After our early Thanksgiving with Grandma Diane, we had our big Zimmerman family get together at my parents house. We all take a side dish, but my dad still cooks up the turkeys (yes, we have several with a crowd as large as ours is), and makes his delicious stuffing, and amazing never to be rivaled gravy. We all crowd around the tables and have a wonderful dinner together.
After we have cleaned the tables and the dads have succumbed to their respective food comas, the kids take seat at the kitchen table and we bust out the bingo game. My aunt Judy calls for us and there is a mound of dollar store prizes to be won sitting in the center of the table. You would think it was a pile of gold with how excited they get....ok, I get excited about a box of mike and ikes too.
In the late afternoon we headed home and spent the remainder of the day watching Christmas movies.
This year I opted out of going with my sisters and sister-in-laws for Black Friday shopping. We have recently started at no spend 30 days where we only buy things that are absolutely essential to daily life. Its amazing how creative one can get when just cooking out of the pantry and freezer. We have bought some fresh fruit and veggies as well as bread and milk. However, that is pretty much the extent of our expenditures lately.
Instead on Friday we did some yard work, and Baleigh and I went over to my mom and dad's to pick up some reclaimed barn boards for a few projects I have in the works. She really loves working with me on projects involving power tools and paint. I am so proud and happy that she likes working with me on things. These will be valuable skills as she gets older.
Saturday we had a lazy day of hanging out in our cozy house. It was nice to have a long weekend with Jake home. We so rarely get the opportunity to have a long weekend together and it was just what we needed. We watched TV and snuggled on the couch and baked cookies and loved every second of it.
Saturday evening was my mom's extended family gathering. We went to the potluck and I got to catch up with cousins I have not seen in a few years. I really love some of the people my cousins have chosen for their spouses. Not to mention the delightful children that they have created and are raising. Some days it is fun to be part of such a big clan.
Sunday we lamented the fact that our "vacation" from real life was coming to an end. I put a roast in the crock pot in the morning and we had a giant sunday dinner that turned into leftovers for the lunch the next day. Overall it was a wonderful 4 day weekend and now we are looking forward to a fun filled Christmas season.
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