THANKSGIVING KANSAS-CITY STYLE!

Thanksgiving this year wasn't very different from some other Thanksgivings we've celebrated in the past.  When the kids were growing up, we rarely (if ever) went "home" to spend the holiday with our families.  It was too far to go then and then again at Christmas.  Sometimes family came to us, sometimes we were alone, and other times we invited someone who also didn't have family near.  One year we even invited a serviceman who was on a base near us and had no where to go.

So...this year Deb and Mark came (David's sister and brother).  Deb lives in Maryland so she flew into Des Moines where her son lives then drove down to us and Mark lives in Kansas City.  We had decided to go out instead of doing all the cooking.  This year, having just begun settling into our new home, is was just easier.  I do love all the cooking and preparations, but not this year.   We did, however, bake a pumpkin pie and some Chex mix!!

Everyone needs a good sous chef!!

So we all went to Cooper's Hawk where we had a lovely dinner (actually, lunch since we had reservations at 2:00!!).  Surprisingly, or maybe not, there were quite a few others celebrating early.

We're smiling because we hadn't stuffed ourselves yet!!!

Voila!  Thanksgiving dinner!!

We came back to the apartment for a little while then Mark left.  Later that evening David's cousin (on the Finkelstein side) who lives in Lenexa, Kansas,  texted to see if we wanted to drop by.  We'd been in contact with them trying to work out a time to get together and we didn't think it could work.  So the three of us bundled up (it was pretty cold outside) and drove there.

Sid and Sue (David's cousins) were very kind to us as a young couple.  We had dinner several times at their home in Prairie Village, they helped David's mom doing our Rehearsal Dinner and then after the wedding/reception we went to their home for sandwiches.  They're in their eighties now, and we enjoyed so much seeing them and catching up.  Their daughter, Ann, was a little girl the last time I saw her and now she's a grandmother (to a darling little girl).  How the years fly!!!  She follows Nikki on Facebook so we chatted about that too.  It was a fun end to the day.

When we got back to the Plaza, we stopped and parked before going to the apartment.  The Christmas lights had been lighted earlier in the evening so everything was beautiful.  It was cold and quiet and we took a few pictures.

Deb left Friday and we went out doing some more shopping.  Right this minute I couldn't tell you  what we were shopping for...it seems the shopping never ends (I'm sure David would agree with that!!!).  Now that may sound great to some of you, but those of you who really know me know I like buying not shopping!!!!!👠👠👠

Anyway, we bought four pre-lit trees -  a large one for the living room, a smaller one for our bedroom and two little ones for the guest room and study.  I wanted a real wreath for the front door,  and we wondered if there were Christmas tree stands somewhere.  A Christmas miracle...we passed one as we were driving!!!!  It was the Boy Scouts so we stopped and bought a fresh wreath and some miscellaneous garland.

Our little Scout was in 6th grade (like our Jacob and Brady) so we could relate to him

We spent the evening fluffing the trees (I do hate that job!!) and getting them ready to be decorated.  I have to admit I felt sadness decorating this year.  When we moved to Paris, if you remember, I parted with anything that wasn't "close to my heart".   I have wondered if I parted with too much.  Furniture-wise I think we made pretty good choices.  When I think of the few pieces I did love that I let go, I can't imagine where we'd put them.  I think, perhaps, it's more about "starting over" yet again that makes me sad.  I expected Paris Christmas to be a different experience but coming back to the US I guess I expected things to go back to "normal" and that's not what has happened.  There is no "normal" in Kansas City.  Yet.  Everything is new again.  Seriously, I am too old for this!!!!!!!!!!😉

Now...we begin getting ready for Christmas!