Grateful Days 23-28

I am grateful for the opportunity to have enjoyed a long long weekend with my family.

Wednesday the 23rd I was grateful to work from home and then pack up the boy, the dog, audiobooks and a dozen bags and baby accessories to make our way to Missouri. The drive was uneventful and enjoyable.

Thursday the 24th was just pure thankfulness. We enjoyed a relaxing day and a DELICIOUS dinner at 3pm with family and friends. Capping off the super yummy meal, a nice walk around the neighborhood was great.
Movies and relaxation were the name of the game.

Friday morning I was grateful for the opportunity to have a super fun photo shoot for Paige's senior pictures. We enjoyed exploring areas of Eldon that were likely overlooked by most folks. We found the coolest corner with whitewashed bricks and wood framing. We also found a wall elsewhere that was a vibrant blue. Paige was a great model and easy going as we experimented with ways to capture her.

More lounging ensued afterward.

Saturday brought with it, my brother and his family. Before their arrival, the boy and I helped my dad (Grandpa Bob) whip up his sauce. Dad made me a copy of my Grandma's lasagna recipe...I've got some cooking to do...and also showed me that he laminated some recipe cards that I had written out way back when. Grade school perhaps? The handwriting is from a young girl who didn't yet know how to abbreviate teaspoon. Funny.

Tony, Sara & the kids arrived and we ate spaghetti, meatballs, sausage and all the good stuff. Early in the evening, Grace & Sonny and I made a gingerbread cottage. Mae was giggling up a storm and it was just good to be in the presence of everyone.

Sunday meant driving home. I was not grateful for that...but I was grateful for an awesome breakfast (Kathy was nonstop with the good cooking!) and the easy drive home. Aside from some traffic along the route due to construction, it all went well. I enjoyed listening to a rather fluffy audiobook 'Rescue' by Anita Shreve (which I should finish tomorrow on my way to work...can't wait). The boy was good and little Lanie was a master at sleeping.

Today, I am grateful that the boy is so curious. I needed to clean out the fridge and he "helped" me by pulling some of the items out of the bottom. He is so strong and wants to understand how everything works. It is a real treat to see his wheels turning. He had been feeling crummy lately, so I was happy to see some smiles on his face.  I am also grateful for my husband's return home from a trip. It was sad that we weren't together for Thanksgiving and then that he was gone on a trip when we arrived home...but now, we are all under one roof again. Snuggly and happy.