Post by Kristen Gamauf on Nov 25, 2005 1:45:28 GMT -5
I know everyone has been wondering how we are doing, especially with the holiday.
Today we enjoyed the most wonderful Thanksgiving unlike any we've had before, because we truly are thankful for one thing and that is that Mike was with us today.
Grandma asked to give a speech before dinner, which actually turned out to be a few words between tears. But it hit the nail right on the head and we all were grateful together.
This year it was at our Aunt Sharon and Uncle Kevin's house. Now the fun part--description of the Hoyt family Thanksgiving, which is a lot considering it was for less than twenty people.
We had at our dinner:
My mom's cream-corn casserole
My green beans with roasted fennel (straight from Emeril Live)
Aunt Sharon's Sweet Potato stuff that tastes like candy
Grandma's turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet rolls, cranberry dessert, apple pie, cherry pie, and two pumpkin pies, pumpkin dip with ginger snaps
Joyce's ramen noodle salad & fruit salad
Aunt Jennifer's 2 pecan pies
Luckily, my mom and my Aunt Sharon and my Aunt Jennifer made two of each of their things. We never have enough leftovers to go with the turkey and the pecan pie always runs out!
Anyways, we ate around 1:30 (Mike taking a monstrous helping), and then Grandma always busts the leftovers out around 5, and then the end of the night is spent dividing up the rest for the next day. Needless to say we are suffering from food coma! Mike actually had a full heaping plate again about 10 o'clock! It's crazy.
We really enjoyed it just talking and visiting, and Mike even got some last minute therapy from Sharon before he left. She had him working his right shoulder-blade muscles and stuff to help his right arm.
Other than that, we all went out to Applebee's last night. My cousins Julie and Kurt picked Mike and I up. It was stormin but everyone was coming out to Applebee's to see Mike. George and his sister Kristyn and Jeff met us there. Next thing you know everybody and their brother of Mike's friends starts showing up. Brian came from Norton. Chris was back in town and stopped by. Vinny and Matt were there. Even Mindi the server they like stopped by to say hello to Mike.
It was pretty noisy and a spread-out group. So the Parkers and George and Kristyn and Jeff all came back to our house to visit with Mike. It was nice. I can tell though how bummed Mike is because of his ear. It makes it really tough. Plus he's got this pull in his right leg (possibly a pinched nerve?) that agitates him when he sits for a long time. It made Applebee's tough, but regardless it was nice for Mike to get out and see his friends.
Last Sunday, the family ventured out for the first time with Mike. Grandma & Grandpa picked the four of us up and took us to Chicken Dinner at Milich's. Mike stuffed himself there too.
He weighs about 157lb now, though the rehab's scale says about 10lb lighter. We can't figure it out cause we've checked him on about four different scales and they all register 10lb higher.
We've taken a lot of photos lately. I want to upload them, but we are still getting some broadband setup. Once that's in order I can put photos up. I think my Uncle Gary is gonna try and take out an online account and put his photos on there.
I was contemplating doing the Black Friday thing, but decided against it. Mike and I actually went out last year and bought Mom & Dad their digital camera. It's crazy though, and I decided not to.
The snow though sure puts us in the holiday mood. Mike has always loved the snow, but the rest of us don't much. Anyways, Grandma asked him what he wanted for Christmas this year and he said, "Happiness and joy!" and laughed. He's like that, he doesn't need material gadgets and he doesn't impulse buy. He is frugal. He's just content being with family and eating good food.
Aunt Jennifer brought some ornamental grass and put it in a vase for Mike as a laugh. He just laughed and shrugged. She always razzed him for mowing down her ornamental grass, and he thought it was a stupid weed. He still thinks it's useless! I'll write more often hopefully, but it is nice to just take a break from "the website" as it has come to be known in our family circles.
Today we enjoyed the most wonderful Thanksgiving unlike any we've had before, because we truly are thankful for one thing and that is that Mike was with us today.
Grandma asked to give a speech before dinner, which actually turned out to be a few words between tears. But it hit the nail right on the head and we all were grateful together.
This year it was at our Aunt Sharon and Uncle Kevin's house. Now the fun part--description of the Hoyt family Thanksgiving, which is a lot considering it was for less than twenty people.
We had at our dinner:
My mom's cream-corn casserole
My green beans with roasted fennel (straight from Emeril Live)
Aunt Sharon's Sweet Potato stuff that tastes like candy
Grandma's turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet rolls, cranberry dessert, apple pie, cherry pie, and two pumpkin pies, pumpkin dip with ginger snaps
Joyce's ramen noodle salad & fruit salad
Aunt Jennifer's 2 pecan pies
Luckily, my mom and my Aunt Sharon and my Aunt Jennifer made two of each of their things. We never have enough leftovers to go with the turkey and the pecan pie always runs out!
Anyways, we ate around 1:30 (Mike taking a monstrous helping), and then Grandma always busts the leftovers out around 5, and then the end of the night is spent dividing up the rest for the next day. Needless to say we are suffering from food coma! Mike actually had a full heaping plate again about 10 o'clock! It's crazy.
We really enjoyed it just talking and visiting, and Mike even got some last minute therapy from Sharon before he left. She had him working his right shoulder-blade muscles and stuff to help his right arm.
Other than that, we all went out to Applebee's last night. My cousins Julie and Kurt picked Mike and I up. It was stormin but everyone was coming out to Applebee's to see Mike. George and his sister Kristyn and Jeff met us there. Next thing you know everybody and their brother of Mike's friends starts showing up. Brian came from Norton. Chris was back in town and stopped by. Vinny and Matt were there. Even Mindi the server they like stopped by to say hello to Mike.
It was pretty noisy and a spread-out group. So the Parkers and George and Kristyn and Jeff all came back to our house to visit with Mike. It was nice. I can tell though how bummed Mike is because of his ear. It makes it really tough. Plus he's got this pull in his right leg (possibly a pinched nerve?) that agitates him when he sits for a long time. It made Applebee's tough, but regardless it was nice for Mike to get out and see his friends.
Last Sunday, the family ventured out for the first time with Mike. Grandma & Grandpa picked the four of us up and took us to Chicken Dinner at Milich's. Mike stuffed himself there too.
He weighs about 157lb now, though the rehab's scale says about 10lb lighter. We can't figure it out cause we've checked him on about four different scales and they all register 10lb higher.
We've taken a lot of photos lately. I want to upload them, but we are still getting some broadband setup. Once that's in order I can put photos up. I think my Uncle Gary is gonna try and take out an online account and put his photos on there.
I was contemplating doing the Black Friday thing, but decided against it. Mike and I actually went out last year and bought Mom & Dad their digital camera. It's crazy though, and I decided not to.
The snow though sure puts us in the holiday mood. Mike has always loved the snow, but the rest of us don't much. Anyways, Grandma asked him what he wanted for Christmas this year and he said, "Happiness and joy!" and laughed. He's like that, he doesn't need material gadgets and he doesn't impulse buy. He is frugal. He's just content being with family and eating good food.
Aunt Jennifer brought some ornamental grass and put it in a vase for Mike as a laugh. He just laughed and shrugged. She always razzed him for mowing down her ornamental grass, and he thought it was a stupid weed. He still thinks it's useless! I'll write more often hopefully, but it is nice to just take a break from "the website" as it has come to be known in our family circles.