Holiday Guests

I'm so excited about the impending holidays. We're staying here for Thanksgiving, and my best friend and his sister (who is also our good friend) are flying in from Florida. They'll arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. On Thursday, we'll trek to Houston for the most delicious dinner at our friend's house. She is the most exquisite vegetarian cook, and we always have the best time with the friends she assembles.

I asked my best friend how he wanted to spend his time during his visit in Austin, and he said he didn't have any preferences. Although I don't want to plan the whole visit myself, I do think it's worth thinking through what our days might look like and creating a list of possibilities to choose from. Otherwise, I can see all of us sitting around indecisively saying, "I'm up for anything. What do you want to do?" 

Henry will basically dictate the general structure of our day since he wakes up at approximately 7am, naps from 12-2pm, and goes to bed at 6:30pm. We'll have the following chunks to fill:

• Tuesday afternoon/evening
• Wednesday morning
• Wednesday afternoon/evening
• Thursday morning
• Friday morning

Here are some ideas of fun things to do:

• Walk around the lake
• Hike on the greenbelt
• Go up to the top of Mt. Bonnell
• Walk to the little farm in our neighborhood to see the llama and goats
• Make pancakes on an electric griddle outside
• Browse the vintage shops on South Congress and eat at the food trucks
• Make dinner together
• Prepare our contributions for Thanksgiving dinner
• Go to a local farm for a Christmas tree (are we getting a Christmas tree this year or will we purchase a live one and replant it?)
• Go to the Alamo Draft House for dinner and a movie (maybe in the evening if we can get a babysitter through the co-op?)
• Play board games
• Make some kind of holiday craft? Like make-your-own-stamp and then write notes to friends on little cards? Or origami paper crane Christmas tree ornaments that we write wishes on?
• Visit the Austin Zoo Sanctuary
• Visit the Boggy Creek Farm stand

If we eat out, some fun experiences might be:

• Chuy's for Tex-Mex on the patio
• Abel's on the Lake for a beautiful view of Lake Travis
• Mandola's for delicious bread and bocce ball
• Eastside Cafe for healthy food and a visit to the garden/chickens
• Kirby Lane for a classic breakfast experience

What kind of food should we have on hand for breakfasts? Maybe ingredients for one or two of the following:

• Oatmeal (with dried cherries and pumpkin seeds)
• Green smoothies (yogurt + spinach + frozen mango + banana)
• Egg sandwiches on whole wheat English muffins with cheese (you can cook an egg in the microwave by cracking it into a bowl that's been sprayed with a little oil, covering it with a dishtowel or papertowel, and cooking it for 1 minute)

It's interesting to see how are traditions are changing over time. Andy and I used to travel to exotic locations during our Thanksgiving Break (like Costa Rica!). Although I miss those kind of adventures, I also look forward to more grounded and calm time with friends. I look forward to good company and conversations!

P.S. Today's post on 2000 Dollar Wedding is a reflection on creating our own lives on our own terms. 

Photo of my best friend and me during our adventures in Costa Rica six years ago (ziplining!)

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