Before Giving Thanks

I must first back up a bit and cover an event that I previously overlooked. In my defense, TJ was the main photographer and hid the pictures in a different file, thereby creating an "out of sight, out of mind" situation. I did indeed intend to document the events, but I thought TJ was being slack in uploading the pics and just never got around to it. So here you go--PapaDoc's Birthday and the Big Green Egg.

Now I am sure most of you are wondering several things. One, what is a "PapaDoc?" That would be TJ's dad. Second, besides in the world of Dr. Seuss, when would one encounter an actual green egg, not to mention a big one? Never fear, all shall be revealed shortly.

The date was October 27, 2007. We all gathered at TJ's parents' house for his dad's birthday. We also were kind of celebrating TJ's birthday too, but the main celebration for him had been that morning at his brunch--refer to entry "TJ's Birthday" for details.

His dad wasn't aware that we were all there about to surprise him, but even more importantly, he didn't know about the big, green egg. I know--the suspense is killing you, right? Well, here you go:Looking carefully, you can see Bronwen coming in the picture on the left, and I am hiding behind the shrubbery.

Big Green Egg=Fancy outdoor grilling equipment.

Now, onward with the fun pictures!

We all had a great time waiting for PapaDoc to arrive. It was a lovely day, so Bronwen and I took a turn on the swing.
We were having such a fantastic time that Cousin Sydney decided to join us. Sydney is always great at getting Bronwen to smile, and Bronwen was happy to have her next to us. Even better, Sydney had Curious George with her, and we all know how Bronwen and George are old friends (See entry LA Book Fair, if memory has grown hazy).

I suppose one could even say the Bronwen is a bit of a "cuteness magnet" and before you knew it, TJ and some of the Krieger girls had to join in the fun. Anna Kate is hugging Bronwen, while Shelby is watching over George.
I am certain you all know what is going to happen next. Things kind of snowballed, and we had one extremely sturdy swing, thankfully! Bronwen wasn't sure what to think...and all this occurred in about 5-minute's time.TJ's dad was really surprised when he walked into the house and discovered us all waiting for him. Poor Bronwen was so excited--when the room got quiet as he was coming in the door, she thought it was her signal to squeal. TJ tried to shush her--a 5-month old baby! Like she meant to make noise--but she just babbled out her greetings. I don't even think his dad noticed; he was spent from a day of shopping with Bee Bee and not expecting a big shindig.

We then enjoyed a lovely meal cooked on--you guess it--the Big Green Egg. I had one of the best fillets in my life--thanks to the efforts of Rene and Jonathan. It was a nice day to get together, and I look forward to many more occasions to use the verdant grill.

Oh, and I think PapaDoc had a grand time as well.