Happy Thanksgiving!

While I miss my family in Georgia, I must enjoy the family I'm with today. 

We have food upon food, holiday decor, played in the yard and spent time with family we haven't seen in a while.
Oh, I actually made a few contributions this year, a festive banner and bacon wrapped green beans.
Pats on the back for me!
BTDubbs, everyone loved my green beans! (Recipe below)
Now I KNOW I'm in good with the family.
Cindy won't stop bragging about me to her family. Hehe.

Oh, and my sweet little sister finally got a phone!
She was so happy.
I wish I was there with her but I know I was the first person she called when she got it. 

I also had my first Black Friday experience. Well kinda, because
1. It was Target at 9pm on Thanksgiving
2. I didn't have a specific product in mind so there wasn't any build up and
 3. I had gone Black Friday shopping with my mom and sister before but it was beyond boring and we didn't even get anything so it doesn't really count.

 

Pretending Black Friday shopping is hectic

I must say it was a pretty good first holiday away from home. 

Now, for a dope ass recipe.

 BACON WRAPPED GREEN BEANS: 

1/2 lb green beans
 8 strips of bacon
3/4 cup brown sugar
 1 garlic clove
 1/8 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons of melted butter

-Preheat oven to 350
-Blanch green beans
-Cut bacon strips in half
-Wrap 5-6 green beans in bacon and place in greased pan seam side down
- In a bowl, combine brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce and butter
-Pour mixture onto green beans and bake in the oven 30-40 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.
-Let your taste buds enjoy the excellence that you have prepared.You can thank me later.

First New York Holiday

My first major holiday without my family is today and I feel incomplete and uncomfortable. This is not normal. 

I should be getting ready to go to my Aunt Ila's house and see all of our relatives from all over the country. I should be bracing myself for questions about life, work and Isabella. I should be worrying about Bella because she isn't used to being around so many people. I should be part of "pass the phone" with family members who couldn't make it to Atlanta. Instead, I will be on the other end. I will be that member who will get lost in the phone shuffle, hoping they don't hang up just yet because I want...need to speak to everyone. 

For the first time in seven years, I will miss all the mayhem and "homemade" food that Aunt Ila claims she made. I will miss the intense amount of hugs, the laughing and excited children, not being able to think...just taking in that hectic but special family time that happens but once a year. 

Waaah, I miss my family and I am so thankful for them.

Our New Neighbors

We live on the most boring and simple road full of funny and complex people. So here is the breakdown...
1. The Bat Family
No one knows much about them because they never come out. They have been known to mow their lawn at 10pm and the children often swim at 3am. They look like a mixture of Michael Jackson and Russell Brand...or so I have heard. Anyway, no one knows their current age, where they attend school or anything personal.
2. The Portuguese
They are an interesting family. First we have the mother, Maria, elderly. She is the OG Portuguese. She works at a bag warehouse. They make the bags for Macy's, Target, Bath and Body Works, etc. She is currently working 70-80 hrs a week. What? A senior citizen working that hard for that long? Have no fear readers, she is quitting soon to move back to Portugal with her husband. He's going to receive social security both from the US and Portugal. Which means he'll be gettin dough. He just wants to show off to his lowly peasant villagers. UPDATE: yesterday we saw the husband drying his car with a leaf blower...
Next, there is the daughter, Odette, 35. She owns a wholesale clothing place. Not your average wholesale, she sells to the big New York boutiques. Plus, she makes regular trips to Italy to find clothes to sell. NBD. Her son is Johann, the little creeper child. He wears sandals in 46degree weather, watches us play through his kitchen window, and hides behind cars before attempting to play with the kids.
3. Us
I don't know where to begin. An oddly mixed family with multiple families. There's a lot to us but "ain't nobody got time for all dat".