Thankful again.

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone and it was another one in which I was so grateful for those around me.  But, Randal thinks it's obnoxious to brag about how our fantastic weekends, so instead, I'll focus on top fives since our vacation (which, upon rereading, still might be obnoxious).

Second to last week of November (aka...  our vacation):

5. Brewpubs in every single stinking town!
4. Snowy hikes every day because the dogs were in tow.  (Extra points because the snow ensured that the dogs stayed relatively clean.)
3. Airbnb!  We stayed in a treehouse cabin in Ketchum, ID.  There was a zip line to the bathroom!
2. One night in Ketchum, we spent about four hours in a wine bar, reading our books, eating food, and sipping wine.  One of the best evenings we've ever spent.
1. No destinations...  slow, slow roadtrip...  best conversation and company ever.

On top of Ketchum, ID

Randal takes a quick snooze at the wine bar.

John Day Fossil Beds!  I went here during college for an independent study!

Last night in Bend.  So fun.  So delicious.

Final week in November (aka...  Thanksgiving week!):

5. Good to get back to work...  Good to see Stephanie...  Good to move forward with wellness!
4. FRIENDSGIVING!!  Jessie (friend from Kenyon) and Cara (friend from Baltimore) came with their canines for a weekend of fun and debauchery.  So fun!  So debaucherous!
3. Crater Lake!  Cara and I sledded down the hills and tried to make out the lake through the snow fog.  Despite only being 20% visible, it's still incredibly stunning.
2. Small business shopping in Klamath Falls!  I was able to show Cara and Jessie the wide selection of shops and restaurants on Friday afternoon (it might only take an afternoon).  They helped me support the local economy and we had a damn fine time.
1. Thanksgiving was wonderful...  Our friends, Holly, Brittany and Chelsea, joined us to consume a 27 lb turkey.  To toast each other and to acknowledge how much we have to be grateful for.  In this time of turmoil around the country, we were so lucky to pause, reflect, and enjoy each other.

Carving our beast of a happy turkey.  27 lbs of delicious.

My man makes pies.  He's the best.

Oh, it was delicious.  (In fact the gravy was worthy of eating with a spoon.  Which I did.  Until it was all gone.  And then I used my finger to get it all out of its container.)

Alvy Singer meets the chickens.

Classy in Klamath.

Cara and I toast to a successful local shopping extravaganza.

There were a lot of dogs.  We're fairly stupid about our dogs.

I think that this picture adequately demonstrates how spoiled I am.

Crater Lake!  It wears all of its seasons so well.

How could I not add this picture?  Juneau is a beautiful, beautiful girl.

From LA to Klamath.  It was wonderful!  (P.S. A big thank you to Jessie for all of the fabulous pictures.)

 And lastly...  last week:

5. Finally receiving the rights to the song featured in our Sky Lakes Wellness video.  Stay tuned...  It is FANTASTIC!
4. The Snowflake Parade!!  Randal and I ran the Snowflake Mile through downtown, sipped hot chocolate, and then played with friends while watching the biggest event in Klamath...  our 100+ float parade!  (Okay, 100 might be a stretch, but it does last for hours...)
3. Ordering our bathtub and vanity for the bathroom.  It might have broken the bank, but it will be well worth it when we bask in our fancy salle de bain.
2. The Ugly Christmas Sweater 5K!  So, Randal ran the first two races of his life this week and did so with panache.  We, along with Juneau and Maizie, ran a 5K Saturday morning to benefit children or friends of children or something like that, because does it really matter?  We got to run a race in ugly Christmas sweaters with our dogs.
1. Sleepovers!  Randal told me that he was having a sleepover with his friends on Saturday.  He immediately regretted this tongue-in-cheek descriptor as I ran with it, scheduling my own ladies-only sleepover while announcing to everyone that Randal was having a slumber party with his friends.  The boys talked about building renovations.  The girls watched "Legends of the Fall."  I hate to be so gender-specific, but it is what it is...  and it was an excellent time.
**Incidentally, no one actually spent the night anywhere.  I guess that sleepovers mean that you stay at someone's house until 2am when you decide that you'd rather sleep in your own bed.  Being a grown-up is weird.

Gosh.  We look so good.

So, to sum up...  I'm thankful.  For the dogs, for Klamath Falls, for my job, for my wonderful friends, and, especially especially...  for Randal.

And also for Christmas sweaters.  They're pretty great too.