A few highlights from the weekend!
Thursday
- Getting Thai takeout for dinner. Wow, it was good. We haven’t had Thai for the entire pandemic!
Friday
- Surprising my family with a visit to Iowa. Only my snis and her husband knew I was coming. We’d been planning it since I last saw her, and didn’t want to tell anyone in case I had to cancel due to weather, then it just became “let’s surprise everyone!” So she invited Dad over for lunch (Mom was already there since she is the kids’ nanny) and got takeout (HuHot!) for everyone, and then we went in her house together and said “guess who I ran into at HuHot?” It was fun.
- Playing with my snis’s kids in their playroom.
- All the gifts my snis had for me, and a long winter coat and new blanket she picked up for me.
- Seeing all the vintage items Christina has to sell on her shop in person.
- Going on a short walk with Dad.
- Homemade pizza for dinner.
- Mom making vegan scotcharoos.
Saturday
- Sleeping in in a bed all to myself and snuggling with Dexter in the early am.
- Running grocery errands with Snis and getting my weekly chai.
- Deciding on a whim to stop at our dad’s mom’s house to see her (then she decided to join us for lunch).
- All the family coming over for lunch. We made goulash to meet everyone’s dietary preferences – regular, no onions, gluten free, and vegan.
- Catching up with everyone.
- My older brother loving the rocks I painted him for his birthday. He thanked me many times and sent pics of where he put them when he got home. That made me feel good.
- Going on a walk with Dad, Thomas, Will, and William.
- Steven texting me that he finished the mug shelves he got me for our anniversary (maybe I will write another post about that?).
- Going to Kohl with Christina to spend our Kohl’s cash.
- Playing some new games – In a Pickle (meh), Throw Throw Burrito (fun, reminds me of Azuma), and Split Decision (I was horrible at it, but enjoyed it).
- In general when I visit family – how wonderfully long the days feel. When I am away from home and don’t have to do errands or chores it feels like there is so much time in the day.
Sunday
- Beating the storm home. By a lot, sigh. Iowa was going to get 3-6″ of snow, the route I take through Wisconsin was going to get 2-4″, and we were going to get 1-3″. I left much earlier than I needed to, but I avoided it all.
- Sending rocks with Steven to have our friend’s kids hide on their walk. (I would have loved to walk with them but I had just gotten home and was exhausted and didn’t want to spend time with people right after being in Iowa.)
- Having time to run and take a nap. And waking up with all the cats on me!
- Installing the new mug shelves.
Lowlights
- Feeling tired on my Friday drive to Iowa.
- Checking work email on Friday (I was off) to look for a response to something and seeing some crazy stuff I need to deal with tomorrow.
- Iowa’s shit-show response to COVID-19. I will just leave that at that.
- Leaving way earlier than I needed to Sunday.
That sounds like a great trip! I’m so glad you were able to see so many family members (including both grandmas it looks like? aww!). And good that you beat all the crappy weather on your way back home!
I was just thinking about how when you visit family you don’t have to worry about chores, errands, etc. the other day when I was on my way home from hanging out with my mom and, womp womp, had to go make dinner. It’s nice to see them regularly now that I live here, but I do miss those trips where you’re just in a bubble for a few days 🙂
I was so glad to see them too! I was not sure if they’d want to be in a big group gathering but they were both okay with it 🙂
Aww yes, can you get that bubble anywhere else? I mostly can when I go to my snister’s but not when we are in Guttenberg – we do all the meals and cleaning there and it kind of suuuuuuuuuuuucks and makes it not feel like a vacation 😀
We love Thai – but we haven’t had Thai take out in forever. I do make my own vegetable curry frequently though.
I love surprise visit and so glad you got to spend time with your fam. I agree, days just seem longer when you’re with loved ones.
We pulled off a surprise visit for my parents’ 70’s birthday party at the end of 2019 and it was the BEST. I haven’t seen them since 🙁
Do you have a place you like? I feel like good Thai places are hard to find!
Oh nice! You went over there and they had no idea you were coming? What a fun surprise!
I see we have a new entry in the “Khali Stares at You While You Eat Food” photo book. Yayyyyy!
DEXTERRRRRR. I’m so happy he’s a snuggler. He looks very snuggable!
I’m so glad you got to pull off this surprise visit! And see family! <3
Isn't it the worst when you check email for something minor while you're off and then it puts you in a funk because you see something crazy you'll have to deal with when you're back in the office? Hate that!
Ha ha ha, I really should start her own Insta!
Sigh, yes. And it’s just blowing my mind how constant the emails and requests are in this new position. There are several new issues every day. It keeps me busy but makes it hard to relax on my day off!
Thai food is really good. Something I had never really expected to like but now do. I go about once every few months and it gives me that look forward to feeling.
I’m still enjoying the Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza game. My hand hurts from being slapped by the other players.
What is your fave dish?
Ha! Any scratches yet? I guess there is a Christmas-y version of the game too (Santa Cookie Elf Santa Snowman)! I might have to get that for the holidays.
Without question drunken noodles (Pad Kee Mao). I’ve tried them from several places here locally this last year and one place in particular makes them the best (it’s called Ginger Street in downtown SLC)
We put plastic slip card covers on them which helps cut down the wear on the cards.
Oh yes! I like that dish too!
Do they stack okay with the covers on them?
They stack well, but slide around a bit more than the plain cards and don’t quite all fit back into the box with the covers on (rubber band needed)