Weekend Up Wrap Up :: Thanksgiving

I know, I know - a weekend wrap up on Wednesday? But it was Thanksgiving weekend and my weekend was jam packed with stuff and it took me several days of work to unwind from the weekend. Yep, it was that great!

For the second year, Joel and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house. All but one sibling and my parents came over early in the day on Thursday to help whip up a delicious Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings. We had a great time hanging out together, eating way too much food, watching game after game of football and feasting on a meal to end all meals.

Here's the table, set and ready for the food!

This is only half the food we had!
Good thing Joel and I put the extra leaf the in the table, we needed the space for the food!

My sister Jaisha celebrated Thanksgiving with her in-laws this year,
so before we started eating, we took this picture to text to her!



After taking the picture for Jaisha, they couldn't wait to dig in!

So Good!



The Baltimore Ravens were playing during dinner, so we kept an eye on the game using the Surface.
Dinner and Football - What could be better??

Joel and I were up early on Friday, not for black Friday shopping, but for the Apple Cup. We had tickets to watch the UW Husky's take on the WSU Cougars and we were excited to watch the game. We made sure to get there in time for all tailgating fun. Our tailgating group was cooking up not one, but two deep fried turkeys! But the best part was the fact that Anna was coming to the game! I was really excited to hang out with my bestie and get caught up on all things baby Ellie!



The Dawgs are in the house! I love cheering on the team as they arrive.
Might be best part of tailgating in the tyee club area!



We may or may not have had a bit of fun with the confetti tube we found.



It's game time baby!



Kick off!



A Washington First Down!
Check out my free paws that I got - so fun to cheer with these!



Touchdown Washington!



Go home Cougar - you're loosing.



It's hard to see, but this is the team accepting the Apple Cup trophy.

After the great game, we ran a few errands before heading home to my waiting family. Yep, they were still there! They went to the Museum of History and Industry while Joel and I were at the game. They said it was great and had all kinds of interesting facts to share with us. I think Joel and I might have to go check it out soon. We spent the rest of the night hanging out and playing games together. It was wonderful!

You would think after two busy days, we would lay low and just relax. Nope. We decided to surprise Jackie with tickets to see the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker! Chris, Joel and I have been planning this for months now and let me tell you - it was tricky keeping this under wraps. She is very intuitive. She even tried to talk me into buying tickets to the show the night before! She said later that I did a great job of being interested while preventing her from buying. That's right, mad skills. Even though she figured out what we were doing when arrived at McCaw Hall, she had no idea how close we were sitting. We sat dead center, in the second row from the stage! As always, the dancers did an amazing job and I loved every minute!



Photo Via



The dance of the snowflakes is usually every one's favorite dance, but it is my second favorite.
Photo Via

The peacock is my hands-down favorite dance. I love, love, love this part!
Photo Via



Via

We headed home to another night of hanging out at my house with my family, yep - everyone was still there. We drank way too much and played a great game of Things. Seriously, if you don't already own this game, order it now! It would be a great Christmas gift.

On Sunday afternoon we headed over Joel's sister's house to hang out with his family for bit. I guess we had spent enough time with my family, I could pull myself away for an hour or two. Kendall made us all a delicious turkey noddle soup with his leftover smoked turkey and homemade noodles. It was delicious. Poor Connor was sick with pneumonia, so he was a mellowed version of his normal self. We watched more football together and made plans for Christmas. Can you believe it - it will be 2014 in no time!!

Well there you have it. That was my Thanksgiving weekend. I have so many things to be thankful for this year; two great families, wonderful friends, UW has the Apple Cup, and most of all, my wonderful hubby. Life is so good.

Husky Football - Cal vs UW

Typically I am a crazy very organized person. I plan out everything in a very detailed oriented way that keeps Joel and I on track and on time. But for some reason this year, I just haven't been on my game when it comes to getting ready for the University of Washington football games. (ha, pun intended!)

Joel and I have been constantly late for tailgating, forgetting items at home and generally just being the shit-show in the group. Not something I am proud of. So this Saturday I was determined to change things. The game was scheduled to start at 8:00pm (thanks college football TV schedules, I love the scheduling), so we had plenty of time to get our shit together organized before tailgating started at 5:00pm. I was able to go out and buy some hand warmers and feet warmers (these, these and these and one of these - seriously I effing hate being cold), so I could stay warm for the late night game. Joel had the beer chilling in the fridge. We had a plan for what food we were bringing. We had this in the bag.

It didn't even phase us when Chris came over with his virus infected computer. He and Joel spent maybe an hour saving their files, cleaning out the bad stuff and getting the computer back up running. With Chris all fixed up, Joel and I packed up and headed down the road. We were able to get parking in the lot were we love to park, things are going great. It was going so smoothly, we figured, you know what we need to do now - tempt karma!

That's right. We arrogantly starting saying things to each other like, "oh man, we are doing so good. Look at the time!", and "look at us, we got this. We won't be the idiots this time!" How naive of us. We were about half way to the tailgating spot when Joel asked me "you have the tickets right?" "Um no, you have them right?"

Can you believe it. We forgot the ever loving tickets at home. We were so pissed, we didn't talk the whole way back to the car. We would have driven all the way home and barely made it back in time for kick-off, but Robert so kindly reminded us that we could reprint our tickets at the ticket office. So we turned back around and walked our walk of shame back toward the stadium. We mumbled to each other things like "we have got to get better about this", "what is wrong with us", and "this is the last time, the last time."

After a few beers and some good laughs, I was able to put my shame behind me and focus on the task on hand. To cheer on the dawgs as they took on the California Bears.

The UW marching band started up an improntu concert in our tailgating spot. Normally, I don't care for marching bands, but put me at a college football game and I become a band lover!

Robert and Mike getting pumped for the game! Look at thier cute matching hats.
Joel told me later that he wants one now too.

I love it when the team runs onto the field. I get so excited. Joel thinks it is funny.

Are you pumped? So exciting right! :)

I love Harry the Husky! Be sure to check out his blog: http://huskymascot.blogspot.com/

We made sure to stop by to see Leann and Sean. They have season tickets very close to where we sit! Apparently we were having such a good time, this blurry picture was the best of the group.

The half time featured a special tribute to The Dawgfather, Don James. A legend.



The band played a special selection of songs to honor Don James.

I like this face.

Joel, Me, Robert and Oliver

Can you believe how empty the stands are. I understand it was a late game and we were sure to win, but I always stay until the final whistle.

I have already made myself a checklist and schedule for the next game. I will learn my from mistakes. I will not do this again! Here's hoping, right?

- XOJO

Weekend Wrap Up

It was another busy weekend at the Odell house. Friday night started off with dinner and drinks at Rock Bottom before heading over to see The Wizard of Oz at the Paramount. Once again, I drank one beer too many, ate a few bites too many, and had a marvelous time with Joel. We both really enjoyed the show; I even heard Joel laugh out loud a few times! Unfortunately, Sunday was the last day of the show, but if it ever comes to town again, you should check it out!

What a handsome date!

I'm not sure why, but I look so shy here - like I'm not sure what to do with a beer this big.
Oh, I know what to do... drink that baby!

Joel went with the Tillamook Bacon Burger and I ordered the Brew House Chicken. Both were very good!

Considering we bought our tickets three days before the show, we had pretty good seats.
Even from way up here, the view was great and the show amazing!

On Saturday we were in our blackout husky gear and down at the stadium for the Husky football game against our rivals, the Oregon Ducks. Aside from the few fans who had too much to drink and took this rival thing a bit too far, it was a good game. We were on our feet, cheering hard for our Dawgs but in the end the Ducks took home the win. Joel's friend Luther, from his High School days, joined us after the game for dinner and drinks at Elliott Bay Brewing Company's Lake City Public House and Brewery. What a mouthful! It was fun to listen to Joel and Luther catch up on the last few years.

Duck is on the menu - Let's go Dawgs!

Joel and I tailgate in the Tyee Club area at Merk's Dawg House - come on by if you are ever at the game.

That's right, Will Ferrell was cheering on the Dawgs!

And louder we got!

First score for the Dawgs!

 

Half time show with the band.

Joel, Me, Adam and Robert

Sunday was filled with laundry, cleaning the house, and of course, the Seahawks! Jackie and Chris came over to watch the game with us and hang out. It was a painful fun game to watch and thankfully we pulled out the win in the end. Jackie made us a sweet potato curry soup that was so good, I am going to have to get that recipe from her. I made Joel an apple crisp (it came out of the oven too late in the evening for Jackie and Chris to joins in). A pretty nice fall weekend; beer, football, friends, soup and apple crisp. I heart the fall.

 

I hope everyone else had an equally fun weekend!

 

XOJO

 

I'm linking up with Kristine at Living Barefoot and Crazy for this football fanatic post!

Be sure to stop by and check out her great blog!