Giving Thanks in Pennsylvania

United Club playin' Sequence

Josh has been traveling like a mad man for work, but between a trip to New York City and Shanghai we got to go to Pennsylvania together as a family.  He commented that the United Club lounge looked very different over the holiday with everyone's kids in there (just like ours were).  We planted ourselves at a high table, got some breakfast and played the kids' travel games until we boarded.  It was positively lovely!

We landed in Pittsburgh and spent the first night with Grampa Gary & Wendy in Sarver (just north of Pgh).  It was so great to catch up with them!  The boys even got to play a piano piece or two from memory for them. 

A real treat for Josh and I was a visit with friends we hadn't seen in years:  the Schiavones.  Their dog, Floyd - a basset hound - had a great time running around with Van and Wes after we arrived.  After we'd all said hellos, Anthony had a surprise for the kids:  new Star Wars Lego sets.  Like the awesome dog didn't make their night already.  Ant was amazed at how the hullabaloo suddenly stopped, the dogs went to their beds, and the kids were focused and quiet reading their instructions and putting pieces together.  Amazing!  There was wine, a delicious marinara sauce simmering on the stove, nibbles to munch on and conversation that could have gone on until the sun came up.  The weather had different ideas though... snow was coming in, and we had to get on the road soon after dinner.    Josh and I were both sad to leave.  Good friends like this have a way of warming you from head to toe, and it makes me miss them all the more.

We made it through a blizzard up to Titusville - whew!  Nana, PopPop and the Weagraffs were all there.  The kids went straight to bed (in their new bunk beds!) and the big kids stayed up just a little to chat. 

Gingerbread decorating

Throughout the week there were lots of homey goings-on.  Josh, Abe and PopPop went out to shoot skeet one afternoon, then the following day took those freshly honed skills out to use on some real birds!  They came home with 7 pheasants... and one very tired Maddie dog.  It was Josh's first time hunting with a dog, and he was blown away (ha ha) by how fantastic she was at her job. 

Back at the house there was lots of hot tub time, cookies being decorated, bread being baked, a turkey brining and a fire crackling in the stove.  It wasn't quite Rockwellian, but it was pretty close.  The kids, Kait and I took a walk down to Robert's Grove park, where Kait and I both played as kids.  The equipment may have changed a little (that merry go round is still kickin) but it's still the same awesome playground it was.  The walk to/from seemed shorter than it did when I was little... hmmm.

It was a relatively short visit, but we left feeling full and warm, as a holiday like this should leave you feeling.  We couldn't leave town without visiting with Van and Wesley's favorite cousin, Lyrik though!!  These kids are so goofy when they get together - I just love 'em!!