Thanksgiving

 We stayed home this year for the first time ever. Jeff volunteered to be in charge of getting all of the coffee for our town's local turkey trot. It's a low-key, homespun, well-attended event run on the high school cross country course and everyone's $10 registration fee goes to fund Moorestown High Cross Country. You do know by now that Jeff and I would lay down our lives for the Moorestown High Girls Cross Country team.... So Jeff and I woke up early on a cold and bright Thanksgiving morning to run around to 3 different Starbucks to load up gallons of coffee in the Subaru. Then I picked up the girls and brought them to the race. Anna ran the kids fun run (1 mile). Her sister volunteered to run with her and coached her to a third place win:) Moll and I ran the 5k. She went off with some friends and ran a silly and slow-for-her race - maybe a 29:00? There were turkey puppets involved.  I ran solo and thought it would just be a nice way to run off a few calories and join in the town spirit. I figured it would be so crowded with 1,000 people running through the woods behind the school.  There was no chip timing or anything. And I ended up running a 23:40! I should not take races seriously more often.

Afterwards, we came back home and prepared dinner. Jeff wanted to do a turkey this year as we were expecting guests.  He spent a lot of time researching this. The turkey was pretty much his project. He selected the brining then roasting method.  My sister and her family arrived. The girls took my two year old niece off to play and Kristy and I got to work in the kitchen (around the turkey project). The boys snacked on appetizers, checked the turkey, monitored the kids (kind of) and did not watch football because we don't get network tv reception. Long story, don't rush to thinking I am so principled, but Mike should get an award for choosing to spend his Thanksgiving in a place without the football games and dog show. Jeff's boss arrived later. I must say, it was SUCH a yummy meal: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy,maple pecan sweet potatoes, crispy garlic green beans, and Molly's homemade cornbread with Suzanne Wilson's homemade jam (oh yeah -we spent an amazing weekend at their lovely 1750's colonial in Connecticut recently!). Dessert was a mediocre pumpkin pie by me, yummy chocolate brownie cookies by Kristy, and Jeff's boss brought a delicious cranberry walnut tart.

The next day, Molly and I took the dogs for a little walk and let them play in the park behind our house for a bit. We think Biscuit really likes Howie. He did not mind having Howie in his house at all, and they spent a lot of time just lying next to one another, never fighting. Biscuit would wait for poor old Howie if he got too far ahead in a walk and would walk next to him for awhile once he caught up. Biscuit ALWAYS wants to be first, usually. He usually doesn't initiate play with other dogs either, but he tried to engage poor old Howie, who kind of nicely let him know there was no way. Biscuit took the first hint and never bothered him again. After a waffle and bacon breakfast, we walked up into Moorestown and did a little shopping to support "buy local" day. Jovie and Annie made out the best as most of the dollars were spent in the Happy Hippo toystore.  We ate cheap pizza slices at La Vita's, and Uncle Jeff showed Jovie how to eat New York style slices:)  We then played at the girl's favorite park in town, the one with the  "castle" playground. Our dinner that night was leftovers, and Jovie took a turn saying grace. She thanked God for "staying inside, going outside, and Christmas trees.," paying tribute to the fun she had and planned to have that evening. Clearly she was having a blast with her cousins. After dinner we headed into Philadelphia to see the light show on Franklin Square. We came home to have cider, hot chocolate and goodies in front of our fake gas fire. Yeah, I miss that real fireplace. The rest of the family probably does not miss me having it.

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The next day we went into Philadelphia again, this time to visit Smith Memorial Playground in Fairmount Park. Everyone got involved. We all took turns racing on gunny sacks down the big wooden slide, trying to stay on the balance beam while Jeff tried to knock us off, climbed the big spider web and jumped on the trampoline, and even tried the flying frisbee swing thing. Some of us lasted longer than others....motion sickness was a factor on this one.  The boys had some pork sandwiches from Tony Luke's for lunch. When Jovie got up from her nap, Anna opened her birthday presents from her aunt, uncle, and cousin, while Jovie opened her Christmas presents from us, which I am sure confused Jovie and set her up for unfulfilled expectations at future parties. And the kids had cupcakes. Then we cashed in our "having a responsible 15 year old daughter" card and the 4 grown ups went out to dinner.
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A fun weekend. When they pulled away Sunday morning, Biscuit sat looking at the door and sighed. I think he missed Howie already.

*Are these my sister's Instagram pics? Why, yes they are! Hope you don't mind, Kristy!