Thanksgiving!

Well we had another terrific Thanksgiving at our house. It has been a super busy few weeks leading up to it, but it is over and everyone is gone and I am able to get some rest again :). Don't get me wrong though, I loved every minute of it!

My sister came to visit for the holiday and arrived last Wednesday. We did a little bit of everything and I think she enjoyed her visit. On Saturday she got to watch Calli play in her last soccer game and score her first goal! It was very exciting and so fun to see how much she has improved from the first game to the last. She loved playing and got a trophy at the end of the season. On Sunday we decided to go to a minor league hockey game. It turned out to be really fun. For $12 each we got a game ticket, a hot dog, chips, drink and pre-game skate. We got to go ice skating before the game! This was Calli's first time skating and she loved it. Daddy had to hold her hands and keep her up the whole time, but she had so much fun. After that we just enjoyed the game. Funny enough, it was the Sharks' (my favorite team!) minor league affiliate team come to town to play. So of course Allison and I (and even Calli) had worn our Sharks gear (we won too).

Monday was spent doing all my Thanksgiving shopping and planning everything I would have to do the next few days. Richard's parents and grandmother also arrived that afternoon to spend the holiday with us. Allison and I had discovered something really exciting earlier in the day: there is a BJs Brewhouse in town! Apparently it had quietly opened it's doors in July and I couldn't believe we hadn't known this whole time. This is one of our favorite restaurants and one we always frequent when we go back home to California for a visit. So now we have our very own BJs here. It was yummy of course.

Tuesday my in-laws spent some time with the kids while Allison and I went to my doctor's appointment. I was sixteen weeks along and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. I have my BIG ultrasound on December 12th and we decided we will be finding out the baby's sex this time (if she cooperates that is!). We are very excited for that in just two weeks. So after the appointment Allison and I went out to lunch and did a bit of shopping. We decided we might have enjoyed ourselves a bit more if we weren't so sick. See, we have been passing this cold around the house for almost a month now. It started with Serena and she was very sick with a cough and stuffed up nose. It was a horrible experience and we didn't get much sleep for a few nights. After she started to get over it, Calli caught it and then gave it to me. I have been fighting this sickness for nearly two weeks now. It seems to change though, I developed a cough a few days ago that is really annoying me. I just can't seem to shake this. Calli and Richard are all well for the moment and Serena seems to be almost better, aside from her runny nose (yes she picked up the cold a second time). I will just be happy when we can all be healthy. I know it is that season for getting sick, but I could use a break. It didn't help that Calli had been sleeping in our room so Allison could have her bed. Calli would wake up coughing every night and therefore, wake us up too. I was glad to have her back in her own room last night and she didn't wake up at all (and I got some much needed sleep!).

On Wednesday we went and saw a Thanksgiving play that the Backyard Theatre puts on for kids. It is a really cute place and Calli attended Princess Camp there last summer. We had also seen two other plays and loved them. Calli loved this one as well. We got some lunch on the way home and Richard got off early and all spent a great day together.

Thanksgiving came and went quickly and it is always bittersweet. I spend so much time cooking and preparing only to have the food gobbled up in about fifteen minutes! I started cooking on Tuesday (cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole), continued on Wednesday (jello mold, Ladyfinger cake and french onion dip) and finished the rest on Thursday. We had a little bit of everything you could imagine and it all turned out pretty good. My stuffing was a little dry, which I am still mad about. But everything else was great and all so yummy. We have lots of leftovers of course so we will be eating turkey for the next two nights. Yum!

Anyhow, we had a great time celebrating with everyone and had to say goodbye yesterday. I took my sister to the airport yesterday morning and then we were able to spend the day with Richard's family before they left that evening. We ended up going to Bass Pro Shops, which is this huge store that sells things for outdoors. Calli and Serena got to meet Santa; Calli loved it, Serena not so much! But I got a cute photo out of it. We also got a great GPS yesterday, our Christmas present from Richard's parents. That was very nice of them and I love it!

So here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving!

Allison and Richard cleaning the turkey the night before Thanksgiving

Serena's first Thanksgiving!
Calli, Serena and Grandpa Bob
Daddy and Calli

Serena enjoying the ads from the paper

Calli eating the appetizers

Auntie giving Serena big kisses

Allison and me cooking in the kitchen

Ta-da!

I couldn't have done it without her!

Calli enjoying her Thanksgiving food (ta-da!)

Serena eating turkey for the first time

Everybody enjoying their Thanksgiving food

Grandpa doing Calli's hair

Calli toppled out of the chair and took the cushion with her (she landed under it). I thought I would snap a cute picture with her head poking out, but this is what we got when Richard lifted it up.

Calli and Serena in their matching outfits

The girls meeting Santa Claus