Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the first Thanksgiving that I haven't spent with my family - other than those times in college when I went home with a friend to share their Thansgivings.

Usually, for Thanksgiving, we all get together and cook and have a great time.  It's a great chance for me to really play with different recipes and experiment - with an incredibly appreciative audience.

But this year is different.  We're on the other coast and since we'll be heading back to California prior to moving to Brazil - it didn't make sense to take the time and the money to head west.  So - we stayed here.  We could have joined an number of potlucks - but since this year, Thanksgiving fell on K.'s birthday, we wanted to spend the day with the four of us.

And what a day we had!  First opening presents.  And then a great hike at Great Falls.  I just love that place.

Check out the high water mark for 1936!

We had a Thanksgiving feast at a local restaurant.  (I know - everyone is surprised that me, a chef, didn't cook.  But cooking would mean spending time away from celebrating with my family - better to purchase a dinner out). 

And then we had a rousing game of family Monopoly where I completely took advantage of my lovely daughter.  I was able to talk her into purchasing Indiana Avenue for me and then accepting Water Works for the $1000 rent that I owed her.  But eventually, my inability to land on Free Parking resulting in me forfeiting my two monopolies and K. and her winning the game.

A great end to a great day!