Giving Thanks

Peter arrived at the house just as Bruce was going to bed at 11pm and managed to keep him up for the better part of an hour. Didn't keep Bruce from getting up and fixing breakfast and taking off for work. Pete and I managed the ritual walk to school. One thing I've learned about walking is it provides a nice time to visit. The volume in the house has been three times usual since the girls woke up to find him here. They are just plain excited. Somehow Pete manages to absorb it pretty well.

Thankfully the rain stopped just about the time we completed our walk into town. We found Peter a full English breakfast at a place I've been meaning to try. (He likes them!) Did a little window shopping, breezed through King's College Chapel, and met Bruce for lunch. We managed to find a fresh turkey breast to cook for dinner on the way home, along with a few other things -- just enough to make our arms ache by the time we got back to school to pick up the girls. Did not find sweet potatoes or marshmallows or any stuffing mix (the only kind we know how to make).

I asked the girls to make the table beautiful like they do at Grandma Barbara's, and we did have turkey, cous cous, salad, and pie and ice cream for desert; the usual conversation about being thankful, and a listen to Alice's Restaurant (thanks to our previous guests, was it Deb or Dad?). One of the kids was thankful they had had the chance to visit England (Sophia), and two of them were thankful they would be going home soon, but sad they would miss their new friends. (A clear focus on going home.) We all agreed we are thankful for our healthy (and growing!) family, which somehow means more when they are not close by.