Thanksgiving 2018

Unlike last year, we at least went into this year's Thanksgiving with more solid plans, but don't let that fool you into thinking that things went smoothly. I thought the plan was to work a half-day, leave work around 11 or so, throw stuff in the car, then head north. Francisco apparently thought the plan was to leisurely leave work early afternoon-ish and then spend a considerable amount of time at home puttering about, resulting in us not leaving the house until something like 2:30.

At least we weren't supposed to be anywhere until mid-day Thursday, but I was still hoping to arrive in Chicagoland before dark on Wednesday. I'm glad we left Wednesday though instead of risking cutting it close the day of the holiday.  I wasn't feeling great, so Francisco managed the whole drive this time.

I was looking forward to some of my dad's homegrown spearmint tea, and we brought Broccoli Cacio e Pepe and Macaroni and Cheese to eat while we stayed at my parents house.

Our first stop on Thanksgiving was my Grandpa's house. He isn't in the best health, and he'd injured his back, so he's been in a lot of pain. Francisco, my mom, and I were his first visitors for the day, and my cousin Jen and her family showed up shortly after we got there.

Francisco, my mom, and I were his first visitors for the day, and my cousin Jen and her family showed up shortly after we got there. Even though we were only there for maybe an hour or so, it was good to see some of my mom's side of the family and we enjoyed our adventures in trying to heat up an ancient oven without blowing the house up.  I just received news today that my Grandpa is back in the hospital again because the pain was getting to be too much to bear. 😢

We dropped my mom off at home and headed an hour north to Glenview, just north of Chicago.  I think we got there around 2 or so. This was the first time we were the last to arrive.  That didn't leave much time to mingle, but we were able to start sharing some of our travel stories. This is definitely a family that appreciates experiencing the world.  🌍

We took group photos before dinner. There were no fewer than four cameras (ours + 2 cell phones + 1 GoPro) lined up snapping photos.

I honestly don't know that I've ever had more delicious Thanksgiving food than what I've had at this house. Well, my MIL did make a delicious Mexican feast one year that I still remember fondly...

Secretly, one of the best parts is that besides the obvious meat dishes, everything else is vegetarian. And just seriously delicious. I don't even like stuffing - or carrots - but I thoroughly enjoyed everything, and I've been munching on leftovers since going home.

While I tend to be more about the dinner and wine, there were some delicious dessert options as well. I tried both mousse desserts - one was chocolate, and I think the other was raspberry. There was one item that I kept thinking was a Turkish delight, but it was actually very hard and difficult to eat. The coffee cookies were delicious as well.

Everyone was gearing up to play Settlers of Catan, and I'm still not convinced that that's a game I will enjoy, so we figured that was a good time to make our exit and head back home. Francisco said afterwards that it feels like we're in a Thanksgiving movie while we're there. Everyone is just so amazing.

While I'd felt maybe slightly ill early in the day, I was definitely feeling more congested as the evening came to a close. By Friday morning, I felt like I had a full-on cold. I was very congested and sniffly, and you could definitely hear it in my voice. We had plans to go to my mother-in-law's by noon, so we forewarned her that we would try our best not to get anyone sick.

Bella is getting so big!

It has honestly been a year and a half since we've seen his family, and that is just too long!  We always talk about how that needs to change, so I'm hoping that idea actually gains traction this time.

It was nice to spend time with Bella and see how much she has grown.  It is still weird to be an "aunt" though lol. At one point, Francisco's aunt Lu came over, and Bella ended up hiding behind me and holding on to my leg.  Martha said she usually doesn't warm up to people too quickly, so I was touched that she seemed to like me fairly quickly.

We opened our 2017 Christmas presents 🤣🎄🎁 and munched on some empanadas and mac and cheese.

I'd found out a day or two earlier that my friend Rachel was in the hospital. She'd been found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. Friday night, I was given misinformation that she had passed away. I was crushed. Between my tears and my cold, I was a mess.

At this point, my understanding is that her family is waiting on the results of her next EEG to decide their next steps. I don't think there's been any indication of brain activity, and I think there is a strong risk of brain damage if she were to regain consciousness. It's very scary and heart-wrenching to have this happen to someone so young.  I've known Rachel since freshman year of high school, and her and her two kids even lived with me for a period of time while I was in college. While we don't talk as regularly anymore, she is someone I've always felt connected with.

As what tends to happen on family holidays, things were getting tense by Saturday morning, so we ended up driving back home. I was sick and sad and still uncertain on Rachel's current state. I really wanted to go to the hospital to see her before leaving town, but I also really didn't want to introduce any germs into her space and put her at risk for infection if there was a chance she was still fighting for her life. It's been about a week, and I'm still praying for her, and I know her family is desperate for her to wake up.  If you believe in prayer, please take a second to add a line in for Rachel. 💔 And also for my Grandpa. The holidays are such an awful time to see people in pain and families suffering.