Ian & Talissa Visit 2025 - What a Wonderful, Fun Weekend!

 What a great weekend we had! Bob’s grandson, Ian, and his wife Talissa came for an overnight visit—and we soaked up every minute of it!

We haven’t seen Ian since 2019, back when we pulled off Bob’s big surprise 80th birthday bash. (Time flies when you're avoiding long drives, right?) And we had never met Talissa in person—we attended their wedding via Zoom two years ago. The kids live in Ohio and, well, let’s just say Bob isn’t exactly thrilled to get behind the wheel for long trips anymore. So it was extra special they took time out of their busy lives to visit us. And we’re so glad they did!

Kids arrived Friday late morning, and Talissa came bearing a hostess gift. It was a lovely basket with all kinds of goodies, but our hands-down favorite? Her homemade sourdough bread! If you know us, you know how much Bob and I love our bread. And yes—it was absolutely delicious. 

The basket also had a cute Ohio-shaped cutting board, a heavenly-smelling reed diffuser, and a moisturizer that’s already found its way to my bathroom counter. Such a thoughtful gesture—Talissa, you nailed it!

We spent Friday chatting and getting to know Talissa better. She was born in Brazil and came to the U.S. as part of a foreign exchange program, working as a nanny for several years. Now she’s studying to become a mortgage broker—go girl! We loved hearing about Brazil and her family, who still live in Brazil.

Talissa's veggie Fijata

For dinner, we took them to our favorite Mexican spot—Escamilla’s in Grand Blanc. That place never disappoints. The kids like Mexican food and are also margarita fans so everyone was happy… until Saturday morning, when the extra-hot sauce made a return appearance for Bob and Ian. HA!

My Botano Nacho

Bob & Ian had Flutas

And yes, there were margarita's!!!  No picture! Which are so, so good at Escamilla's!  Not strong but such a good flavor!!

After dinner, Bob couldn’t wait to show off his beloved Mini Z racetrack downstairs. He got Ian behind the wheel, and even Talissa took a few laps! She did great—much to Bob’s surprise (he’s a bit of an old-school chauvinist, but we love him). He was genuinely impressed.

 

Bob had the kids racing the opposite direction around the track, which turned out to be even more fun—and more laughs.  Here's a video I sliced of a few quick races Ian & Talissa ran!

After a full day of food, fun, and fast cars, we were all ready to hit the hay.

Saturday morning, I put together a little brunch to send them on their way. They were heading to Holland, Michigan, to celebrate Ian’s other grandfather’s birthday.   I made: overnight French toast, egg muffins (cheesy and veggie options!), fresh raspberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, bacon, Talissa’s sour dough toasted!

 And a special treat Ian brought us—Giler’s Goetta sausage! Guess this is an Ohio favorite! It’s a pork, beef, and oat combo, and it was delicious. I’m not a sausage person, but I’ll eat this one! (I only cooked half the batch—froze the rest for a future breakfast.) They also brought us Brazilian cheese bread balls, and I can’t wait to try making them for dinner soon!

All in all, it was such a lovely visit. Talissa is just a sweetheart, and she and Ian are the cutest couple. Hopefully we won’t wait another 5 or 6 years to see them again! I told Bob we might need to Uber our way to Ohio next time. 😄

Thank you, Ian and Talissa, for the thoughtful gifts, the great conversations, and the sweet memories. Come back soon—we miss you already!