Thanks for Thanksgiving Week!

What a week!
Monday was a work day. One coworker came in after being off sick a
week, but was little better than the walking dead, another went home
with a sick stomach, a third reported that the hernia she had had
surgery for last year had popped, then disappeared for a doctor
appointment. She will have another surgery and be out at least a week.
That's all just in our little unit. Throughout the office people were
coughing, including me. In fact, as the afternoon approached quitting
time, my boss said, "Barbara, stay home tomorrow." I argued
with her a bit.  If everyone with a cough stayed home the office would be empty.  Who would do the revolving fund checks?  This is the kind of boss I have. ‘Don’t worry about the checks.  Worry about taking care of you.’

As it turned out, by Tuesday morning I agreed with her.  Partly for selfish reasons.  With my all my children getting together, I knew we were in for some late nights and I am not good at that when I am feeling my best.   I needed to rest up!  More importantly, one of my daughters has a compromised immune system, little grandchildren would be there, Thanksgiving Day we would have a guest with leukemia,  so there were special needs not to be spreading bad germs besides not wanting to make anyone sick in general.  I spent almost all of Tuesday in bed, mostly sleeping.  It felt good.  Even after all that sleeping I was still a little tired, but felt much better.

Good thing I slept.  Tuesday was the beginning of family gathering.  Sariah’s family had come down from Vancouver, WA Monday, stayed the night with Ryan’s folks and spent Tuesday with one of Sariah’s best friends before joining us - staying with the Hinds the rest of their visit. Everyone gathered at Ruth’s for dinner - Hawaiian Haystacks - everyone brought something.  I honestly don’t remember what we did all evening, but we stayed at Ruth’s until past midnight.  Sometime after 11, David and Teresa got in from San Luis Obispo.  They are staying with Debi.

Wednesday the sisters all spent the day together including lunch at Leatherby’s ice cream parlor.  The brothers took the kids and went on a easy hike.  I mailed a package to my favorite missionary, puttered around home and tried to rest and recuperate a little more.

But before the siblings could go off on their activities Tom he had something he wanted to do with Ruth.  The sisters were wondering why plan a DATE when he knew the sisters were planning to have lunch together?!

After their date, Ruth called me.

Tom and Ruth had deceived us!  It was not some secret date Tom was taking Ruth on.  They had a doctor appointment.  Actually Ruth did.  The deception was to confirm and ‘officialize’ their conception!  Baby Hinds number 3 is coming in July!!

The sisters were so excited, they told pretty much everyone they met.  They told a grocery store clerk who really got into it. First, apparently, he pretended that it was his, ‘oh, sorry I didn’t call you again.’  When one of the sisters came up who had checked out in another line, he asked her, ‘Did you hear she is pregnant?!’ 

I rejoined everyone for dinner.  We spent the evening playing the question game.  Everyone writes a question, puts it in the basket, draws out a different question, answers it (or writes some other random answer), puts it in the basket and draws out a completed slip.  The first person reads the question they drew, the second person reads their answer then when the laughter, groans, and/or comments subside reads their question, number 3 reads their answer, and so on.  Sounds simple.  Very fun.

Thanksgiving Day!  The day that brings us all together.  Except Ruth’s family were with Tom’s family.  And, of course, Andrew is on his mission. Benjamin and I went over to Debi’s, our hostess house, around 8 to start the turkey.  Rosers did their traditional Run/Walk to Feed the Hungry with Ryan's folks.

It is so nice that everyone contributes and no one has all the work. Teresa decorated the table.  David made rolls (tradition!)  Let’s see.  I was turkey, gravy, and masked potatoes.  Debi and Miriam were pies and stuffed eggs.  Sariah was veggies - green bean casserole and corn.  Oh, Debi did cabbage, but we mis-estimated the time on that and it was not quite done. Ryan’s folks joined us with cornbread and sausage dressing.  I think Rosers provided sparkling cranberry juice.  Is that everything?  Everything was delicious! and we had a great time.

As Debi wants to become a nurse, we asked Susan, a nurse and professor at USCS, about nursing.  She has a passion and it was wonderful to hear her talk about many aspects of nursing and about teaching nursing students. Would that all nurses had such dedication and concern for people.  Susan thinks most do.

After Farl and Susan left, we played Things.  The reader reads a catagory.  Each person, including the reader, writes a response and gives them to the reader.  The reader reads all the answers.  We take turns guessing who said what.  Cannot guess the reader and the reader cannot guess, of course.  If you guess correctly, you get to guess again.  People who have been guessed are out and cannot guess.  You get points for each correct guess.  Everyone takes turns being the reader.  Last night I cut things short before everyone had had a turn being the reader.  We went home a little after 9. 

David and Teresa leave this morning for the Hemsley Traditional Day After Thanksgiving Chocolate Dipping.

The rest of us, if the weather holds, will spend the day at William Land Park and the Zoo.   Dinner tonight will be Nachos.  We all have our assignments.  (I need to buy some lettuce.)

I am more thankful than I can say for my children (which you do know includes their spouses and children)!

I am thankful for many, many things, but  can't begin to write them now. I need to get ready to see D&T before they leave and for more fun times with the others.

By, the way, you did get that RUTH IS EXPECTING! didn’t you?