Thanksgiving 2009

Turkey day, this year, was FANTASTIC! The food was phenomonal, and the company even better!  The Merrell clan was nice enough to invite me over for the holiday, seeing as I have no family in the area.  I would have loved to go home, but it’s just too long of a drive for dinner, plus, I’ll be up there for Christmas (God willing).

My sausage dip was a hit (usually is, not bragging, just sayin’), but I think the star of the night was the turkey!  Sometimes, turkey, in my opinion, isn’t all that good, ends up too dry, but this turkey was WONDERFUL!  Stefan had been working on it since the night before, and it paid off! We even had asparagus, which I’d never had at thanksgiving dinner, but it was perfect.  There was the green bean casserole and sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes that are a staple, and did not disappoint.  After dinner, Andrea and I helped the kids decorate a gingerbread house, which was fun.

I put the tree together, and looked fabulous.  Then Emma got hungry..It was a great little activity for the kids, just not something you wanna eat after a 3 year old had his fingers in his mouth and up his nose while touching everything.  I kept making him use “hanitizer” as they called it, but just wasn’t quick enough sometimes LOL.  Then, little Sarah decided she wanted to try some too, which led her to taking the candy off the house, licking the icing off, and putting it back!  After watching her brother just stick his finger in the icing, she realized it was so much easier doing it that way too!  The kids had fun, and we got some good laughs, so it was a win win.

 

Then, I was introduced to 2 new card games, called Blink and SkipBo.  I couldn’t beat Andrea at Blink, but had slightly better luck ast skipbo…until Emma beat me!  It was all in fun, and I’m glad I now know how to play skipbo.  Last year, my friend, Sarah, bought the game for us to play when we went to her house for Thanksgiving, but couldn’t figure it out.  I think really we were just VERY unmotivated at the time.  It was a lot of fun…and you’d be surprised how much a 6 year old can trash talk!  I was getting looks and her telling me I was goin’ down!  LOL

 

Andrea was nice enough to send us home with leftovers, which, I think, were better the 2nd time ’round!  And she included a piece of her pumpkin log, which is AMAZING!

 

I had a great turkey day, and hope everyone else did as well!

 

What was your favorite part of the holiday?

 

A Thanksgiving Like No Other

Well, I must say I’m pretty sure I had the most interesting Thanksgiving! How many of you can say their holiday involved flashing, displaced dentures, and overactive bladders!  What can be better than that…ANYTHING!!!!

I’m learning that not everyone is like me, and feels that bathroom breaks should be kept to a minimal during road trips.  I can’t stand having to stop constantly, especially on a 4 hour car ride!  We must’ve stopped 4 times on the way there, and three times on the way back…INSANE!!!!  When describing my situation to a friend, she says I’m more of a destination person, rather than a journey person…YUP!

Once in Woodlawn, I realize how small the town is when Sarah can point out where half of her teachers lived, and when the majority of out-of-towners are truckers!  We were at a truck stop (in Mt. Vernon, which is the big city compared to Woodlawn) where I was chatting with one of the cashiers, and she’d said she knew people from Woodlawn.  Sarah started asking who she knew, and they started rattling off names, and I can’t say I’ve ever been in such a small setting…not even while living in the small expat community we had in Thailand!

Thanksgiving dinner was good, it wasn’t quite what I was used to, but it was still good.  I tried Heavenly Hash, never had it, didn’t care for it much, but it was alright.  I have always loved mashed potatoes and gravy, and luckily, it’s one dish people can’t easily screw up :).  After thanksgiving, Sarah’s dad took falling asleep in front of the TV to the extreme:

Mind you, the TV wasn’t even on!  The TV they have doesn’t even work well, it starts out with a line horizontally across the screen, and with a good beating, the picture will enlarge.  Watching him beat the TV was FUNNY!  He probably spent a good hour and a half one night! I don’t think anyone even cared to watch the DVD of whatever musical it was…we ended up seeking refuge from her family by going to the “crazy lady’s” house.  That ought to tell you something!

Our quick drive to St. Louis on Thanksgiving…Did I mention there was nothing to do in Woodlawn, IL?!?!?!?!

We also did a drive-thru of Metropolis, Illinois, to see Superman on our way home!

I don’t know why this is a video, it’s the last time I give my camera to a man!

This was taken at the gas station in Metropolis, and if you notice, Sarah’s a little short:

Because we felt it would take all three of us to remember everything, we made a lovely little video clip for you explaining the weekend.  I usually wear make-up, but there wasn’t anyone to impress out in the country.

What NOT To Say At Thanksgiving

1. “Whew, that’s one terrific spread!”
2. “I’m in the mood for a little dark meat.”
3. “Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.”
4. “Talk about a huge breast!”
5. “It’s Cool Whip time!”
6. “If I don’t undo my pants, I’ll burst!”
7. “Are you ready for seconds yet?”
8. “Are you going to come again next time?”
9. “It’s a little dry, do you still want to eat it?”
10. “Just wait your turn, you’ll get some!”
11. “Don’t play with your meat.”
12. “Just spread the legs open & stuff it in.”
13. “Do you think you’ll be able to handle all these people at once?”
14. “I didn’t expect everyone to come at once!”
15. “You still have a little bit on your chin.”
16. “Use a nice smooth stroke when you whip it.”
17. “How long will it take after you stick it in?”
18. “You’ll know it’s ready when it pops up.”
19. “Wow, I didn’t think I could handle all of that!”
20. “How many are coming?”
21. “That’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen!”
22. “Just lay back & take it easy…I’ll do the rest.”
23. “How long do I beat it before it’s ready?”

I Hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!  I will be going home with my friend, Sarah, to Woodlawn, Illinois (don’t even know where it is exactly, but it’s close to Mt. Vernon, which isn’t that big either), which from what I hear is a podunk little town, population 683! From what I’ve heard about her family, it’s gonna be one INTERESTING weekend!  I’m packing my camera, so hopefully, it’ll be some good blogging material!