For the first time I had my entire immediate family visiting me in Los Angeles. (Mother, Tim, Robyn, Jarrod, Jessica and Michael).
We started the long weekend with food. First a quick visit to Farmer Boys for a nice greasy hamburger and then on to Ralph's to buy groceries. We returned to Ralph's the next morning for more food and to pick-up our pre-ordered Thanksgiving dinner which was surprisingly good.
Highlights of the visit included taking in Wicked at the Pantages where we had fabulous seats. Before the play, we ate at Traxx at Union Station and took the Metro (subway) to the theater. We were all feeling very urban.
There was also a visit to Griffith Observatory on Friday (along with thousands of others with the same idea). Despite the crowd, the hilltop venture was fun. Friday night was reserved for K-State basketball viewing. Saturday morning a trip to IKEA was made, and we bought enough "unassembled furniture" to fill my SUV with little breathing room. The next two days we transformed my back area into a nice cozy den like room. Somewhere in the midst of hammering, cursing, and moving furniture, Mabel decided to take refuge under the bed or any place where she could be alone. JJ, on the other hand, was not phased by the chaos and napped in his usual places.
So it didn't seem like a working vacation, we did take in the movie Dan In Real Life and ate at the Yard House restaurant that is known for the world's largest selection of draft beer.
Needless to say, I love, love, love my family.