben played with them afterwards.  Tuffy went home Monday afternoon, and Simon left during Seminary Tuesday.  All in all the doggie invasion went pretty well EXCEPT! I think it was Wednesday evening when Anna and Simon fought over food. Pretty one-sided fight!  Anna was very naughty.  After that, Anna spent a lot of time locked in my room when I couldn't supervisor her and each dog was locked in a separate part of the house until they all finished eating or the food was removed. Velox pretty much stayed in Joseph's room as usual, but did venture out briefly towards the end of their stay.  Mostly, things went well.  Tuffy's family was able to travel without worrying about her and Ben earned some money for camp.

 

Everyone (all my kids except Ruth who was hostessing her in-laws, Glen and his fiancée, and our friends the Gonzalez family) brought something to Thanksgiving dinner at Debi's.  I was in charge of the turkey.  I did get it in the oven a little later than planned, but not much.  It must have still been nearly frozen inside, because it took a really LONG time.  I was testing it in the thigh, but my friend thought we should try the breast. Hooray! it tested done.  We took it out to set and put other things in the oven.  When Carlos began to carve, Oh, NO!, it was not thoroughly cooked.  We had to wait for oven availability before it could go back.  After originally aiming for 2pm, but knowing we would likely be a little late, we didn't eat until shortly after 6!  By that time, the Vancouver team had had to leave to be with Sariah's in-laws.  That was bad.  Fortunately, no one was starving as we had lots of appetizers – crackers and cheeses, stuffed eggs,  dip and chip.  Also, fortunately, when we finally did eat, everything was delicious.  Ok, I did NOT try the scrawning, DARK, leathery looking goose. Ben did, brave soul, and said it wasn't too bad.

It was a overall a pleasant day.  It was also our meeting of Ingrid, Glen's intended.  I like her much more than her fiancée, no big surprise.  She was pleasant, conversant, helpful, and at ease with herself and others.

 

Friday morning, David and Teresa and I did a session at the Sacramento Temple.  We had thought that more of us would come, but it was hard to get up and part of the Vancouver team forgot their recommend.  It was a full session, nonetheless.  Rosers brought the kids up to look at the temple and take pictures.  Back to our respective bases for lunch. Then we all went to Fairy Tale Town where the kids (of various ages!) and adults visited.  It was pretty crowded, but not terribly.  Esther and Jared love the Tree House Slide.  The big kids had a lot of fun on the funny long tube seesaw thing in Sherwood Forest.  Fairytale Town seems to retain its magic for the young at heart.

Ruth hoped to meet Ingrid, so the kids invited her and Glen.  Unfortunately, Ingrid had errands, so she dropped Glen off at FTT. FairyTale Town closed before she was done. David and Teresa took Glen to wherever she was.  Ruth made food assignments and invited everyone to eat dinner at her place, again hoping to meet Ingrid.  That worked out only so-so.  Ruth was busy organizing in the kitchen, Ingrid and Glen sat in the corner looking at Ruth's Ikea catalog.  There were too many of us to all eat at the same table.  Ruth motioned for them to eat at her table, but they didn't.  At first Ruth was a bit disappointed that she didn't see the pleasant, friendly person we told her about, but then she decided that it had been a couple of long days for everyone and Ingrid was probably tired.

Friday evening after dinner was siblings only at Ruth's house.  They stayed up talking until 3am!!! 

Saturday, David and Teresa headed back to Cal Poly.  We were lucky to have them visit so long, they even sacrificed going to Teresa's family's traditional chocolate dipping day Friday.  But it didn't seem like a very long visit at all!

Rosers came to church with us Sunday and dinner at Ruth's.  After the children and Grandma (me) went to bed, the siblings talked to Glen about their concerns about getting married again so quickly and what it teaches the grandchildren about the importance of marriage.  He told them that he and Ingrid would talk about what they said.

Monday, it was back to work for me.  Tuffy went home in the afternoon.  Rosers stuck around and I saw them briefly that evening, but I had homework to do and left the siblings to themselves again.  They picked up Simon and headed back north while Ben and I were at Seminary Tuesday.  Rosers were in California a whole week.  They have so many people who want to have time with them that the time just flies.  They have to be careful not to be run ragged visiting friends and relatives.  We sure enjoyed our time with them.

There was one little disappointment.  Ben really wanted everyone to play Monopoly, but it just didn't work out.  Yesterday, for his birthday, my Sacramento kids and I got together and played - even I played! - as a birthday present for Benjamin.  My "baby" is 15 years old and shaving.