Thanksgiving Weekend

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving here in the States and perhaps more importantly Wednesday was Nicholas' 8th birthday.

Mary Ann's Mum was staying for the week and we both worked until Wednesday

I picked the boys up around midday on Thursday and bought them home for a very tasty feast that Mary Ann prepared. Traditional Thanksgiving food, turkey, sweet potato, pumpkin pie, etc. Mary Ann's brother John and his wife Jessica came for Thanksgiving dinner. We ate about 5pm and were absolutely stuffed by 6. It was a very pleasant evening and we had a lot of fun.

Friday we acted like it as Nicholas' birthday and opened his presents. He got a globe of the world, a pirate board game and a game called Jenga from Mary Ann's Mum. All very exciting.

Even though we had lots of left-overs Nicholas decided we wanted fish for his birthday dinner so off it was to the grocery again to buy salmon, swordfish and shrimp which I cooked on the BBQ.

On Friday Mary Ann and her Mum disappeared to the wool shop and then for a fitting of her wedding dress. While they were doing that the boys and I went to shot some hoops and went blowing.

Friday night I wasn't feeling very well so went to bed early and didn't get up until 10.30 on Saturday morning by which time Mary Ann had been to the gym and back.

We messed around the rest of Saturday and Saturday night went to Longwood Gardens and met up there with John and Jessica. Very pretty with all the trees lit up. Photos attached (and also some of the wedding we went to up in Corning a month or so ago)

Toni's Wddding and Thanksgiving 2007

Mary Ann's Mum went back with John and Jessica and we got home about 10.30.

Sunday morning it was training at the gym. Somehow Mary Ann's dress fitting turned into my back getting pummelled with a whole lot of exercises on Sunday morning - go figure.

When we got home it was such a beautiful day we loaded the bikes on the back on the car and went to Mercer Park for a bike ride. Nicholas was very excited.

Dropped the boys off Sunday night and MA and I went to see a movie (No Country for Old Men). Pretty weird, but pretty enjoyable.

November Thus Far

Has been a while since I posted, apologies for all those who wait by the computer for their weekly update.

Has been a very busy last month. Had to hop on a plane down to NZ end of October/beginning of November as Mum was very ill. For those of you who don't know she passed away on November 3rd. She had been pretty crook for a while so it wasn't a great surprise, however it is still a shock when it happens.

Presumably now she is having those conversations with John Paul II face to face and just waiting for the Queen to get up there.

Got back after 6 days in NZ and had to head straight up to White Plains, north of NY for a 4 day meeting. Nothing quite like 24 hours flying and then getting caught in an hour and a half traffic jam at 1am in the morning to say "Welcome to America".

Finally got home Friday night and picked the boys up. That weekend Mary Ann and I hired a truck and a guy and emptied the garage out and put it all in storage.

Last week MA had to go back to Chicago for work and I had to go up to Boston so we were a bit like ships that pass in the night. She got back Thursday night, I got back Friday evening. Saturday we all went to pick up her Mum at her brother's place (outside Phillie) as her Mum is staying for Thanksgiving week. We took the opportunity to go and have a look at one of the Amish towns on central Pennsylvania. It was pretty touristy.

Sunday was rainy and miserable and we didn't do that much.

Gearing up for Thanksgiving this Thursday. Lots of food will be cooked and eaten.