A Blessed Day

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love family, friends, food, and cooking--it's a perfect day. This year was even better because on top of all that we also got to celebrate a birthday with presents, suprises and singing. Yep the biggest turkey in the house celebrated his birthday on Thanksgiving this year. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!

a GPS so he won't get lost

Who needs a birthday cake when you can have your favorite coconut cream pie?

Pre-Holiday Prep

Our preparation for Thanksgiving began the day before. Dave had to work, but the girls and I kept busy at home.

The girls were in charge of table decorations. Here they are making the feathers for the "turkey bread basket"

then they decorated placemats with fabric markers----Good Job Ladies!!

These projects kept the girls constructively engaged while mom baked pies, made bread and brined the turkey. Yep, brining the turkey---I am a devotee, makes for a juicy, moist and tender bird.

Mission Accomplished

Dave, Ashley and Paige finally got their H1N1 flu shots this weekend. After earlier plans had been thwarted it was a relief that scheduling, location and everything else fell into place and they were vaccinated. Pretty much the only way for us to get the shot was through the county health department at one of the scheduled clinics they have been holding. When we arrived at the clinic, we were given numbers 386, 387, and 388. Fortunately, the health department has a very efficient system for managing people and administering the shots. Start to finish, we were there for just over an hour.

I wasn't able to get vaccinated as I don't fall into any of the priority categories. If I get sick, at least I should have three healthy people in my house that can nurse me back to health!

Two down....a thousand to go

We checked two items off of our "to-do list" this weekend.

Number one, we winterized the patio, a project that we had been putting off for weeks. Dave put the girls to work and they cleaned and cleared the patio then helped brush the paver sand all over. It was a big project and the girls were pretty impressive considering they were being attacked by lady bug-like beetles the whole time. For two girls who are very scared of bugs, they both kept it together even when the little beetles kept landing on them.

The girls and I also started a new tradition - PUNKIN SMASHIN'. This year with all the Halloween activities we ended up with 5 pumpkins. We carved three but the other two were painted and used for decoration. Instead of just throwing the two painted pumpkins away, I gave the girls a hammer and let them smash the pumpkins to pieces in the garden---organic fertilizer.

The second item we checked-off our list: FIVE GUYS hamburgers. Yep, we have a fairly new Five Guys close by but just had not found the time to stop by and taste what are supposed to be some of the best burgers and fries around (even the Obama's love them.)

We went for burgers after spending all morning working in the backyard and we were starving. We all devoured our cheeseburgers in no time-flat. They were pretty good and the fries were tasty too---fresh cut from Sugar City, ID (I thought of you Kelley.)

Paige is definitely the "dessert girl" in our family, but Ashley is 100% the "cheeseburger girl"

How Embarrassing!

I can't resist sharing this Dave story:

Last week Dave was riding home on the train with a partner from his work, this man also happens to be a friend of ours and his family once lived in our ward (Kyle Reid for the locals.) I give this information because as you will soon see, it was a good thing this man knows us well.

Somehow these two guys started talking about their medical ailments and the medications they have to take. Here is somewhat how the conversation went:

DAVE: "I take Levitra three times a day."

KYLE: "Levitra?" (completely deadpan) "Three times a day, huh?" (as he nods his head)

DAVE: "Yeah." (also completely serious)

about 2 seconds of awkward silence

DAVE: "I said Levitra didn't I?" (as the mortification starts to set in)

KYLE: "Yep."

DAVE: "That's not what I meant."

Dave actually takes Lyrica for neuropathy in his feet, but got mixed up and called it Levitra. To make matters worse, at the time he couldn't remember the name Lyrica to even correct himself. I guess all those t.v. commercials work.

Our Favorite Veterans

On this Veterans Day we honor, send our love and appreciation to our favorite veterans:

(Grandpa) Ray Church - US Marines - WWII


(Grandpa) Harold Gibbs - US Navy - WWII


Ashley made stars to go on a display at school honoring Veterans, the above is the one she made for Grandpa Church.


And for all veterans:
"Lord, bid war's trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

"But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye." -Thomas Dunn English

Children's Sacrament Meeting Program

Yesterday was the Children's Sacrament Meeting Program in our ward. The theme this year was "My Eternal Family" and our program included families singing, reciting, and giving talks along with the kids. I thought it was very sweet and am absolutely convinced that I have the best counselors on earth, Crystal is phenomenal! Not only did she write, prepare and plan an amazing program but she also had the kids design the program covers and after the program had the children make family scrapbooks to take home. Here is what the girls made:

I wish you could actually see them and flip the through the scrapbooks. If you weren't there, I also wish you could have been with us for the program. I love the kids in our Primary.

Trophy Time

This past weekend, due to two previous weeks of rainouts, was officially the end of soccer season for the girls.

Here is Paige's team picture:

This is Paige's individual picture:

Here is Paige receiving her trophy, she was very happy about finally getting her "own" trophy:

Ashley couldn't make it to her formal team picture this year , but here she is with her team and getting her trophy:

The Reader

The scene: Paige has spent all afternoon reading books to everyone in the family. We are now sitting at the dinner table.

Dave: I think Paige officially knows how to read. I can't believe she learned so fast.

Paige: (with a questioning/incredulous look on her face) Fast? Do you know how long I have been goiong to school?

In case you where wondering she then told us the answer was 45 days.

A Christmas Carol

On Monday, Dave got free tickets for the family to a pre-release screening of Disney's A Christmas Carol in 3-D at the Imax theater at Navy Pier.

So after school that day, the girls and I took the train downtown and met Dave for dinner at The Grand Lux Cafe, a favorite spot with a huge menu and delicious desserts.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we headed to Navy Pier to watch the movie. It was pretty amazing in 3-D on the Imax screen and we all really liked the movie.

I should warn however, that this is not your run-of-the-mill Disney family movie. My girls were absolutely fine with it, but the movie probably wouldn't be okay for all kids. The ghosts that visit Ebenezer Scrooge are scary and not just spooky scary, but really, really scary. Jacob Marley is terrifying.

No. 1 Customer!

It's official, I am the number one customer! This according to the sweet woman who works at the dry cleaners. And I am not even No. 1 because of the amount of business we do there. It's because I am "so nice." (How sweet is that?)

She also told me today that the way I was wearing my hair made me "look like a college student, so young."

Isn't she the best?! Everyone needs a friend like this.

Happy Halloween

I took the girls and a friend of Ashley's trick or treating on Saturday. We were out for almost two hours, got tons of candy, and were pretty cold but it was fun.