Thanksgiving

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving with Gene's side of the family at Lorraine's new house. It is finally big enough to hold everybody though, ironically enough, this year not every one could attend. We gathered around 3:00pm and while the ladies worked in the kitchen (isn't that how it always goes?) the men sat around talking and relaxing on the sofas, though NOT watching a football game since she doesn't have a TV. I actually enjoy Thanksgiving football games, so that was a bit weird for me. I brought my Black Friday ads to sort through and plan my routes. I had fun talking with Nicole about shopping strategies and telling stories of past Black Friday experiences. The food was wonderful and everyone just hung out--grazing--visiting and enjoying the feast & company.

Afterward we drove to Felicia's so we could coordinate the shopping (which I got up at 3:45 AM to do--done by 9:30 AM!) and visit for a while. Megan slept over and Gene had to work the next day, so we all got to bed pretty early.

I LOVE Thanksgiving! This year I am so thankful for my family! Our home! Our health! Gene's work! Our freedom! And for the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!! On a slightly lighter note, I'm also thankful for: Jared (the other man in my life), my mother for always babysitting, Netflix streaming to our Wii, that my hair-health has improved, awesome neighbors with snow blowers and for all the wonderful family history that I've un-earthed in recent months!

Lorraine, Amanda & Lori working in the kitchen

Barbara, Gene, Verle & Mark laaaaazing around...waiting for FOOD!

A view down one side of the Thanksgiving table: Amanda, Nathan, Alex, Verle, Lori, Emma, Sarah, Megan, Hannah, Deanna, Jennifer (not pictured: Gene, me, Cody, Nicole, Brandon, Lorraine, Mark & Barbara plus other company that showed up later, renters of Lorraine's)

Yummy feast! Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad,

sweet potato casserole, greenbean casserole and cranberry sauce.

The little kiddies table: Emmett, Gianna, Morgan & Grant

Cousin Alex reading a book to Morgan and Grant. Awww!
Hope everyone out there had a wonderful Thanksgiving too
and that you took a minute to count your blessing!

hubs b-day

My hubby turned 42 this year! His birthday happened to land on the Sunday that was Stake Conference, so we played hookie and stayed home. We made him breakfast in bed and lounged around watching movies & playing, etc. I made a good lunch and the girls gave him a "spa" (which is what they call a foot rub/back rub/braiding the hair--even on Gene). Then we went out to Lorraine's house for dinner (mmmm....Mexican!) and cake/ice cream. Gene requested that I make apple pie, which I did, and Lorraine made a chocolate cake that, unfortunately, no one got to enjoy due to an accident. It made for a spectacular conversation piece though! A couple days later my brother took the hubby out to dinner. He had a lot of fun!


Gene is the type of person who feels deeply and a little love goes a long way! At times he gets over-looked or taken for granted because he likes to "fly under the radar", but I hope this birthday showed him how much her means to everybody in our lives and how much he is truly loved!!! Happy Birthday, Gene!

The fallen chocolate cake. :( Did you know that you shouldn't put glass bakeware

on a hot glass/flat top stove? It burst and shattered ev.ery.where!

The homemade apple pie that I made (and just NOW realized that I got

his age wrong on the crust!) (Wow!)

Gene (in the green) with Cody, and all the kiddos (Morgan--peeking out on the left, Megan, Nathan, Sarah, Gianna, Grant & Emmett) singing "Happy Birthday to YOU" and helping to blow out all those candles!!! ;)

in memoriam

We've had a very sad tragedy happen at our home. Emma's dear beloved Funny Bunny has died. We aren't sure how, but speculate that one of those early frosts was too much for her, and perhaps she didn't quite have her winter coat yet? We planned on bringing her in for the winter, but it got cold sooner than we expected, if that's in fact how it happened.

All I know is that I'll never be able to forget the morning that Emma ran back into the house, after going out to feed her, screaming that "Funny Bunny wasn't moving" and was "frozen". She was besides herself with grief! Crying! Wailing! My heart absolutely sunk that day! My poor sweetie was sad-er than I'd ever seen her. She loved that little bunny! She worked so hard on her speech to be able to earn her! And Emma took such good care of her every day playing with her and even cradling her. We're doing our best to create a scrapbook of memories of Funny Bunny for Emma to always remember her. Rest in peace, Funny Bunny.

Emma with her bunny just a week before the bunny passed away.

Our little "ceremony" slash burial. Emma putting on a brave face in front of her friends.

Gene burying Funny Bunny in the back yard by the bunny cage.

Halloween

You know that song: Video Killed the Radio Star? Well, I believe that Facebook killed the 'Blog Star'! I used to update this poor blog at least weekly, even a couple times a week for a while there, but it seems anymore that my life can be summed up in a quick 'status update' or 'tweet'. Meanwhile all the photos that I love & want to share sit on my computer collecting cyber-dust. Sad.

Halloween was more than a month ago (even though the date stamp will read differently) and soooo much has happened since then. I suppose that it's a good thing that I have a fun & busy life and more importantly that I am PRESENT and living that life, but I would like to journal it more often, which means I would like the time to be able to journal it.

We had a fun Halloween season. We had two little witches and a little ghost in our family. We spent a rainy evening collecting candy at our ward house trunk-or-treat then, per tradition, went to Verle & Lori's home for our family trick-or-treat in their neighborhood and soup pot-luck. Yummy. All year long I look forward to Lorraine's baked potato soup! (I realize that I can cook some for my own family, but Gene doesn't like potato anything, so...) The rain really dampened their loot--in years past they've brought home 5 lbs or more of candy (yes, we weigh it), but this year Emma & Sarah got only 3.5 lbs and Morgan got 2.5 lbs. Still we had so much fun seeing how everyone dressed up and then watching Hocus Pocus after all was said and done. The next day the 'Book Witch' brought our girls a new Halloween book in exchange for a candy sacrifice. ;)

Emma, Morgan, Sarah & Gene carving pumpkins from our own garden

a couple days before Halloween.

Our finished Jack-O-Lanterns

"Woody" Emmett, "Ghost" Morgan & "Buzz" Grant--cutie cousins!

My cute niece, Jen (l), and her roommate dressed up as the perfect gLee cheerleaders!

Morgan enjoying the fruit (chocolate) of her labors!

Witch Emma, Ghost Morgan & Witch Sarah

Sarah & Emma showing Aunt Felicia their missing teeth

"TRICK OR TREAT!" at Uncle Jeff & Aunt Felicia's house.

We stopped by my Mom's house as well. Morgan LOVES Grandma!!!

cornmaze fieldtrip

Earlier this month we went on a field trip to Thanksgiving Point for the K12 Cornmaze and hayride Fall festivities. It was a really fun day, the weather cooperated and the kids wore themselves out with all the running around (and getting lost) in the Cornmaze among other things. They each got a mini-pumpkin at the end of the day to take home and decorate. The photos say more than I could, so enjoy:

Every Fall field trip needs a tractor and scarecrow!

Morgan, Emma & Sarah

Sarah, Morgan and Emma on the hayride

Apparently it was very relaxing, as the kids started getting sleepy and 'spacing'

At the entrance to the Cornmaze

A view from a lookout tower

"Hope this is the right way!"

"Which way should we go?"

Emma, Sarah & Morgan walking the Cornmaze

A pumpkin tree

These tetherballs have little personalities to me:

"Hey, Fred! When they're done with you it'll be my turn right, Fred? Fred?"

Emma Hog, Sarah Hog and Morgan Hog

Emma Not enjoying the tunnel slide...

...and barely enjoying the wave slide with Sarah & Morgan.

Apparently slides are not her 'thing'!

Sarah caught in mid-air

Emma, Sarah & Morgan on swing tire-horses

Morgan with a sleepy scowl on her mug...time to go home!

zoo fieldtrip

The beginning of October we took a K12 field trip to the Hogle Zoo. It was the second year they have had a field trip to the zoo and it was a great turnout. Our school color is red and we have shirts to wear and show our support--at times it was a sea of red throughout the zoo, it was awesome! We had a lot of fun and it was a surprisingly stress-free day, but some of the animals were not as active as we would've liked....with the exception of my little animals! ;)

Emma, Sarah & Morgan standing in front of the Ape size comparison.


Mommy elephant and Suri, the baby elephant--one of our favorites!

One of the silver-back gorillas checking out the kids.

I loved this giraffe! He was so funny playing with this toy and it was so cool to see him eating up close, the girls loved it!

Emma, Sarah & Morgan riding tigers

More giraffe pics

Morgan loved this little bobcat!

We had lunch at the Asian Tiger pavilion...

Then toured the Jungle Dome and loved seeing the birds of the rain forest.

Morgan checking out the Rhino eating.

Sarah, Emma & Morgan riding the 'elephant' trunk

(Morgan anticipating the water & noise blow)

back to school

Here's some pictures from the beginning of the school year. Back in September I took Sarah & Emma's portrait pics in our front room and the rest are from the K12 'back to school' field day/science day in the park. We are still loving our K12 group! Sarah is in 5th grade this year & doing phenomenally well in reading & math. Emma is in 1st grade this year & loves all of it--math, reading, science & even handwriting. This year the math program for all grades has changed and, even though it has it's glitches that are still being worked out, it is super interactive for the kids and has numerous games and lessons that reinforce principles and concepts. Emma is reading well above her grade level and Sarah tested reading at a 10th grade level. Seriously. She blows me away!

Sarah's 5th grade portrait

Emma's 1st grade portrait
Emma with her school curriculum in our 'school room'/office.

Sarah with her school curriculum

A group of K12 students & families at the science back to school day in the park.

We were learning about air pressure, direction and flow. Here the kids made their own wind socks.

We filled up the socks by allowing air to flow around us...

...and they we beat each other with them!

Morgan & Emma having a wind-sock duel!

Then we learned about air pressure using nearly empty soda bottles and bike pumps. The water seals the bottle when turned upside down. I love the trajectory on this shot!

Sarah pumping her bottle full of air...

...and there it goes! It was a super fun day to start the school year!