I hope you had a happy and safe Thanksgiving! We had quite the busy week this week, but it was so great to spend time with our families.
Kevin and I drove out to Iowa on Saturday morning to visit his Dad's side of the family. We stayed with his Grandma in the cute little farm house where his Dad was born and raised. Although the bed was too short and creaked like nobody's business, and the house was unbearably hot (those old oil fueled heaters sure do get toasty!) it was really nice to spend time with Grandma.
This was my first time meeting that side of Kevin's family so I was a little nervous meeting everyone, especially seeing as we were going into it with none of them knowing that we're engaged (and have been since last Thanksgiving!) but they quickly put me at ease and welcomed me into the family. It was truly heartwarming to be so quickly welcomed into the fold and treated like I'd been a part of the family for ages. I've already asked Kevin if we can go back next summer for Grandma's birthday. He's promised that when we do he'll show me the fireflies :o)
We spent lots of time just hanging out with Grandma and chatting, and I got to hear about just how crafty and talented she is. She used to quilt, and all of the kids have quilts made by her. She also used to be the resident seamstress and made all items of clothes from jackets, to shirts, skirts, and dresses. The only thing she wouldn't make where trousers as "fitting pants on a man is a very personal thing." That kind of sensibility just made me smile. Grandma was also the skilled painter and there were several small paintings around the house that she had done. There was a beautiful picture hanging on the wall in our bedroom and I just had to take a picture of it.
At some point I'd love to recreate it in embroidery, though I think I'll need to brush up on my (very rusty) embroidery skills first.
We made the long (and boring!) drive back to Colorado on Tuesday, giving us just enough time to catch our breaths before Thanksgiving dinner at my Mum's house on Thursday. My Dad unfortunately wasn't able to be home for Thanksgiving this year as he's still working in Amsterdam, and won't be home until Christmas :o( but we were able to get Kevin's Mom and Uncle Tim to join us, so it was still a fun, family-filled day.
In typical mother fashion, my Mum made enough food to feed about 12 people even though there were only 5 of us. Add to that the 24lb turkey that Becky and Tim brought over and as you can guess we had more than enough food.
It was a beautiful spread though, and everyone walked away with very full bellies... and a lot of leftovers :o) We rounded out the day by visiting one of Mum's neighbors, where the girls proceeded to get me more than a wee bit tipsy. Kevin found my drunken stumbling very amusing, the little turd!
The week finished with another delicious, though much smaller, meal at my house, where Kevin and I made dinner for his Dad and his wife, and my Mum. It was wonderful to get everyone together and enjoy good food together. We don't see either sets of parents as often as we should what with busy work schedules and living on opposite sides of town, so when we are able to get together it's a nice treat.
And now that Thanksgiving is over, and Christmas is right.around.the.corner I had better get my butt into gear and do some work on the intimidating list of Christmas gifts I want to make.
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