Annual Xmas Shopping Trip

Mer, Mom and I headed to Easton for our annual xmas shopping trip! We got in around lunchtime on Saturday, and Little Kate was in Columbus visiting a friend, so we met for lunch at P.F. Changs, and then shopped all afternoon. Then Kate headed back to Athens, and Mom, Mer and I headed to the Beeline cocktail bar for a drink. We had heard they have delicious cocktails, and it's true! We all got a bourbon drink called the Night Train. It was so good. TOOT TOOT!

Pictures at the fountain tree!

 
 

We had dinner at Brio, followed by a House Hunters marathon back at the hotel.

Sunday morning we got breakfast and Shooting Star orange carrot juices at Northstar Cafe. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! This year was extra exciting because Cousin Danny came to visit with Henry!! I went over to see him at Uncle Tom and Aunt Sue's last night. 

I taught them Golf, and they all loved it!

And then tonight we gathered at Tom and Sue's for the big feast! Mom brought a delicious veggie tray.

Aunt Jill made crispy fudge!

Oscar stayed nearby, hoping for a taste.

It snowed a little bit, and the snowflakes were enormous. You could see them with the naked eye!

Mer and Kate made pies!

Danny was in charge of carving the turkey.

Uncle Tom was on Brussels sprouts duty!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Dishing up.

OMG yum!! Everything was so delicious! 

Mmm, pie.

There was a really gorgeous sunset outside. After dinner, we played a big game of Bowl of Nouns.

Journey to the Barn

We've been talking for years about how we need to assign phrases to all of the steps along the way during a game of euchre, since point number nine is called "in the barn." What are the rest of the steps?!

After many many months of discussion, we finally landed on this journey to the barn. It's mostly various modes of transportation to get you from zero to ten points.

Point 1: Funicular, down the mountain to the...

Point 2: Combine, across Trump Fields* to the...

Point 3: Zip line, over Stopper Holler to the....

Point 4: Sailboat, across Euchre Lake to the...

Point 5: Skunk Folly! Time to take a break, take a rest!! You're halfway there! Then...

Point 6: Trampoline, bounce up into the...

Point 7: Hot air balloon, float up to the top of the cliffs to the....

Point 8: Hay ride, trot over to the barn and then....

Point 9: You're in the barn!! If both teams are at the barn at the same time, this is deemed a "BARN PARTY" and it's very exciting.

Point 10: WIN!!!

*Trump Fields have no association whatsoever with President Donald Trump. The fields are named after the word trump, which is commonly used to indicate the specific suit that holds the highest rank in a variety of card games. Euchre dates back to the early 1800s, and while I did consider not using the word "Trump" on my map because Donald Trump is gross, I also thought that was giving him too much power. Euchre came first, bitch!!!

Happy Birthday, Little Kate!

Today is Little Kate's EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY!! She requested my coconut cake.

I also made wedge salads!

And Mer made super yummy French dip sandwiches.

I gave Kate one of my old pairs of Fryes. She looks super cute in them!

These are just a handful of her medals. She sure is a talented kid!

Cake time!

Happy Birthday to Kate!

Make a wish!

Yum. Happy birthday, Kate! We love you!

Hoedown at Stuart's

Valerie, Yumi, Kristi and I all went to the Honky Tonk Hoedown fundraiser tonight at Stuart's Opera House.

They had a mechanical bull!

It was a good night for unicorn pegasus.

Yee haw!

The main event was line dancing, which I was pretty excited for, as it's always intrigued me. But OMG it was freaking so impossible. My brain needs weeks of practice before I can do something like this without bumping into other people. Oh well, maybe some day!

It was fun to watch everyone else do it!

Val stayed on the bull for a really long time! And her epic fall was captured on film.