Thanksgiving Dinner

Champ's new trick: Pulling food off the counter. Apparently the smells of Thanksgiving dinner were just too overwhelming, so he had to see what was up there. We came home yesterday to the remains of an apple pie on the kitchen floor. Today Tim left the leftover turkey carcass out on the counter when he left for work...with quite a bit of turkey left on it. We weren't home yet, so Champ decided since it worked once he'd try it again. This time he ate the entire thing--carcass and meat. The only remaining evidence was a small piece of bone left on the ground. I'm not loving this new trick. I think I liked it better when he wasn't so curious.

D-Land/Funland--by Joie!

Aaaaahhhh! A pirate!
We went on the pirate ride and after we went on the pirate ride we went to watch some of the fake pirates dance and sing then we posed for a picture. He was one of the guys playing musical instruments. He said he was drinking rum. At Disneyland?

Tower of Terror!
Megan and me were the only people in the family that went on Tower of Terror. It was awesome! That's us way in the back to the left.

DISNEY LAND! (by Megan)

WE WENT TO DISNEY LAND IN CALIFORNIA! WE WENT TO GOOFYS KITCHEN!

ITS FULL OF EXCITEMENT! WE WENT TO A PARADE AND LOTS OF RIDES OF COURSE!

OH,AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MEGAN, 10, UT!

Trying to Understand

This started out as a brand new, perfectly good folder. Nate was required to have one in his binder for a particular class, so Tim bought a few for Nate to choose from. But apparently character folders in middle school will ruin your life for the next 6 years, so Nate opted for Plan B...cover the hideous looking Spiderman folder with duct tape. I was humoring him, asking him how in the world he thought of duct tape, interjecting that I'm sure duct tape must be way cooler in middle school than Spiderman, and just playing around. About then Beth sent a text that required a phone call back. Not to be deterred from having fun with Nate, I asked Nate if I could tell Beth what he was doing to his folder. Nate likes Beth, and just smiled...my nod to go ahead. I said to Beth, "You'll never guess what Nate is using to cover his folder for school." Instantly she said, "Duct tape!" Of course I was in shock, and and couldn't stop laughing. I finally managed to ask how she knew, and she said, "Because Braden is sitting here doing the same thing!" We all got a good laugh out of that one, and the best part is, apparently duct tape is cover of choice for middle schoolers across America, or at least across Utah and Idaho. School supply manufacturers are missing a great marketing opportunity here. If they teamed with the makers of duct tape, watch out!

And now for Megan's shoes...In August, this was a brand new pair of Rocket Dogs. She didn't like them as much as her DC's. I had to talk her into trying something different at the shoe store. She wore them and realized 1) a lot of other kids thought she had some awesome shoes, and 2) a lot of other kids had the same pair of awesome shoes. After that, she's worn them religiously. I think in the past 4 months she may have worn her DC's 2 or 3 times. As you can tell, these shoes haven't left her feet. Most 10 year old girls love to go shoe shopping, and normally Megan is no different. She LOVES shoes, and loves to even just try on shoes. Once I took her and a friend shoe shopping (friend's mom hates shoe shopping with girls) and they picked out their shoes in less than 5 minutes and spent the next 20 minutes in the womens' section trying on shoes. Over the past few weeks we've been trying to break it gently that we may have to say good-bye to the Rocket Dogs. (Yes, those are holes in the bottom.) Megan won't even remotely consider it, and today when Tim picked up the beloved Rocket Dogs and said they needed to be in the trash, she dissolved to tears. Finally, after 15 minutes of tears and talking, we hit rationalization, although right now I'm not sure what it was because Megan wore this very pair of shoes again today to the movies...for the last time we hope. Famous Footwear is having their Buy one-get one sale again, so we may have to hit the stores tomorrow. I can see a combination of winter boots and Rocket Dogs (most likely identical, minus the holes) in Megan's future.

More Things We're Thankful For...

We're still keeping up on our November gratitude tradition. Here are a few more things we're thankful for:

Tim: Gospel, my children, 2nd Ammendment (Tim's new hobby is guns...), Veterens, Joe's service, and today he said, "I'm thankful I can go to the Messiah sing-in with Mary..." (there was a pause at that point, and I was thinking, "how sincere..."). The he finishes, "So Mary will go to the Styx concert with me." By way of explanation, I should say we have some friends who are going to a Styx concert. Tim would also like to go. My response to going with him has ranged from lukewarm (in attempt to support him) to mildly disinterested (in my more honest moments). Let's face it. Music may be one of the areas where our 5 year age differential looks more like a generation gap. In the 70's, at the height of Styx's popularity, I was struggling through my first decade of life in rural Idaho. Styx is a band I only heard about in the 80's when they released a few songs I was familiar with. To my credit, I do remember Babe. It isn't stirring in me the desire to attend a Styx concert. I digress.... Tim is also thankful for his life, food storage, his freedom, and his Home Depot buddy, Nate (I added that one). Champ is also his Home Depot buddy.

Mary: I'm thankful that God created something as amazing as our brains and bodies, thankful for our freedom to worship, thankful for sleep, thankful for 1 1/2 hours of reading a good book (The Last Lecture...love it!), a supportive husband (who would never ask me to go to a Styx concert), and individual time I get to spend with my children.

Nate: I'm thankful for the end of the trimester, choir (he's found something he likes) and school. Nate also said another day he's thankful for the challenge of school (I may forward this blog to his 6th grade teacher). He is also thankful for Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, and "myself." He's also very, very thankful that the Utes and Alta won!

Megan: I'm thankful for Veteren's Day, soldiers, and America. I'm thankful for George Washington, and I am a child of God. She also said she's thankful for pilgrims and shelter. Recently she said she's thankful for Santa...hmmm...is Christmas near? She's also thankful she got to see Alta beat Bingham!

Jeran: "Veterens Day and those who have served for our rights." He's also thankful for the teachers and parents who planned Colonial Day for the 5th grade; he's thankful for the Lord and the plan of salvation, for freedom of speech, Macey's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Champ, Angel, Penny, and Dollar (all pets), and the fun he had with cans and string. He also said he is thankful for the ability to be free.

Joie--"Pictures in the rocks" (Tim helps the kids find pictures in our fireplace rocks. It helps Joie calm down.) She also said she is thankful for Radio Disney and Disney channel, Santa, Jesus, Thanksgiving, and "real friends who walk in when the rest of the world walks out." (She was reading off a cross-stitch.)

We may or may not get to blogging our gratitude again before Thanksgiving. As a family we have much to be thankful for. This time of year always has us feeling thankful for family and friends.