Our Tales of Two Cities: Happy Thanksgiving (2)

I’m still full from Thanksgiving – over a week later and still full! Full of delicious old-fashioned turkey and gravy, creamy mashed potatoes and rutabagas, our family stuffing made with actual bread crumbs, green bean and mushroom casserole, fresh bread, and delicious pumpkin pie. And I didn’t even eat any of the sweet cranberry sauce and crumb-topped apple pie. I heart Thanksgiving and everything that comes with it – even the extra pounds!

It was even more special this year because my parents were here to celebrate with us. They were able to come out for a week and we were tasked with the challenge of showing them everything that we loved about/in San Diego and hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Challenge accepted!

A few of my favorite things were the dog beach and dog park, sandwiches from Mona Lisa, multiple trips to Bottlecraft to try new San Diego beers, sushi with Dad at hole in the wall restaurants, shopping in Seaport Village, fresh pasta and bread from Assanti, planning and cooking the entire Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, working on DIY name cards, farmer’s market, Scrabble on the new iPad (unfortunately, not ours, but my parents), lots of football, lazy Black Friday shopping, decorating for Christmas, making pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and lazy mornings drinking coffee and coconut chai tea, and enjoying many many Thanksgiving leftovers.

It is really really hard to be so far away from family. And even though this is my favorite time of the year, this is also the time that it becomes so obvious that we live across the country from all of our friends and family. So I can’t tell you how much it meant to us that my parents (who are not huge fans of flying, despite my dad being a pilot) ventured out here during the craziest travel time of the year to be with me and Matt. It is something that I will never forget. Thank you, Mom and Dad! Love you.

Most of the pictures that I took were of food (shocking, I know), but I was able to sneak in a few that actually featured people. Here is a little mix of both.