gratitude :: holiday edition

so i am supposed to be at the grocery store right now.  but sofia decided that 10am was the perfect time to take a nap.  it was a long weekend people, with a lot of partying and a lot of late nights.  i hope the boys can get through their day.

thanksgiving: good food and good company. 18 of us gathered at my parents' house for a traditional dinner.  my mom made the turkey and stuffing, my sister made cornbread, my sister-in-law made the ham, i made the mash potatoes and salad, and my other sister-in-law made dessert. we were set.  everyone filled out these thankful cards and i will add pictures to them and put them into an album.

after dinner the kids watched movies and the grown ups including my niece monica, played "things".  it was so much fun.  we laughed at the answers and people's guesses.  and some of the questions had many interpretations.  it was fun that we all hung out and had a good time.

tangled: friday i did not head out for black friday sales.  instead we slept in then went to my parents' house again for posole.  yummy! (i know my mom worked hard.  that's why i love her.) everyone came over at various times and we looked at ads.  talked to those that did brave the craziness, monic waited 2 hours in line at urban. in the afternoon we took the kiddos to see tangled.  i was looking forward to it and was not disappointed.  it was funny, and sentimental and cute and a bit scary.  i loved every second of it . . .and so did sofia.  at least i think she did.  she was sitting with gaby and jessie.  andrew and i got really nervous at the end.  but it all worked out.  we loved that it was a return to a disney classic.  kind of like aladdin or emperor's new groove.  i would definitely recommend.

sushi with friends: saturday was another casual day.  slept in, then i headed out to the mall to check out some sales.  i really think i just needed a breather.  i looked around but didn't end up getting anything.  that night we went out to dinner with our friends bill and juliet.  her birthday was last week and bobby's birthday is this week.  so it was a perfect time to celebrate.  we see them a lot but always with the kids.  so getting a couples only night out was a little out of the ordinary.  we took them to a good sushi place on ventura where the rolls do not disappoint.  i even tried sake for the first, and maybe last, time.  after dinner we went to a coffee shop called aroma cafe.  i was stuffed from dinner but they ordered caramel cheescake, creme brulee and chocolate mousse.  i sipped on a delicious cappuccino.  it was lovely.

a day of rest: sunday was all about relaxing and staying in pajamas.  the kids played video games while we started putting up christmas decorations, lights and the tree.   we pulled out the box of decorations and let the kids have at it.  i made just a few tweaks since sofia can only reach so high.  and we only broke one ornament which is good for us. it looks great.   but i'll save the after picture for another day.  all i know is that we are ready for some good cheer.  we finished the day off with homemade pizza and toy story 3.  ahhh, the good life.


hope everyone's holiday was relaxing.