Our ESL party went so well!  Dad was stressed for days before it happened, but there was no problem at all.  The house was clean and the food was good and so much that we couldn't even taste it all before we got full.  Everyone brought something and most brought several things.  I really love each of the students.  They are delightful people and so are their spouses.  We have a doctor and an attorney and a math and physics teacher, an engineer with an oil company.  They are all intelligent and trying hard to learn English.
Another couple had come and brought their little 1 year old.  They sat by Dad but they left right after dinner before we got the picture.  The wife of the couple is our student and she is from Burma or Myanmar as it's called now.  The missionaries came and were awesome as friends to them all.  When they left the ESL students all said what nice boys they are.  Our hope in inviting them was to make it easier for the ESL students to welcome missionaries that may come upon them later in their homes.  And besides that, we just like the missionaries and enjoy having them over.  

I made the fake turkey but I let it stay in the oven too long.  This week I'll make it and take it out sooner so that it will be better.  Some people tasted it and said it wasn't bad.  Maybe I'll like it better when it's softer.

Today the Barneys came over for dinner and helped us get rid of some of the leftovers.  What a fun and relaxed evening.  It's nice to be  close enough to visit.  Sarah and Mary checked out the tree house too.  Sarah brought over a friend yesterday to play in it.  It's so fun to have something that brings joy.

While I was buying more supplies I noticed that one of the grocery stores was having a sale on outdoor furniture so we bought a little metal table to have outside near the fire pit.  Something to put the marshmallows and chocolate bars on when we have s'mores.

I burned two of my pots when I was cooking dinner.  I totally burned to a crisp the turkey neck and giblets.  I wanted to use the liquid to make more gravy.  Then the mashed potatoes burned on the very bottom.  But my wonderful pans cleaned up nicely.  It was pretty miraculous considering how burned the giblets got.  We had to open the windows to let out the smell.  We had left it cooking and gone out for a little while.

Now we are happily anticipating the arrival of the Collinses this week.  We can do it all over again but hopefully better.  Mary is a bagger at one of the big grocery stores here and for part of her holiday bonus got a free turkey that she is donating to the Thanksgiving feast this week.  So nice!

As far as yard work, Dad put in a divider between the bushes in front and the grass.  I love it!  it feels good to have definition and not just grass growing into the bushes.  It took a lot of work since there are so many tree roots there, but he persisted and got it done.  Looks so clean and orderly now!  We also put in some different bushes to make the front more consistent.  Getting it done little by little.