Weeks Later and Still Posting About Thanksgiving!

How is it possible that I hardly post anymore AND it takes me nearly three weeks to post about a holiday? We're closer to Christmas than Thanksgiving but I have nothing to post about it. Unless you consider semester finals Christmasy.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we gathered with the rest of the Thiel clan at Sarah's house to eat a wonderful meal and give thanks for our family.

We don't see the 'country Thiels' very often. Sarah and Jessica each have a beautiful baby of their own to keep them busy now. When get together though, it's just like it was yesterday that we saw each other.

That's one beautiful thing about family.


This is baby Emma Grace. She's Jessica's. Walt got to meet her for the first time.


Josh loved her, of course. Because she's a baby.


This is Gia Rose. She's Sarah's. And nearly two years old already! Carley likes playing dolls with her.


And Kiele Rain. I already knew she was big but she get so much more grown up each time I see her. She'll be a teenager before I know it. Her hair is getting long again and I love it.


Sarah is such a wonderful, happy host. Her home is beautiful, warm and welcoming. It was terrific to visit with Laura as well. I don't see here as often as I'd like.


Dinner was superb. Loads of natural, local, organic foods. And Sarah's sister-in-law (not pictured) is a trained pastry chef and yum-mee, she makes some killer pies.


Kid's table. What's a big family gathering without the kid's table? It won't be long before Kiele and Josh hate sitting at the kids table. For now they still love it.


And after dinner horseplay is always necessary. Brooke, Laura's husband, was so nice to oblige the kids with the horseplay. No one else was having it.


Courtesy of Josh, a photo of Shannon, Jessica and myself. Hopefully Josh grows quickly because this angle isn't at all flattering.

Between the Run to Feed the Hungry, dinner at our house with my friend Christy as company and a family dinner at Sarah's, this years Thanksgiving festivities turned out joyful and fun.

And there you go.

On to Christmas.

Fun Friday aka Black Friday

Walt works every Friday after Thanksgiving. That means I can't fight crowds for the mad sales unless I drag the kids with me. I usually opt to stay home.

This year Josh insisted that we shop the stores on Black Friday. We only hit a couple and only hours after the mad rushes were gone.

I figured Josh would use some of his saved money to buy toys at a discount. Instead he took a notepad and made a detailed list of the specific things he wanted for Christmas.

I couldn't do much shopping for presents because the kids were with me and they're pretty much the only ones we're buying for this year. I did get a nice set of sheets (700-thread-count with extra pillow cases!)for only $30 and a couple of desperately needed SD cards.

The kids were so good in the stores that I decided to take them for a little local fun. We went to Fairytale Town and the Sacramento Zoo. It helps that they're both across the street from each other.

It most definitely helped that both places were free admission on the Friday after Thanksgiving.


Fairytale Town is a unique place here in Sacramento. It's based on Mother Goose Rhymes and other childhood fairy tales.


Like the Farmer and the Dell.


And the one about the Crooked Man.


And Three Billy Goats Gruff.


No matter how old the kids get, they still love going to Fairytale Town to climb and run and slide and pretend.


There's McGregor's garden to water.


You can even be Dorothy!


The Sacramento Zoo is almost as fun.


There isn't as much climbing though. It's most looking.


We didn't stay at the zoo as long. The kids had me worn out with the shopping and playing.


I did treat them to a (non-free) carousel ride before we left though.


Josh picked the Chimpanzee to ride, of course. He has a thing for monkeys and monkey-like creatures.