Thanksgiving Surprise

This year our Thanksgiving started out a little differently than most. Instead of sleeping cozily in our beds, dreaming of turkey drumsticks, we were struggling to find a comfortable position on a crowded plane during a red-eye flight to Cincinnati. (By the way, you don't fully realize how uncomfortable airliner seats are until you've spent the night in one. Our flights were unusually on-time and uneventful... except for the fact that the lady sitting by me spilled her drink down the side of my skirt. )

Yes, we were going to Kentucky for Thanksgiving... and it was a surprise.


(Waiting for our connecting flight in Houston)


(The look of exhaustion while flying to Cincinnati)


(We started to feel goofy despite, or perhaps because of, our weariness. And no, my hair isn't pink/orange as the picture may lead you to believe.)


(Andrew drinking H2O at 30,000 ft.)

My dad thought up the idea, arranged the surprise, and made it all happen. It was his Christmas gift to Mom. He picked us up in Cincinnati, drove us to the farm, and smuggled us into the garage. From there, we crept around the house to the basement entrance, slipped silently inside and tip-toed up the stairs to the kitchen. Mom, Granny and Aunt Sharon were busy cooking and no one even looked up, even after I commented that it sure smelled good. I had to say it three times before Mom finally looked up and stared at me in complete shock. That was an expression to remember!


(The usual delicious feast)


(Some of us eating Thanksgiving dinner... the rest of our family was at another table)


(I got to see my niece!)


(She's a cutie.)

It was so fun surprising everyone and spending a few days with them. We flew back to Oregon the following Monday evening and eventually got home around 2 AM. A tiring trip, yes, but completely worth it.


VIDEOS
Waiting for our flight in Houston (6.9 MB)
The result of sleep deprivation and Andrew's demonstration of airline dancing (16.4 MB)
Breanna trying on Mom's glasses and just being cute (48 MB)