East or West, Home Is Best

The motivation for our Christmas trip back West was the wedding of Chad’s youngest sister Tiana. This fun event proved more exciting than expected due to some frigid weather in Twin Falls, Idaho. We woke up the morning after we arrived to a temperature of -3 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrrrr!! Even Chad admitted he was a bit cold after being out for a few minutes. After the ceremony we scurried outside for a very few photos sans wraps. Thank goodness for a beautiful sunny day.

The luncheon provided superior opportunities for visiting – and eating, of course. In addition to the many Italian delicacies we enjoyed bites of Tiana and Nate’s cake, which Rachel managed to snag the first bite of.

A couple of days later we got together with the extended family for the Smithfield reception. It was great to see Tiana and Nate so happy as they start this new adventure together. Tiana and Nate - congratulations to you both, and welcome to the family Nate!

Over the past ten or so years I’ve learned that if you want to a have a great special day you either have to live in the home of one very celebratory mother or do some planning on your own behalf. So this year I told Chad and the kids the one thing I wanted was a homemade cake that I didn’t make.

Yesterday got off to a good start with goodies at Arwen’s story time celebrating the last day for our group. Afterward she and I headed to the mall for a little shopping. I was determined to deliberately spend my birthday cash. A new outfit later we headed home where I spent Arwen’s nap blogging, which always leaves me feeling good.

Chad came home early to work on some things with the kids, so I took the opportunity to run an errand. One exciting disappearing-car-keys incident later I arrived home precisely 25 minutes before Chad had to leave for meetings. We gulped down pasta with pesto, broccoli, and foccacia (how I love eating a meal I didn’t prepare!) then got down to birthday business. Chad brought out the cake (the makings of which I could see dribbled on both Gavin’s and Arwen’s shirts) with the news that it has a special feature. Apparently after he’d taken it out of the oven, he’d set it on the glass-top stove on a burner that he didn’t realize was still hot. So the bottom was a little scorched. The cake hadn’t had much time to cool so the frosting was a little runny. But it was MY birthday cake and it was just perfect. Chad had about two minutes to eat it while I opened the first of the presents.

And speaking of presents – one of my favorites is pictured here (click for a bigger version). “Manufacturer’s Coupon. Good for one (1) meal with a friend in New York or Boston. Cash value 1/10c.” And the second coupon: “Arwen and I will take care of daddy during your trip.” What a great gift!

Once the kids were in bed I settled down for some peace and quiet with my book club book. About a chapter in I heard a knock on the kitchen door. Surprise – it was my friend Tricia with my favorite sherbet, followed by Jessica with the makings of home-popped corn. We sat around the Christmas and gabbed and ate for a wonderfully nice time.

What a birthday - it all goes to show that even mom herself can have a great one.

Christmas always seems more real to me when I jump into the festivities early in the season. We did a lot of that last weekend. It started Friday night with the Groton Ward’s second annual Choir & Crèche event. Lest you assume this is some folksy thrown-together-at-the-last-minute shindig, think again. Visitors walked through four beautifully decorated rooms perusing 170 nativity scenes from many different countries. And at the end of it all . . . . an amazing musical program, if I do say so myself.

In case you’ve been wondering what I’ve been doing with myself since leaving behind my Relief Society responsibilities, here it is (at least in part). As ward music chair I was responsible for coordinating five and a half hours of music spread across Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Performers came from across eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island and included everything from big choirs like the Pfizer Singers down to a wide array of soloists and small groups. We had a harpist, pianists, a violinist, and scores of vocalists. Think of just about any Christmas carol you’ve ever heard and at least one of these performers sang or played it. Our narrators and stage managers kept us on track, and everyone did a great job. My own involvement included singing in a double women’s trio, a mixed quartet, and the ward choir; performing a piano solo; and accompanying several other performers.

Saturday we were back at church for brunch and a visit from Santa. Gavin or Arwen were none too shy when it came to rattling off their most-desired items. And in addition to gobbling up the delicious array of cinnamon rolls, breakfast casseroles, fruit, and doughnuts, they had a great time hanging out with their friends. One of my favorite moments was catching Arwen putting an arm around each of friends Sarah and Sam and pulling them into a hug.

We are feeling merry!

Thursday’s Thanksgiving feast was so delicious we decided to do it again on Friday. (How could we survive without leftovers?) My friend Sarah who I spent many hours walking the Burke Gilman Trail with in Seattle days drove up from Philadelphia with her kids Eva and Nathan. We stuffed ourselves with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and Sarah’s homemade cornbread dressing with sausage and apples.

After the kids had played awhile we pulled out the pies. Mr. (Nathan) Incredible and Arwen the Tiger were some of the biggest fans. Chad had made his usual genuine-pumpkin-pumpkin pie and I tried out one of the jars of pie filling canned early this fall. Both were delicious (but we’re always partial to pumpkin).

Sarah and I got away for some fun, catching the Twilight movie with some of my friends and meeting Nancy for a cup of cocoa at Bean & Leaf, our favorite hangout. In the basement it was a constant playdate for Gavin, Eva, Arwen, and Nathan. Chad seemed to have a good time and managed to stay sane.

Saturday afternoon we made a trip to Uncle Sam’s Tree Farm here in Ledyard for our annual ritual of choosing just the right tree and taking lots of pictures while Chad cuts it down. I may have commented last year about just how much easier this whole process is when the tree farm is fifteen minutes away instead of forty-five. Notwithstanding - or maybe because of - the enthusiasm emanating from the kids, we managed to get it up and decorated that afternoon. It’s beautiful!

While I’m thankful for the phone and email that keep me close to my faraway friends, there’s nothing like an in-person visit. Thanks for coming, Sarah!

Of all the things our family is thankful for, one of the greatest is good friends. If anything, leaving decade-old relationships in Seattle has heightened our appreciation for them as well as for the ones we are developing here. Thanksgiving weekend was a wonderful blend of both.

We enjoyed a blessedly low-key morning on Thanksgiving Day. (The kids actually slept in!) Once awake we whipped up a batch of pumpkin pancakes which, served with apple cider syrup and whipped cream with scrambled eggs on the side, were absolutely delicious. My only other chore for the day was to bake the yams, to which I added marshmallows for the kids. (To our surprise, they ended up being Arwen’s favorite part of the meal).

As breakfast was settling in our stomachs we headed over to Ben and Nancy’s, where we met Nancy’s aunt and uncle from Vermont (just down the street from last summer’s camping adventure) and got reacquainted with other family members we’d visited with at previous gatherings. Dinner was scrumptious, featuring family delicacies such as a barley dish with pignolis and creamed onions as well as the usual Thanksgiving fare.

After dinner a few of us walked to the playground at the beach and watched Arwen and Maddie scale the play equipment in their matching red coats, while Chad enjoyed a round of baseball with Gavin and Gabe. Later the kids played while the adults visited. Bliss!

What a wonderful time to spend together in a family setting enjoying good food and great company. We are thankful for our friends here!