Snow in Utah: Thanksgiving 2013, Day 7

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving Day

Finally the big day arrived!  Addy's Birthday.  She requested pineapple pancakes for her Birthday Breakfast and Turkey for lunch.  I was happy to oblige.  

Steve has an employee, Jose Luis who moved from South America a few months ago and his family was able to move here and join him just a few days before Thanksgiving.  We had them over for their first ever Thanksgiving dinner.

 Aside from experiencing their first Thanksgiving Dinner, they also received Black Friday training.

 Alaina received her Black Friday training too.

 Of course there was football.  Which just now reminded me that Bart and Sam were so disappointed that our ward and my mom's ward didn't do a Turkey Bowl (old men playing football Thanksgiving Day morning) that they just drove around until they found a random ward playing (we do live in Utah)  and joined in the game.  Anyway, I wasn't too interested in the game on screen but I was interested in putting my feet up after a long day of cooking.

Alaina sharing her snack with Auntie Lauren.

While our family appointed photographer was here, we all wanted her to take family pictures for Christmas cards.  By the time we realized that this was probably our only opportunity, since she was getting on a plane and heading back to Texas the next day, we were about to lose all daylight.  So we ran outside and Farrah very kindly took pictures of each family.  They all turned out great.

Since we didn't have much time before we lost all light this was a quick affair.  Emily and I decided what everyone was going to wear and got everyone dressed in about 5 minutes and then Farrah spent about 5 minutes taking pictures.  We had one unwilling participant who we pretty much had to threaten and drag outside to take pictures.  This person was unwilling to change his shirt, put on shoes and I was not aware of this until after, but he was also unwilling to make a normal face in the majority of the pictures.  I saw the thumbnail of this picture the next day on the computer and loved it until I opened it and saw the face he was making in it.  I'm sure the neighbors heard me when I yelled out his name in an angry fashion upon opening this picture.

   

That's ok though.  I found one I loved even more and I'm kinda glad the above picture didn't work out, although Zac thought I should still use it.  I think it turned out fabulous for a 10 minute effort.  Thank you Farrah!

The picture made a lovely Christmas card and I also had it blown up and printed for our Family Theme "iStand" for 2014.

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Day 6

Snow in Utah: Thanksgiving 2013, Day 6

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

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We started the morning off with Farrah's infamous stuffed french toast.  She made this for us the last time we were in Dallas (which was 3 years ago).  My kids have remembered it ever since and begged her to make it again.  She obliged!  And it was just as fantastic as we all remembered it.

The guys headed off to do manly stuff for the day.  My mom headed home to make pies for the following day.  And believe it or not, we played more Rummikub.  Speed Rummikub.  Will someone please tell me how I can market such a thing?  Seriously!

Reading to the babes

We decided we had had enough of sitting around and needed to get out of the house and move.  So my sister Farrah led us in a walk/workout.  We had so much fun.  She had us running from one fence post to another.  Stopping along the way to do squats, stair stepping on big rocks, climbing up and down fences, jumping jacks, lunges.  She kicked our booties, but we had a blast doing it.  We were sad that we hadn't been doing it the whole week!

Our walk didn't wear these cuties out too much, they came home and played just dance.

I had to get a picture of all these girls in their cute jeans.

Yes, more Speed Rummikub.

We have an artisan well not far from our house.  It is in someone's back yard and they ran a hose from the well to the front by the street so people can use it.  Since it is from an artisan spring it is always running so I guess they want people to be able to take advantage of it.  I have never been there to get water that I haven't had to wait for people to finish or that there weren't people waiting behind me for me to finish.  Even in the middle of the night!  I once met people who were loading up the entire back of their car with the water.  They came from 30 minutes away to get it!  That's how good it is.  I feel blessed to have such easy access to it.  It is the most delicious cold water you will ever taste!  We were running low so we went to get a refill.

Sam and Teresa made their infamous Tres Leches Cake for us that night.  I had been hearing great things about it, but had never had the chance to taste it.  It was DELICIOUS!  Of course it had to be a Birthday cake since Addy's Birthday was the next day.  This kid was milking this Thanksgiving Day Birthday for all it was worth!  One more celebration in the morning made 4 celebrations in all!  And if you count me going into her class at school to do a presentation about her, that actually makes 5!  Thankfully next year her Birthday does not fall on Thanksgiving.

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