Thanksgiving

Buddy's grandmother, aunt, and uncle were supposed to stop by for a few hours Monday while they are traveling around in their motor home. We were lucky enough to have them stay through Thanksgiving. Bohdin and Nyla had a ton of fun with our guests and are asking when they will come back. Nana and Papa also showed up Monday night so there was a lot of excitement.

Tuesday morning the kids still had soccer. Daddy, Nana, Papa, and GreatNana all came to watch. It's generally quite dull but it was a tad more exciting today since they scrimmaged. Bohdin, being the oldest by years, was way better. I felt sorry for the other kids. Nyla wanted to score a goal at one point and the coach set one up for her. The ball was waiting in front of her and Nyla was taking her time getting ready to kick the ball. Bohdin came up from behind and kicked it into the goal. Nyla was very sad and rightfully so. I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon so I was gone most of the day.

Wednesday we stayed around the house. The kids played with the visitors. Bohdin was able to play lots of board games which he had really been looking forward to. I don't get as much time as I would like to play games with him. Cora tends to be destructive around games right now so it is difficult.










Wednesday night Buddy and I were thinking that we ought to take them somewhere to see the area. Buddy's grandmother, aunt, and uncle had never been to Kentucky before. Thanksgiving day is not a big day for sight seeing and most attractions were closed. I checked the website for Falls of the Ohio and they indicated they were open. We saw that the river was a good 20 feet below flood stage so it seemed like we would do okay. Thursday was a cold, windy, and gray day but we headed out anyway. The website was incorrect and the museum section was actually closed. The river was a lot fuller than we expected so we were unable to walk down and see the fossil beds. Thirty feet is too much water to see anything. As we were there we were able to see the water level rise which was pretty cool. It's still a nice area and we spent a little time there.






Since that was a bust we went with our back up plan which was Cave Hill Cemetery. Buddy attended a funeral there several weeks ago and said it was really nice. I had a hard time imagining a cemetery that would be pretty enough to picnic in but now that I've been there I can see the appeal. The area was absolutely stunning. The landscaping was incredible. They had more tree varieties there than an arboretum and many were labeled. I didn't take the camera out of the car when we walked around but I should have. We will definitely go back and I'll take the camera with me.

A few weeks ago we planted some fruit trees and bushes in our yard. One of them was a dragon fruit citrus which is the only citrus that will grow this far north. Buddy spotted a mature one there and we picked some of the fruits. I ended up using it in the cranberry sauce the next day which was lot of fun. The flavor is unlike anything else. It has an earthy floral aroma and lots of seeds. I zested one and squeezed some juice into the sauce. The cranberry sauce was my only contribution to the meal. Buddy and his mom put together the rest. We had an enjoyable turkey dinner thanks to them.






Friday was spent tearing out the old kitchen. It's completely gone now and the work will begin to put a half bath in its place.



Here are the highlights of the week according to Bohdin and Nyla:

Bohdin - I played Bohnanza with Nana and Daddy and I won. I played Ingenious with Great Nana and Y- and we all tied. I played catch with Papa. I had a balloon fight with S-. I played Forbidden Island.

Nyla - Throwing sticks in the flood. Peas Porridge Hot (with Great Nana). Balloons.

One evening the kids had a balloon war with Buddy's uncle and they had a blast. The each held a balloon and used it to try to knock the other person's balloon away. Nyla slept with Nana for most of the nights she was here. Great Nana taught both kids Peas Porridge Hot along with the hand clapping. We can't get the hand clapping part quite right but we do know the verses. I guess she'll need to come visit again. The kids also put up the Christmas tree up this week and some other Christmas decorations around the house. It was a nice Thanksgiving. We are thankful that we had the pleasure of being with everybody. Cora is thankful she didn't have to drive anywhere.