Saturday-Sunday - November 30-December 1

Saturday -    another chilly day in NC but the sun shone brightly.   Our boys went to a surprise 60th birthday party for their friend Andy,    Brooke invited Mark and me for leftovers.   Played some games - Easy Money with Luke and Jokers Wild with Maeve.    Annette made her wonderful sauce for the tortellini (my Mom's recipe) with lots of celery and onion chopping.    We have 22 coming for dinner tonight....

Watched Notre Dame beat USC but a hairy game for sure.    Folks started arriving around 4ish.   Appetizers, drinks, euchre, football, visiting, etc.    And then time for the big meal,...the tortellini was excellent (Grandma D would be so proud), along with lasagna (thanks Leigh), salad, (Brooke) garlic bread (Judy) and wine!!!    DELISH!   

After the cleanup, 2 big poker games were underway, along with more euchre.    Then we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Drew who will be 25 tomorrow (12/1).   

The birthday boy and his fiancee, Tessa

Our "Littles"

Blair, Maeve, Luke

HUGE thanks to Brooke and Michael for their hospitality over this Thanksgiving weekend -]

hosting so many in their home, providing a marathon of good eating and best of all....

the camaraderie with our family!

Said our good byes to most of the kiddos as they are all leaving tomorrow along with Brooke's family!  AWESOME weekend!!!

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y   D R E W

Drew (aka Drewby)

Oh my gosh....our oldest grandson is 25 and getting married next October.    So fun being with he and Tessa this weekend....wishing them all the best with their planning and bright future ahead!

Sunday - winding down the weekend.    Breakfast and then off to noon Mass at St. Charles Borromeo with Father Ken.   He continues to amaze us as he's 80+ years old....always wears sandals.

A lot of travel going on today  - Drew and Tessa driving back to Cedar Rapids, IA; Michael flying to Los Angeles; Brady to Notre Dame.   Davis is home in Winston-Salem; Karen (Auntie), Mike and Theresa arrived safely back to IL.

Played LRC (Left, Right, Center) with Mark, Annette, Luke, Maeve and myself.    Grandpa, Grandma and Annette were the winners.

We had leftover tortellini, salad, bread and wine for dinner.   Ryan joined us and then a good game of 5-handed euchre with Mark the winner.  

We said good bye to Brooke and Blair and then back to Philip's for family zoom with 8 siblings.    Thanksgiving recap, planning Chamberlain Christmas, niece Sarah and family and nephew Ed and family are buying new homes, Tom H having some serious back issues. update on Tom C's new promotion as bank president, etc.

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS...

Carlos, our grand cat

Huge thanks to Philip and Annette for their warm hospitality these past 4 nights and all the good food, euchre, LRC, easy money, wild jokers, bang, etc.

This family is almost ready for Christmas!

Friday - November 29

 Cloudy cold morning....Annette fixed yummy breakfast sandwiches.    Theresa and Karen came over to teach Luke, Maeve and Annette "BANG"......Theresa and I had not played in years, but it all came back!  Fun, wild and wooly game!

Later, we played "Easy Money".   Karen and Theresa went on home, Annette made chili for soup supper coming tonight.     Most of the family played Pickelball - burrrr......

Maeve and I made ham and cheese sliders.   Mark and Annette beat Philip and I  2 of 3 games of euchre.    Then we gathered up our stuff and off to Michael's for more pigging out.

Appetizers, poker, euchre, football, soup (5 kinds) and the sliders, plus salads and several desserts made for a great supper on this cold night.

Said good bye to Mike, Theresa and Karen who are leaving for IL tomorrow....we wish them safe travels.    Sure enjoyed having them with us.    Mark and I will see them 3 weeks from tonight at the Chamberlain Christmas.

Thanksgiving - 2024

 Rained during the night but Thanksgiving Day was beautiful, sunny, breezy and in the 50's.   Annette fixed one of her yummy egg dishes and Mark and Philip set to work preparing the pipes outside for winter by blowing out the water in irrigation lines and outside shower.   Mark and I walked later - felt so good.   

Pretty fall tree along our walk

Annette gave Maeve a lovely French manicure and made stuffing.  

Pretty nails

 

Maeve's school project - "A" all the way!

Well done, Maeve

  Later in the afternoon we went to Michael and Brooke's for a huge array of appetizers, cards, football, trampoline (younger kiddos) etc.   

At 6:45, we had the big turkey feast - what a spread!    All delicious (5 turkeys, ham and many sides).   After the clean-up, several played poker and we had 2 tables of 4-handed euchre going.   And then brought out the desserts.....oh my!    OINK   OINK   OINK!

A very fun busy, noisy, yummy Thanksgiving with 23 humans - Michael, Brooke, Drew, Tessa, Davis, Brady, Blair, Philip, Annette, Luke, Maeve, Ryan, Bob and Judy (Brooke's parents), her brother Scott, Leigh, Caroline and Cooper, Mark's sisters Karen and Theresa and hubby Mike, Mark and I, and 5 dogs (Jinx, Maverick, Millie, Ally and Bud)!   

Ready to chow down!

Mark's brother Tom and Beth entertained Anne, Liam and Connor plus 2 of Connor's golf team buddies and roommates from Canada!    So thoughtful of Tom and Beth

We are very thankful for so many blessings!    Life is GOOD!

 

Wednesday - November 27

Brooke and Brady were off early to Morganton but she left fried eggs, cooked bacon, cheese and English muffins for the rest of us to make sandwiches!   Yum!    Tessa was off for some last-minute grocery shopping.  Michael and his boys took off at 10:45 for Mimosa golf course and a 12:10 tee time.

I stripped the bed and got our sheets and towels washed and bedroom/bath ready for the next guests arriving tomorrow.   We packed up our stuff and off to Philip and Annette's.   So good to see them and Luke helped carry our stuff in,

I mentioned that Philip is making mangers - well, he has quite the assembly line going in his workshop....mangers in various stages and using all that wood from Grandpa C's old barn.    When all done, he and friends will have made 10 total.   WOW....Grandpa would be so proud!

Little elves building mangers for gifts for their family members

Tamara and Bill and Randy

Since Helene, Lake James has been really dirty with a variety of colors?  

  This looks like heavy cream poured into a lake of coffee!!!!

Drew's dog, Maverick (a good ole boy almost 2 years old).

Maeve and Grandma were busy in the kitchen making raspberry pretzel salad, sweet potato casserole and rollo pretzel treats.

Mark, Philip, Annette and Maeve went for a pontoon ride in the afternoon - Luke and I stayed home.    Too chilly for this Grandma on a dreary day.

Congratulations to Mark's youngest brother Tom who was named President of the Iroquois Bank in Danville, IL.   Way to go Tom!!!

Played euchre with Philip and I wining the 1st game; Mark and Annette, the 2nd...and they won the rubber - so close....

Delicious dinner of shepherd's pie and corn casserole topped off with rhubarb pie compliments of Theresa.    Ryan joined us for dinner and then we played 5-handed euchre with Ryan winning 2 games and I won one.

H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G!!!

 

Tuesday - November 26

 Mix of clouds and sunshine today, breezy and 60 for a high.    Mark took Blair to school and then had his biscuits and gravy fix at Hardees.   

Leisurely morning for me....reading, hearing more wedding plans from Tessa, talking Christmas with Brooke, etc.    Drew went to Uncle Phil's to make a manger and the back of it is wood from Grandpa C's barn - really special!

Manger Philip built for Michael and Brooke

Jinx has new non-skid slippers to keep him from sliding on the hardwood floors (he has arthritis) and his tootsies warm.   Jinx will be 91 on December 13th.

Mark and Michael worked on some outside projects - fixing a garage door and something with his truck.

This afternoon I went to Mark's sisters, Karen (Auntie) and Theresa and her hubby, Mike to the Biltmore for their Christmas tour.    Theresa made yummy sandwiches for along the way.    We first went thru the chihuly exhibit which was phenomenal - the glass works of Dale Chihuly.

Mike, Theresa, Auntie, Pat

Just a few of the many fabulous displays.    Then to the Biltmore and fortunately we could get in earlier that what our ticket time was since the crowds were not that bad.

There's nothing quite like the Biltmore - America's largest home - but Christmas time is really special and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We got home just before dark - very fun afternoon.    The guys are playing poker at Philip's tonight (Mark, Michael, Philip, Ryan, Drew, Davis, Brady, Annette and Brooke's dad, Bob.   Annette also fed them chili.    We girls (Brooke, Tessa, Blair and myself) hung out at home with a good supper and of course, wedding chatter!