Late Thanksgiving Update

My mom's computer network has been all weird lately and so the internet has not been working in our living quarters until the past day or so, and even now it is kind of hit and miss. So here is a very late Thanksgiving update!

We had a pretty "traditional" Hamilton Thanksgiving this year. We actually spent it with Scott, Marylynne and Lucas Leopard (Shane's Mom, Dad and Brother). It was just going to be the three of them for Thanksgiving and Marylynne didn't want to have a big to-do for just three people. One might think it is a little weird to spend the holidays with your brother-in-law's family, without your sister or brother-in-law present. But the Leopards are super fun and we had a good time.

The day started as usual by attending a cheap movie at the $2 theater. We went and saw WALL-E. It is the first movie that we have taken Kimberly to see in the theater since she was old enough to enjoy movies. She did really well. She got pretty restless in the last 15 minutes or so, but mostly sat on mine or Alan's laps and watched. Benjamin was glued to the screen for the first 30 minutes or so, then he fell asleep.

After the movie, we hit up the Hometown Buffet. The stuffing was marginal and they had these potatos au grautin (spelling?) that were a bit sketchy, but the rolls were excellent and the turkey was really juicy. Dessert was good as always and for those of you who know my buffet history, I managed to walk away feeling fairly comfortable and without hurling all over the booth! :)

Then we went to the Bowling Alley for a couple of games, where Kimberly proceeded to have diahreah all in her pants. Of course the bathrooms were closed for remodeling and there was only a port-o-potty outside. So I had to take care of the matter as discretely as I could in the middle of the bowling alley floor!

Jeff came out to visit for a long weekend on Friday and he brought his new girlfriend Shannon. She was really sweet and fun and got along with our family very well. Alan was pretty bummed about not getting his normal Thanksgiving experience with a big feast and tons of family. So my mom made a mini Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday so that he could have some Turkey leftovers.

I got all excited for Christmas and decor put up the trees that weekend. I also made Alan help me put up lights on the outside of the house. It looks pretty good if I do say so myself. One conclusion that I have come to is to never have a massive Christmas tree. In theory they sound great, but I have never had to set one up before. My mom's tree is 9 and 1/2 feet tall and probably twice that around at the bottom. It looks beautiful, but there is just something wrong with needing a ladder to reach the top 1/3. Not a chair, not a stool, but a ladder! Plus I think that it is probably breaking some sort of fire code to have that many lights in one tree.

The pictures are from the bowling excursion and of Kimberly helping to put up the lights.