Thanksgiving

There's no place like home for the holidays! After parking the motorhome in their driveway, I am sure Vince and Barb may have made up other words to that song.  During the first weekend of our two and a half week stay in Southeast Pennsylvania, we headed to Lancaster to enjoy a full blown Thanksgiving meal with Amy's aunts, uncles and a few cousins. We then spent two days volunteering at the Mennonite Central Committee Material Resource Center where we helped with book recycling, school kits, health kits, baling clothing and re-paletizing canned meat.  It was amazing to see how they would make something out of what others discard.  They make rag rugs, comforters, and quilts for sale at MCC Relief Sales. Their mobile canner travels to various states and volunteers can donated meat to be shipped all over the world to aid in relief efforts at refugee camps due to war or natural disasters. The recycling program alone brought in $200,000 last year.

We enjoyed another amazing feast of Thanksgiving at Vince and Barb's house.  Grandmom, all Jerry's siblings and spouses and all the nieces and nephews were there.  During our stay we visited the apartments of the newlyweds Michael and Erin and Ben and Aimee.  We also caught up with Amy's college roommate Michelle, and Jerry's high school friends, Kurt and Colleen and Chris and Michele.  We got to spend some extended time with Kacie, Mikayla and Jake while Kent and Gail celebrated their 25th anniversary.  We enjoyed dinner with Tom, Karen and the boys and more family time bowling and roller skating.  Needless to say, it was a full and memorable time.

Not to leave any stone unturned, we took the train from New Jersey to New York City for the day with Barb.  We made our way around the city on the subway, taking in Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Balto statue in Central Park, Lombardi's Coal Fired Pizza, Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial and Macy's.  It was a full day!  Macy's was more packed with people than any other stop.  They did have the best Christmas decorations in the city, though.