Jen Russum

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We survived!

We are back from North Dakota my friends. The weather was actually quite amazing while we were there. No snow. Sunshine. Upper to lower 30s for daytime temps. On Thanksgiving Day we took a walk around the neighborhood after dinner and some people didn’t even wear coats because it was so sunny, crisp, and pleasant. {I wore a coat though…are you kidding me? My idea of truly amazing winter temps is about 75 degrees…}

We ate lots of delicious food, including the Norwegian treats lefse and krumkake. So good. I would have flown all the way to North Dakota for those two delights alone.

We did a little Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving night, and by a little I mean we failed miserably. We only had two items on our list – a flat screen TV and a PlayStation 3. After a brutal experience at Walmart at 11pm, where they didn’t have the TV we wanted and the PS3s sold out at 10pm, we also went to GameStop where we waited in the cold for an hour only to find out right when we finally made it into the store that they had just sold the last PS3. Boo hiss. It was 1am and I was running off two hours of sleep from our early morning flight.

But I didn’t fail completely. While in line at GameStop, I called my mom back in Washington where it was only 10pm. She told me that she and my dad were going to Target at midnight to try to get a TV. We are from a small town and the Black Friday shopping there is pretty tame. I asked her if she would also see if they had the PS3 available and I would pay her back if she could get it {Micah’s Christmas gift}. After an unsuccessful night in Fargo, I awoke to a text on Friday morning {the real morning… 9am not 1am} that said she got the PS3! Win! And later that day Micah and I ordered a TV off Amazon – no tax and no shipping thanks to my free student Amazon Prime account. It will arrive to our doorstep Friday morning. Take that, Best Buy!

For the rest of the weekend we just experienced North Dakota in all its majesty. We took Russum family portraits on Friday afternoon and there are so many spouses and great-grandchildren now that we hardly fit into the studio. The Russums can thank Micah and I for not having children yet {you’re welcome} because with one more bundle of love in the fam I don’t think the photo would have been possible. Other highlights included a trip to the movies, a North Dakota State basketball game and hearing Micah’s aunt, uncle and cousin play the bells at church on Sunday morning before we left. Other than that, I just played with babies – lots and lots of cute babies.

Hello idiots waiting outside Best Buy at 11am on Thanksgiving Day. 
Way to ruin a perfectly wonderful holiday…
Hello Canada?
Hello bajillion cars and lots of fun relatives. Yes, we had over 50 people at dinner!
 Hello sweet KJ! One of my favorite people in the whole wide world who traveled to North Dakota by train!
A Norwegian feast! Hello lefse and krumkake! 
Hello {and goodbye} Walmart shoppers. It wasn’t until the flight home that I learned all the Canadians flood Fargo to shop on Black Friday…
 Waiting with the boys outside of Game Stop. The rest of the girls were in bed. I am hard core…

Hello pout-y face.This is how I felt after getting inside GameStop 
only to find that they had just sold the last PS3…
Hello husband. Thanks for taking me to your birth place, ND! 
Hello Caribou Campfire Mocha. You were good to me after a long, fun weekend.
Merry Christmas, friends!
Jen



Aisle to Aloha


Comments

  1. Aw your sweet pout face! Way to beat the system and find that TV and PS3 anyways! 🙂 Looks like you had a wonderful trip visiting the hubby's hometown! 🙂 Yay!

  2. Not JUST Canada, but the birthplace of fantastic things. Namely, Alison, and the real life spy that James Bond was modeled after, and Winnie the Pooh. In that order.

  3. So glad your trip was great and that you didn't turn into a popsicle! Also, I used to work for Caribou Coffee, totally love it still, miss being a barista, and am now craving a campfire mocha. Are they not TO DIE FOR?!

  11. Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving! I love your jacket and red pants…I think I may have to get an outfit like that. Bama fan you know! 😉

  12. My aunt lives in North-Western Maine and she says it is the same where there with Canadians crossing over for sales! Thanks for helping to boost our economy, friends to the North 😀

    That is an adorable cup! Am I correct in thinking it is their disposable holiday design? They definitely need to put it on real legit mugs!

    Looks like you had an absolutely amazing trip up North with family and friends!

  14. Stopping by from Lindsay's blog 🙂 I think you are so brave to go Black Friday shopping. People go crazy here and throw down so I don't dare, lol I love your cup too! I have always wanted to try Caribou coffee! I hope you have a wonderful week!