Hosting Friends and Family in Good Weather and Bad

Shortly after traveling to the northeast to visit friends and family, we were able to host some at our house.  I always expected to have more visitors in NYC, since it is such a touristy place, but I guess when you have a 1 bedroom apartment, people shy away from visiting you.  Now that we have a 4 bedroom house and live in the suburbs, there is more space for people to stay comfortably, but there is not as much to see here in the 'burbs.

When my best friend from home expressed interest in finishing up her summer vacation with me in North Carolina, I was ecstatic.  We've been good friends since high school and have remained friends even though distance has kept us mostly apart for the past 12 years (has it really been that long!!??).  During her visit, we enjoyed lounging by the pool, hitting up some local restaurants, and a day trip to the beach.  The weather wanted her to have a great time, so it cooperated with warm sunny days and cool nights.  It was great to catch up and reminisce about the days of old.  We even had someone ask us if we were sisters - just like they did in high school!!  I can't believe we didn't get any photos together while she was here!  We don't think we look much alike, but perhaps it's just that we have a similar build, dark hair, and olive complexions (thanks to our Portuguese heritage).

The most recent picture we have - taken 5 years ago.

Not long after spending a few days with my BFF, we were hosting my brother and sister-in-law, niece and nephew.  They were able to get to North Carolina before Hurricane Irene reached their path and we were able to spend the stormy day with them, watching movies on our big screen at home.  The best quote of the weekend came when our nephew said, "I thought your house would be lame without a TV, but the projector is pretty cool."  We probably watched more on the projector that weekend, than we had the entire month of August.  In hindsight, we should have better prepared for indoor kid's activities with some puzzles or board games to change things up.

Speaking of the projector - I agree wholeheartedly with Colin's perspective on "taming the tube" as we say in the nutrition world.  It only allows us to watch programs for a short amount of time before either it, or the computer, gets too hot.  And it's harder to see on the wall when it's daylight out.  So if the projector or computer turn off because it's too hot, it means we've been sitting around watching too much.  And if it's bright and sunny out, we should be enjoying the day, not in front of the screen.

I must admit that watching TV, movies, sports, etc. on the huge screen is pretty awesome.  We stream TV shows on hulu, can watch live TV through an adapter that hooks up to the computer, and can hook the DVD player up to watch movies.  Couple the projector with an amplified sound system and you've got a pretty kicking system.  With cooler weather, shorter days, and football season, we've gotten into a habit of using the projector more.  But with a dog that needs to be walked daily, we always remember that the projector must be balanced with daily outdoor activity.

 

 Our home theater meets our basic needs