Thankful

I got to go home to Idaho for Thanksgiving this year.

Here's me being:

  1. thankful that these folks are my family. (Please note Brian and Jenna in their cardboard form...)

2. thankful for having this lady be my life long BFF.

3. thankful for the priceless and precious time with my grandma.

So much to be grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Key Lime Pie

This was my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner this year - Key Lime Pie.

And let's be honest, I think it was my first contribution ever.

The super easy and delicious recipe here.

Pretzel Turtles

These have to be the biggest bang for your buck ever in the areas of:
1.SOOO EASY
2. DELICIOUS

Here's what you do:
1. Buy Rolos, Pretzels (we got the square ones here, but any will work), and pecans.
2. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet.  Unwrap rolos and place one on top of each pretzel.
3. Bake at 250 degrees for about 3 to 4 minutes, until chocolate is shiny.
4. Press a pecan down on top of each rolo.
5. Let cool (can put on my mom's back porch to speed up the process!
6. Gracefully accept all compliments for your culinary genius.
I made these for my aunt and uncle's hors d'oeuvres party the night before Thanksgiving, and they were a huge hit!

ENJOY!  

Wait - is that the cast of Sex in the City?

Nope, its just my girlfriends and I, having Sunday brunch in NYC!

What 28 looks like..

Here I am, folks!  This is what 28 looks like.

This is what your house looks like when you have amazing friends who bring a birthday party to you.

This is what a "Best Italian Sub of 2011" contest looks like.

This is what your favorite dessert, key lime pie, looks like.

This is what you and your friends look like right before they eat amazing amazing pizza that your parents sent, just like they have every year since 5th grade.

This is what a slumber party looks like when you are 28.  You are pretty much all asleep by 11pm, and happy about it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY PHENOMENAL GROUP OF LADIES WHO MADE THE ENTRANCE INTO MY 28th YEAR UNFORGETTABLE.  

I am so blessed.

A Recap of 27

• It started with my birthday in New Haven
• Off to New York to See Kate Rach and Pears
• Then home to Idaho for Thanksgiving
• Our office moved to Westport :(
• Home again for Christmas
• New Year's Eve was spent with Kate, Rach, Pears and Seba at TIMES SQUARE IN NYC!
• In mid January, I was off to Paraguay for a month to start a new program
• After the end of the program, I went to Mendoza, Argentina to visit Seba
• Had a quick trip to NYC to see Elisa
• My whole family went to the ranch in Arizona to see my grandpa in March
• April brought the Unite for Sight Conference and a visit from Victor
• The next day I was off to Cambodia and Vietnam for a planning visit
• Then three weeks in India to start a new program
• I had just over a week off and then I met my family in Chicago to see Brian and Jenna's newlywed home
• I flew straight from there to Vietnam to start a new program in Hanoi - 3 weeks
• I flew straight from Vietnam to Arizona to see my grandfather again, he was waning.
• From Arizona I went to Houston to celebrate Parul's marriage - and reunited with both Parul and Kai, as well as other Houston loved ones.
• I was home for a day, then picked up Eben in upstate New York
• I moved out of my house and geared up to leave for Cambodia, but my grandpa was getting worse.
• He passed away on July 27th.  Mateo came to visit the same day.
• We went to New York.
• And then I flew to be with my family in Arizona and celebrate my grandpa's life.
• I stayed with my grandma for 2 weeks.  Just me and her.
• We found drove to Idaho and found her a new house.
• When Eben came back from Ethiopia, we took a road trip over Labor Day Weekend to Montreal, Canada.
• At the end of September, my parents came to visit and we drove all over New England looking at the fall colors.
• Then we met Brian and Jenna in NYC.
• A week later, I flew to Ireland for our annual Network Meeting - I was in charge of planning it this year.
• Then my colleagues and I traveled around Ireland for a week.
• I was back for 2 days, and then flew to Paraguay for a planning visit
• Then spent a weekend in Florida at a great Experiential Education Conference
• Then flew to Idaho to present at a conference for camps that serve children with cancer.
• Then it was my birthday in New Haven, once again.

And just like that, 27 is gone, and 28 has begun.