Just recently, Dad became a member of a sweet hunting club near Danville, VA, so he actually took us out there and we all rode on his 4 wheeler through acres of woods and fields. We even got to try out his 30 foot deer tree stand that he sits in for hours upon hours waiting for that perfect buck to appear. And actually, that weekend, Bryce helped him skin a buck that he got that Friday. If I remember right, that was opening weekend of rifle season.
The next weekend, we actually stayed in Blacksburg and some North Carolina came up to us. VT play NC State, and won 42-21. My brother, Christin, his girlfriend, and Dad all came up for the game, and unfortunately for them, cheering hard wasn't enough to pull NC State to a win. We all went to the game and were able to sit together in the South stands. Tailgating was really fun...we actually just grilled out here at the house and a bunch of girl friends came by that I hadn't seen for a long time...Kate, Morgan, Annie, Sue, Kristy and Jeff. It was really fun catching up some and hanging out before the game. I wish I got pictures!
All of a sudden, Thanksgiving appeared the next week, and we got to go back to NC for a whole week and a few days. Seriously, it was so fun, and I'm not just saying that because it was my birthday week (same day as Thanksgiving this year). Aunt Judy, Uncle David and our cousins even got to join us and visit all day Thursday. The food was amazing and we were all stuffed as we should be afterwards.
Abby is getting more and more fun to be around as she gets older. She talks all the time, and is starting to put sentences together. She's a little shy at first, but won't stop talking once she gets comfortable. She loves exploring and playing with people. She's actually a big people-person. And she still thinks Bryce is hilarious. He gets pretty goofy around her.
Abby experienced her first bonfire early in the week. We have a fire pit at the edge of our yard, and this was one of the first times we put it to use. We all cooked some hot dogs and smores by the fire. Maria even came to visit for the evening from Winston Salem where she's doing her residency for med school. Emily, Abby, Amy and I even braved a little shopping on Friday. Plus we got to see Dionne and Jacob again for a leftovers party on Friday! With the Baseys too! Saturday was a hoot as we made around 400 or so Mexican tamales and watched Virginia Tech play UVA. Yes, I said "around 400." Maybe it was more. Dad went to the Mexican tienda and got corn husks, spices, the biggest pot I've ever seen, and the whole enchilada (or tamale). We probably had around 15-20 lbs of both pork and chicken that we cooked, shredded and spiced. Then we made masa (a type of coarse meal or flour made from corn) and stuffed the corn husks.
After cooking them in a huge pot, they were all ready to pack and store in the freezer for an army...or our family. If you grow up in a big family with a Dad who loves to cook and who lived in Mexico for 9 years of his life, you may find yourself in situations like these. We had a Mexican feast that night-just as large and filling as our feast was the previous Thursday evening. To top it all off, it was beautiful weather, warm and sunny almost all week. God has blessed us so much! We have a ton to be thankful for.
Here's Abby playing dress up in a dress that Nanny made for Emily and I when I was her age.
And of course, taking good care of her dolly, feeding her raisins and rocking her to sleep.
tag! you're it! (see my blog!) :)
ReplyDelete