A Golden Holiday and A Blogging Friend

Dear Friends,

What would you say if I told you I took my husband, my mom, my dad, my children, my sibs, my sister’s boyfriend--- yep, the whole gang--- I took them to someone’s house for Thanksgiving where we had never been before?

To someone’s house who I had never met before?

To someone’s house who---

Wait for it…

To Someone's house who I met ON THE INTERNET?

I’m not crazy. Really.

Okay, maybe just a little.

But I tell myself it’s a good kinda crazy.

So here’s the deal…

Darcie and I became blogging friends right after I started my little bloggy-writing adventure a little over a year ago. She writes and blogs a lovely little unfolding story about her life. I read it habitually. She visits my blog and leaves me sweet comments that are much too kind.

Gotta love that in a friend.

So I knew her.

Okay?

I knew her.

In fact I talked so familiarly about her that by the time we were almost to her house my husband had sorta forgotten I hadn’t met her in person.  And I had told him, by the way.

“What? You haven’t met her? I thought you and your mom met her? We’re going to their house and you don’t even know her?!?”

“Oh, I KNOW her. I do. You’ll see, it’ll be fine.”

And it was.

***

Well, I better back up.

For future reference, if you do not want me, my husband, my mom, my dad, my 3 children, my 5 sibs, and my sister’s boyfriend to show up on your doorstep, planning to stay for four days, over a major US Holiday…

Don’t playfully hint that you’d like us to come.

Don’t say you are serious when we ask.

Don’t plead with us to stay with you instead of at a hotel.

Don’t plan a menu.

Don’t give us directions to your house.

If you invite us…

We may come.

 

The visit was amazing.

They made us feel so welcome.

There was talking.

There was laughing.

There was laughter.

There was playing.

There was a tiny smidgen of working.

There was green bean casserole.

There was turkey.

There were many chefs in the kitchen.

There was music.

There was StoveTop stuffing.

There was steam, savory scents and delectable dishes spilling from the whole house.

There was thankfulness to be together. And there was that familiar tiny twinge of nostalgia when we thought of those who gathered in other places across the country... we missed them too.

There was dancing.

There was chillin'.

There was eating. Lots and lots of eating.

Friday was my golden birthday. It was truly golden. There wasn’t another place I wanted to be. John even got me a cake.

I love this guy. He does dishes.

I love this girl. She babysat my turkeys and took my order to "stalk my husband with her camera" seriously. We liked her boyfriend, Devin too. I’d say loved but we had just met him… Oh, wait! Never mind.

And she peels potatoes.

Oh, better give credit! Mr. Loggerhead peeled some too.

He's sweet like that.

I love this kid-- the scared looking one. Can't imagine what he would to be scared of with us around.

He wouldn’t want to hear it… but love him I did. 

It was weird because Lan and Kaleb look just enough alike (similar hair cut and color, close in height) that I kept catching sight of them out of the corner of my eye and mixing them up.

Add in the same sense of humor and taste in music and it’s down right scary.

In a good way, Kaleb, in a good way!

I love this Kobe kid too. See how he was hangin’ with the big dogs? Well, don't feel too sorry, I’m told he can whip ‘em all on the game station.

And we love, love, love this girlie-- the one in the happy hat.

She is only ten days older than my Bee and they got on like ballet dancers on energy bars. It was dancing, giggling, sparkle-land every time they walked in the room. Kinzie already informed us she is planning for us to get-together again.We tried to take her home with us but they wanted her back. Strange.

Then there’s Darcie… I could be cliché and say she was everything I hoped/knew she would be and more but--- no actually, that’s pretty much it so I’ll leave it at that.

Turns out I was right... I did know her!

***

We spent a couple hours and explored their little town's shopping district.

--- Some of us more enthusiastic than others.

Window shopping mostly.  But we found a few treasures…

including real friendship.

Face to face.

Love,

Best Golden Birthday EVER in NE

P.S. My dad gave me a coupon for a movie date to see Harry Potter 7 on my birthday. Made me feel like I was a little girl, out and about with my Daddy again… with snakes. And spiders. And pyrotechnics. Okay, it was nothing like when I was a little girl. But I was just as wide-eyed. As a die-hard reader I’ll end by saying the book is still much, much better.

The end.