yawn. this month-long meme is getting boring. but since it’s about 9:30, i’m thinking about heading to bed… i probably won’t actually go to bed ’til about 11:30 because i’ll get a second (or third?) wind and i’m easily distracted. since i’m not working tomorrow (for which i’d be waking up around 6 a.m. – yuck), i’ll sleep in ’til about 10. i’ll want to sleep later because i’ll be surrounded by warm, purring kitties, but i’m heading down to iowa with jason for more thanksgiving so we’ll need to be getting on the road.

did you have a good thanksgiving? i sure hope so.

i went out for a thanksgiving buffet at spasso in minnetonka with my sister, bro-in-law, and ever adorable niece. it was so delicious! mashed potatoes, roasted squash, turkey, stuffing with big chunks of veggies, and pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream. none of us had to cook anything and when we got back to their house afterwards, there were no dishes to wash!

hannie and i played with karyn’s ipad for a while. we “read” through a couple santa clause stories a few million times because hannie is obsessed. then we watched some elmo videos on youtube. that ipad thing is pretty neat.

i also sort of half-assedly helped bryan put their christmas tree up. that was fun. i brought my dslr and my new 50mm f1.8 lens and played with bokeh. i also experimented a little with bryan’s lensbaby 2.0. i’m such a nerd, but i enjoy it.

cheers to three more days of holiday!

I have two older siblings.

Karyn, my sister, is the oldest. She lives in the cities and actually works at the same company where I work. She is married to Bryan, and their daughter, Hannora (“Hannie”), was born in April 2009.

Ryan, my brother, is the middle child. He lives in Taiwan, teaching English and learning Chinese. He is married to Jane (Yi-Chen).

It’s a fitting day for this post; my brother served in Iraq a few years ago. Thanks, bro.

And thanks to all of those that have served this country.

Kristi and I used to joke about being soul mates, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true.

Karyn is my sister and I know she only wants the best for me.

Vani can always make me giggle like an idiot, which is a good thing.

Jen does a really good job of bringing me out of my shell.

Erin is the reason that all I’m doing lately is knitting; she’s due to have her first baby at the beginning of January.

Jason helps me forget to be self-conscious.

Karyn brought me to a recent Just Between Friends pre-sale sale in Eden Prairie. It was a mad house that was only open to soon-to-be or recently-new moms and dads, opening to the general public in the next day or two. I’m sure that all items were from consignment, and there was so much to choose from! We were shopping for Hannie, obviously, and had to have several rounds of “to buy or not to buy.”

Overall, I think Karyn got a good haul for my little niece. I even got Hannie a giant beanie baby monkey for $3 (and named it Bryan Two).

I figure I don’t need to buy sweaters like this because I could just as easily make them. In theory.

The digging part of the experience was okay. The waiting in line for the 3 cashiers was somewhat trying.

Aside from the check out situation, it was very well organized and easy to find things that were of good quality. If you go, definitely bring a partner in crime to take turns with bathroom breaks, waiting in line, and holding the bag(s) of goodies to buy.

I like being a hostess every once in a while. Between having people over to watch movies (or talk through movies, which is usually what actually happens) or simply sitting around outside during the evening, I enjoy having people around my home.

My friend, Erin, and I have been talking about having a doggy play-date for a long time (her doggy, Captain, and Kristi and Jared’s doggy, Ziggy) but we never really got serious about actually planning it. Finally the day arrived when I just couldn’t not have Erin, her husband, Jason, and their doggy over. Karyn, Bryan and Hannie had come over earlier in the day for a trip to the beach and to help me finish up my bathroom redecoration, so in the afternoon everyone gathered in my backyard.

Somehow we had too much food, but it was all delicious. Karyn made a pasta salad and brought over a million types of fancy cheeses. Erin and Jason brought chips and dips. I provided some sausages I bought from Fred’s in Goodland, MN and s’mores. The day was much warmer than I had anticipated, but Jason got a fire going anyway and that’s where we roasted the sausages (and marshmallows).

The doggy play-date didn’t really work, but it was a good excuse to get together anyway.