This year, I’ve chosen to fly to Kansas on Christmas morning. This Christmas will be a little different for my family as we’re all on baby watch! For those who have been asking, still no word yet on when my niece, Bean, will make her appearance, but I think it’ll be any day. She’s “due” on Monday, but you know how that goes.

Since I’ll be spending some extended time in Kansas, I won’t be regularly posting here until the new year. I’ll be sure to post once Bean has arrived, as well as let you know when my “baby” arrives and is available…should be Monday. These are exciting days!

• Since I’m always traveling long distances on Thanksgiving, I never make any food for the Thanksgiving meal. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to make some Thanksgiving foods here or there, but never for “the” meal. This year I’m making the ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pies. I’m also planning on bringing a olive/pickle tray and spinach and artichoke dip for the all-important munching time.

• So yeah, I won’t be spending Thanksgiving alone, but my “family” here. I’m looking forward to it.

• And I’m also looking forward to decorating for Christmas next Friday. I still have a few “essential” decorations to pick up (basically everything associated with the tree). Can’t wait to show you guys pictures!

While there, we participated in the classic bridal-shower game: toilet paper brides. Here’s what we came up (our inspiration: bows and more bows), as modeled on my youngest cousin, age 5:

The wedding was good, and it was fun to spend extended time with my extended family, something we rarely get to do as we’re spread coast to coast (though I’m the only one on this coast).

Sunday, my dad and I got to do some exploring in Seattle. I had wanted to visit Pike’s Market, and though my dad has been to Seattle dozens of times, he’d never been.

Once we got there, the first thing I saw was a Turkish restaurant. I had to eat there for lunch and, more importantly, share Turkish cuisine with my dad, otherwise known as the pickiest eater I’ve ever met. I knew if I ordered the right thing, he’d actually like it, as Turkish food is pretty simple: meat, veggies, and bread. For the uninitiated, it’s very similar to Greek.

Can’t you tell he’s humoring me? I’m very thankful to have a dad who will do anything for his daughter!

The verdict was that he ate the chicken, onion,and sauce out of it and actually liked it. He also liked the cheese pide I ordered:

That’s kaşar cheese inside. That and the sesame seeds definitely remind me of Turkey…

Walking through the market, we saw this terrace on a nearby building. This is my aspirations as a plant lady:

When we drove to the other side of the sound, we saw the largest starfish I’ve ever seen (well over a foot long!) in the surprisingly clear water. And this rainbow over Seattle:

I had a great trip. Even the 4 hours I spent in Newark were pleasantly spent reading. This is now my 4th time on the West Coast, and each time I go, I absolutely love it. Just a different attitude than out east, and one that resonates more with me.

My supplies for my new project: reading and recording the Chronicles of Narnia for my niece. I’m really enjoying doing it and can’t wait to share it with her!

When I found out I was having a niece, I immediately went on a shopping spree. I’ve been holding back for two months!

Notice that there’s only a hint of pink (at the mother’s request). I’m sure she’ll get pink clothes from others!

My favorite (on the left), and the one I’m sure will be my sister-in-law’s favorite (on the right): “My mom doesn’t want your advice.”

When trying to figure out a family vacation for the 5 of us (my parents, my brother and his wife, and I) we really struggled. Five schedules are hard to coordinate! Finally, we were able to find a long weekend where we and the two grand-dogs could get away. Since we had the grand-dogs and only 4 days, it was an easy choice to decide to go to a pet-friendly cabin on Table Rock in the Ozarks.

At this point, I’ll apologize for the lack of pictures. Since the men of the family are big on pictures (especially my dad), I don’t worry about taking pictures myself. I only got a couple on my phone that I knew I really wanted.

Despite living only a few hours away, I had never been to the Ozarks (in southern Missouri). It was a good experience. And while my family aren’t what I’d call “lake people,” we had a lot of fun. We even rented a boat for an afternoon and each took turns navigating the swollen lake. Besides the one time my brother deliberately tried to throw me into the lake by suddenly stopping us while I was standing, it was fun.

Since we were in very-southern Missouri (and out in the boonies), the closest grocery store was Walmart down in Arkansas. I’ve never been to Arkansas (I don’t count the one time my plane was re-routed through NW Arkansas), though it is one of the closest states to my hometown. It was only fitting that we went to Walmart…what else is Arkansas known for?

Another day, we went to a drive thru zoo. My family was looking out for me the only animal-disliker of the family by allowing me to sit in the very back of the rented SUV. No windows for creatures to try to “get” to me through! Good thing, as my SIL almost got eaten by an elk…or something like that.

Overall, it was a relaxing and enjoyable trip. It was crazy to think that this would be the last time that we’d be together as a family of five. For my SIL’s sake, I hope she isn’t pregnant the next time I see her (I’m flying to Kansas next the day before her due date)!

On our way back to Kansas, we stopped at one of the major tourist attractions in Kansas: Big Brutus. Never heard of him? Neither had I. Apparently it’s the world largest electric shovel in the world. It’s job in the 60s and early 70s (before they realized just how bad it was for the land!) was to easily strip away the soil and allow the miners to get to the coal. Believe me, Big Brutus is called “big” for a reason…he’s huge!

See the “tiny” person in the front of Brutus on the left? Yep. Those wheels at the bottom are taller than me by at least a foot. We got to go up inside Brutus, and the body was as big as a warehouse.

Who in the world let me control this thing?

6 months until Christmas! ;)