Eighteen Guests and One Unwelcomed Visitor

This Thanksgiving was one of new traditions for us. We always celebrate at the farm, but usually in the cabin, with an early Thanksgiving dinner, around noon. Since my parents now have a house out there, we celebrated for the first time at their house. It is much more spacious than the cabin, for one, so that automatically made it better. And their house has bedrooms for the kids,so they could still take their naps, which was great! (The cabin in only one room.)



Mom and Dad did the turkey and ham, and lots of side dishes-corn casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, potato soup, dressing, etc, desserts-apple pie, icebox lemon pie, and cookies. I contributed honey-glazed carrots, hot mexican spinach dip with chips, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese icing and homemade mac-n-cheese! We had a good turn out, with 12 adults and 6 kids. And we were missing 4 adults and 2 more kids.




Phil and I got to get out and enjoy a nature walk around the ~90 acres that my family has there. It was good to get out and enjoy some peace and quiet for a little while, while our kids were napping back at the house.




We got back to the house around 3 and visited for a while. People slowly started leaving. I was just getting ready to eat some more for "dinner" when I smelled it. I thought, I hope that is in the distance somewhere, but then it got stronger, and quickly. Yup, it was a skunk! Turns out that my parents' dog, a Yorkie, who is not quite a country dog, cornered a skunk UNDER my parents' house and it sprayed her....all over her face!



Oh my! Have you ever smelled the spray of a skunk up close?!! Let me tell you that it is the most putrid smell ever! I really thought that I was going to be sick!! And since their dog got sprayed under their house, the smell was coming up through the floor of the living room! Ugh!!



So, those of us who hadn't left yet, high-tailed it out of there, but not soon enough to not be doused in the scent of skunk. When we got home, we all stripped off our clothes to our birthday suits, right inside the door, and washed them immediately. Then it was baths for everyone. I even had to take Julianna's infant carrier apart and wash every single part of it, and febreeze the foam in it.



Luckily the stench has now faded from most of our things (still working on our shoes though, since they can't be washed). But my poor parents! Their house still has a lingering stench. A rodent control guy came and set up traps to try and catch the skunk/s. I'm not sure if they've had any luck yet.



So we had quite a memorable Thanksgiving. Chase told all his teachers yesterday about the skunk that came to our Thanksgiving. When I asked him what they said about that, he said, "Eeewwww."

So, if we still smell like a skunk, please tell us!!