Thanksgiving Fun!

(The view from my front door)

Happy Thanksgiving my friends! I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend and ate plenty of yummy food. This year was full of all sorts of stuff and it's hard to believe it's all over. As I sit here on my couch in the front room, I am watching the snow fall and listening to the Peaceful Christmas station on Pandora and wrapped up in a blanket. Mike is sleeping and I am finally alone with my thoughts about the weekend and the month to come. I have absolutely loved this past week and I am so sad that I have to go back to regular life tomorrow. 

So, to recap the last week, I think I will go day by day. As I said, there were many things that happened:

Monday - Nov 22nd - This was a regular day at work. Everyone in the office had some issues with focusing on work and was very excited for the holiday. After work, Mike and I went grocery shopping. It was a little hectic and I got pretty frazzled, but once it was over, there were only three things I had forgotten to get for Thanksgiving. Not bad!

Tuesday - Nov 23rd - I got to work that day and found out that there was a blizzard warning out for Northern Utah for the afternoon into the next day. There was supposed to be high wind and tons of snow. The worst part was that the storm was supposed to hit just before rush hour that evening. The news stations made a big deal out of it and we were all starting to get a little worried. I am so thankful that I only life less than a mile away from work, but I knew that traffic was still going to be bad. At about 3 pm, we were all sent home. I got home and bundled up and was ready for the storm. The storm hit at about 6...and lasted for about an hour. It continued to snow...a little...but the winds died down as quick as they came. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed. Mike had decided that he wanted to start learning how to bake and was going to start with a pumpkin pie. He found a good recipe for the crust and the filling, and very carefully followed the directions. When he had completed the first test pie and I took a bite, I realized that something was missing. Oh yes, it was the sugar. He was so devastated that he had forgotten, it was almost kind of sad. So I told him we would try again the next day. 

Wednesday - Nov 23rd -  I had decided to take the day off, and luckily, Mike got the day off as well. We woke up to freezing temps and about four inches of snow. At about 11, I ventured out to the store to pick up the last minute items for Thanksgiving. It took me longer to scrape the car and clear the windows than it did to  get to the store, get my stuff and get home. It was VERY cold. The high for the day was 16 degrees. Yeah, it wasn't right! After that, I came home, got ready, and went to my parent's house to visit with them and my cute Grandma Johnson.

(Me and Grandma Johnson at Andy's wedding, Jan 2010)

My grandma is one of the coolest people I know. This was the third time that she has come down for Thanksgiving and we have all had so much fun. I really enjoyed just sitting and visiting with her. She is very coherent and lively for being 83. She still lives on her own and is doing great. We all had a good time laughing and teasing and just enjoying each other. That evening, when I left my parent's house to go back home, I took this picture of my car's temp gage:

That's right friends...it was a whole 5 degrees in Herriman! This is not normal weather for Utah in November and so it was a little nippy! Thankfully, my husband's car has heated seats, so my bum stayed warm all the way home. That night, we decided to try a pie again. This time, it turned out much better!

Thursday - Nov 24th - Thanksgiving Day! 

The big day had finally arrived. We got up that morning and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is a yearly tradition for me, especially since I went to New York and have been to that Macy's. It was a fun parade. After that, I took a little nap, then got up and got ready for the day. 

Thanksgiving was at my sister Amy's house again this year. There were so many yummy things to eat and it was fun to see everyone. Jack and I played Buzz Lightyear for a while and then he played with Mike for a bit. 

The pie was a HUGE success. Everyone loved it and congratulated Mike for his good work. I sat back and gave him all the credit, even though I may or may not have stepped in and helped. But that's ok! (Wink, wink!)

Friday - Nov 25th - The Day After!

This day was pretty laid back and a little warmer then the two previous days. I spent more time at my parent's house with my grandma. We had another mini Thanksgiving dinner and decorated the house for Christmas. Well...I watched with Grandma while the house was being decorated. I love going to my parent's house at Christmas time with all of the decorations. It reminds me of my childhood and the good times we had each Christmas. It also made me miss the house I grew up in back in West Valley. My parents sold it just after I got married, so it wasn't too long ago.

Sat - Nov 26th - Cleaning Day!

We finally got the house put back together after all the baking that was done. We made one more pie to give to Mike's parents and called it good. We were able to have dinner with all of Mike's family, including his brother, Dave, and his family. Dave has been in San Diego since March. He is a Marine and his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan back in February. His right leg was shattered and he was pretty bruised up. Luckily, he is doing very well and come home quite often. He is doing physical therapy as well as psychological counseling.

After that, it was back to my parent's house for fun and games. I was introduced to the game Farkle. I am totally addicted now. 

Today was a peaceful Sunday and we have been home, watching the snow since after church. Now as I sit here, I realize how blessed and lucky I really am. I have a family who loves me, I have a husband that is my partner and best friend. I have many friends who are just amazing, and I have the Savior and his love in my life. I am a lucky little girl. 

So...what are you thankful for?