Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Even being away from family we ended up having family around us! Thank you Ted and Hisako for making the 10 hour drive to have this holiday with us. It wouldn't have been the same with out you, and dinner would not have been so good!!!

This was the first year I've ever had dinner and all at my home. We have always gone somewhere else for Thanksgiving. I suppose the one year at Ricks College counts but I'm going to leave that out cause I didn't have to do all the preparing.

I was worried I'd forget something because I was planning on having Hisako help/ do lots of the cooking with me. I got everything I needed but just so happened to forget about all the other times they were going to be here. I guess I have a one track mind when it comes to preparing for a huge meal, the little meals in between didn't even cross my mind. Thankfully we had enough odds and ends to manage through the whole weekend.

Ted and Hisako and Family got here about 7 Wednesday evening after a frightful drive with Ken driving part of the way. Thankfully they made it alright. We had frozen pizza and tortellini for them. We stayed up and talked awhile and then all got to bed around 10ish.

Thanksgiving morning all the big kids and men went to our non ward sponsored Ultimate Frisbee game while Hisako and I cooked, and cooked and prepared and prepared. We got the Turkey in the Oven at noon and ate around 5:30. We played Quelf which was funny and then the adults but me went on a drive to Culpeper which I found out turned out to be just a really long drive to get some groceries Hisako wanted to add to the party.

All the food was amazing if I do say so my self and I do as I've had some of it for the last 5 days. I didn't get any pictures of the pies but they were all amazing too. Pumpkin Cheesecake and Lemon Meringue prepared by me, Apple and Pumpkin Pie from Hisako and two ice cream pies, Chocolate and Mint Chocolate Chip provided by one of Ted's good friends that joined us from Snowflake who's here in the military but his family is gone to Bulgaria. Dessert was a high light of the night as always.

Friday we hung out at the house lots of the day and the kids had fun playing the Wii. I totally won the archery game! We played Catch phrase a lot too. We took them out to Bull Run Park to a trail that Matthew and I had been on before to help get some of the wiggles out. To much inside after eating a lot can get to you. After that fun walk we came home and Matthew and Hisako went to work on preparing yet another fancy meal of Japanese food. Dang I should have gotten pictures. Matthew invited the missionaries over for that. They sure do love coming to out house. I think all the young men in our ward including the missionaries think Matt is the coolest guy on the planet.

Oh we watched a cool Japanese cartoon about an earthquake in Japan. made me cry.

On Saturday I was out the door to my concert at the Maryland Music Center, Strathmore for the concert with the Mormon Choir and Orchestra at 7:45am. and Ted and Family left around 9 I think. Matthew had the girls all day and they were asleep in bed when I finally arrived home at 11pm that night. Such a long and glorious day. I'll post another Choir post later. As I have two concerts this week for the Ambassadors and City officials in the area at the DC Temple Visitor Center. AWESOME!!! I can't wait.

It was so fun to have a full house. Kathryn loved playing with her cousins and even had a sleep over in her room with her girl cousins. She slept on the floor and gave her bed her Erika. She's growing up so fast.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and remembered to give thanks for all our many blessings!