Next stop, fixing the bridge! The heavy rains washed out our bridge footings…good thing we have a construction vehicle expert on hand to help drive the digger!

Xanna also had the great idea to make graham cracker houses…except the frosting didn’t harden:) But, we somehow found ourselves completely capable of eating the building materials and sweet decorations otherwise. Holmes proved to be exceptionally capable.

Gosh it was great to be together. Really great. It’s hard to not see Grandpa in this picture, and it’s incredibly wonderful to see us all otherwise. A lot of wine, a lot of butter, and a lot of love:)

Three carts full!

Everybody in! And espresso martinis to jump start the day!

Though, I will say, I went back for the green beans and frisée salad! The kids? Yeeeaaah.

For some reason, the leaves needed to be washed (hence the Ziploc of water), so we achieved…a wonderfully brown beautiful bounty in a bowl. If Holmes had his way, it would have been a dirt pile:) 

Best yet! Frank dry brined the turkey in buttermilk powder this year and, as always, it too was the best yet!

And there’s more dancing to come! Note the canned-whipped-cream-shot-action-shot in the background, that’s a thing too:)

Sharks! Xanna happened to call while we were watching the Seattle Aquarium Lightening Talks. We learned about how shark gill filters inspired the invention of a water filtration patent…creating water eddies within filter pores to reduce clogging. Nature!

Rehearsal night! Tomorrow is Grandparents & Special Friends Day at school and Meryl has been practicing her performance. Xanna, Lola, and Tito got a tease performance before the real deal tomorrow:)