Nice and quiet

After a long breakfast and lounging around, looking through a thick stack of shopping ads we finally got to our dinner prep. Two desserts done and more to be done but not until later. Here's the list: creamy butternut squash soup, tomato baisl and smoked salmon brushetta, the big bird and mashed potato with white wine gravy. Jon's mom is bringing the green bean casserole and cranberry sauce.
It's not yet lunch time so it's nice and quiet. Everybody is off doing their own thing again before coming together for Thanksgiving dinner. Bruce would be here with me right now at my sister's house but he has to stay in a hotel and be outside as much as possible as he's allergic to my sister's dog. Yes, we all feel so bad for Bruce. But we are all going to have a good time.

Pumpkin pie in the oven and gingerbread cake batter



Pumpkin pie done

I can be thankful therefor I am

As I type this post: my mom is in another room watching Thai series and knitting a wash cloth I told her about, my husband went to a movie to watch the Blind Side, my sister and bil playing the new super mario bros. on Wii. Really, we are so OK with this while others may be thinking something else. That's why I'm so thankful that we can be our own Lao-ish family. You know what I mean.

Kalee, wrote a thankful post so that I got me started too:)

I'm thankful for:

~ my mom making me breakfast, yes, from coffee from the French press to toasted buttered whole wheat English muffins and fried eggs, thanks Mom!



~ Bruce, my husband. The love of my life.
~living out of a suitcase for the last 2 months as we are here visiting family and friends, another month to go!
~being able to have a sense of taste, I really love different kinds of food, even for our stinky, spicy Lao food!



~laughing until my stomach hurts even though we have our family dramas
~our church families who lovingly prays and support us
~for the opportunities to learn and grow in what I'm interested in: cooking, photography and writing

There's so much to be thankful for. Do share your thankfulness. It's contagious.


Resting with Ms. Rosie this morning while I read Cooking Light magazine

Have a great thankful Thanksgiving!

Up in the valley

We were welcome to this:

My sister's slow roast ribs.



Au gratin potato for the "white people" :)



Mom pounding chilis to make Lao cucumber salad for us to eat with the ribs.



Pound, stir, pound, stir, mixing it all in.



Having pear cider with my dinner.



Ms. Rosie, my sister's Lab was the entertainer for the night, wearing her mommy's apron. What a cutie!





It was a good day indeed.

12 Hours

~ of family fun time in Lego Land.




Carl and Katryna


Wow, we really got our money's worth of being in Lego Land. The kids and adults enjoyed the many rides there. What I enjoyed was the Mini Land where replicas of different landmarks iand views n the US and around the world like San Fransico, New York and The Taj Mahal. Of course, we enjoyed the trying the orginal snacks of apple fries coated with cinnamon. It comes with vanilla flavored whipped cream, so good! Lunch was their famous bbq pork ribs which comes with fries and bbq baked beans. I thought it was OK. Thinking I will have better ribs at my sister's tomorrow. I did shared a chocolate cake with Rita:) Then it was more rides, sitting, chatting and so much laughter. Dinner was at Mimi's Cafe and I shared a Mimi's cobb salad with Rita. I should of taken Rita's suggestion on their Blue cheese walnut salad as the cobb salad was something I wouldn't ordered again. But I did enjoyed the French onion soup. Tomorrow, we would say good-bye to Bruce's side of the family to go to my sister's house to spend our Thanksgiving there.

It was a long day but had a great time when spending it with family. Have a good night!

Our Sunday, books and soccer

After worship we had lunch at Bruce's parent's house. His brother Richard and family came down from Vacaville for Thanksgiving so it's nice to see them before we head up to Tulare to my sister's place. Lunch was veggie and meat lasagna with two kinds of salad. My favorite so far is pomegranate salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I skipped the bread and was still so full.

I later had a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream, yummy. The others, except Bruce and I went for a walk so I took a short nap.

Then we went out for a short trip to Barnes and Noble as it was the last day of the 50% sale on hardcover books. Bruce bought a book on the history of In and Out Burgers and a new John Grisham one. Here's a couple of books that I've been eyeing for sometime.

A biography with recipes and stories from her parents during the Great Depression.

I have read the first memoir by Jeannette Walls called The Glass Castle. I loved it! Me and memoirs go together. So this next book looks pretty interesting as it's about her grandmother growing up in Arizona. And having been to Arizona I thought it would be a good read (that's after I finish Anne Frank's Diary).






Oh I've got to jot down my happenings in this calender!

After the little pleasures of booking shopping we went back to Bruce's parent's house to hang out while waiting to go to visit our pastor's house. While chatting and laughing with the others I learned how to crochet a wash cloth from Joanne. I'm stoked that I could learn it for a short amount of time!

As we were at our pastor's house for dessert of pumpkin rolls with cream cheese filling and coffee (which was to die for!) we watched the last 9 minutes of the major league soccer LA Galaxy v. Real Salt Lake. His family hardly watch soccer as they are big football fans. But I think we got them converted and cheering for LA G;) It was killing me how Beckam was playing. Real Salt Lake won by a penalty kicks 5-4.

What a way to end the day. Tomorrow is a new day for Lego Land with the kids. I better get some sleep, if I can as I had a big cup of coffee:/