At first, Labor Day weekend was looking like it was going to be like any other weekend in the age of Covid: Enjoy time off *at home* as a family, grocery shop, etc. etc.

Then Hannah texted to see if she could come stay for the weekend. After an excited yes, she then suggested that I keep it a secret from the kids. So her visit ended up being a pleasant surprise for Peter, Jeremy and Ruth. Well, at least Peter and Ruth, since observant Jeremy caught on to the scheme right away.

She added some much needed pep and life to the household! Ruth was happy to have a partner to practice passing the volleyball to.

Until the White Sox lost in the first round of playoffs, we watched nearly every game of the regular season. The TV was uncharacteristically on almost every night. Even Molly got into it.

Sometimes Cinnamon took his seat on the couch next to us. It’s a family affair, you know.

We capped off the weekend with a meatopia of sorts. Jim threw a bunch of meat on the smoker, then we assembled towering sandwiches and homemade (totally from scratch) fries and delivered the packaged dinners to Derek and his big-eating buddies.

The food made a hit with the guys…they gave it 5 stars. A smoked meat restaurant beta version debut? We returned home and ate the rest.