Thanksgiving 2019

I love Thanksgiving. I love it because for a little while during the holidays we get to slow down a bit and just enjoy what is really important, and for me that's family. This year, I don't know that I feel like things slowed down, but we did spend some really good quantity and quality time with family. We left Saturday the 23rd, for Idaho. It was such great traveling weather. We made great time and everything went without a hitch. We got to Provo in about 9 hours which is pretty good considering we stopped and ate lunch. I will say bottle feeding has its perks, and one of those is not having to nurse while traveling. It is so much faster. The kids were really good in the car, and I finished up the top of Abby's stocking. We also had an audio book this time to listen to and so that made the ride enjoyable too.

We arrived in Provo at Kitt and Matthew's house a smidge before 5:00PM and when both Gaupo and I's phones were at about 1% battery life. It was so fun to visit Kitt. I took her all of my baby boy clothes that Kade has outgrown. I hope they help her out and get a little more love and wear. They are so cute and need to be worn. Anyway, we got there and chatted a bit, unpacked, played a little bit of living room catch, and then Gaupo and Matthew went to get gas while Kitt and I made pizza. It worked out really well, especially since Guapo and Matthew took the big girls with them. We had a yummy dinner of pizza. Then we got everyone showered and beds organized, read some Mrs Pig-a-Wiggle, and us adults chatted while the kids slumbered. Gaupo retired first and I ended up going to bed around 11:00. It wasn't too late, but Sunday was going to dawn early, so we needed to get to bed. However, it was so fun to see Kitt and Matthew's place and visit and see them. I loved it and I am so glad we made the stop.

I woke up on Sunday morning around 5:30 to get the show on the road again. We got all ready for church, let the girls have a Go-gurt, and packed up and headed out at 7:30. We needed to be out before that, but sometimes it doesn't happen. However, the roads were really clear and we were able to make good time and squeaked into Swanlake ward during the opening song. I wasn't sure we would make it before the sacrament, but luckily we did. So, the girls got to primary with Grandma. Abby went to Relief Society with me and played with some of the babies there. Kade went to priesthood with Gaupo and we had a great visit there. This is the first time we have been to church in Swanlake since having the twins, so it was fun for everyone to get to see them. After church we went to Grandma's and had a wonderful ham dinner and moved in to stay for awhile. Blaine and James didn't come to church, so the girls were so excited to see them afterwards at Grandma's. We were thinking about trekking down to Utah that afternoon, but opted not and I visited while Gaupo took a nap. The afternoon was spent just enjoying each other's company and catching up. Then it was dinner, and more playing and visiting. When the kids went to bed we played games for awhile and then headed to bed too. 

Playing front and center with the other babies in RS.

Monday we were going to go to Logan to visit Grandma Hammond, but Kylee threw-up at breakfast and felt kind of yucky until later in the afternoon, and it was kind of stormy, so we stayed put and just let the kids play. Blaine had school, so it was just James and the girls in the morning and then Blaine was home in the afternoon and everyone played. I don't know if the below photos are from Monday, but they are of the kids playing together.

The kids painting rocks and Melanie's house Melanie, Blaine, Tia, Kylee, and James.

Blaie, Kylee, and Tia trying to sled by the house.

The 3 babies 'playing' together. Jackson, Abby, and Kade.

Tueday was a clear day and everyone was feeling good, so we went to Logan. The kids had a blast playing in Grandma Hammond's amazing basement. Which has cool toys, plus a great adult audience to watch you play. We stayed there for about and hour and visited with her and let the kids play and then we headed home. That afternoon we made gourmet caramel apples. I so wish I had snagged some pictures of it, but alas you will just have to trust me. The kiddo's, Melanie, and I unwrapped 4 bags of caramels. Just so you know Kraft is way easier to unwrap then Brachs. Anyway, we got them all and then we melted them down, which seemed to take forever for some reason. Maybe I am just impatient. Once it finally melted, each kid helped dip 3 apples. We covered 12 apples in caramel. Then we let that set while I melted the chocolate, which also took FOREVER! Seriously, I think it took even longer than the caramel, I don't know what I was doing wrong. Anyway, next time I might just you the chocolate candy coating. Finally it melted, while it was doing that the kids helped crush some chocolate covered graham crackers, oreos, butterfingers, and reeses peanutbutter cups. Then we dipped and rolled and topped. Then we put them in the car. There was no fridge space and it was plenty chilly outside. The kids had a blast with it and the apples turned out great, but man it seemed like quite the process. However, we did enjoy them for the rest of the week.

The car from back to front on our trip to Logan. (Tia, Me, James, Kade, Kylee, Abby,  Guapo, and Grandma)

Wednesday was more play and some Thanksgiving prep. We made pies and rolls. I did the rolls, and made a raspberry pie. The pie was pretty good, and the rolls had kind of a flavor I thought, but none of it was bad, so I guess its okay. However, I felt like we were cooking most of the day, however, it was nice to not be cooking alone, which is one of the hard parts about when we have it by ourselves. So, rolls and pies were ready. Meals between all of that cooking were served, and games were enjoyed that evening too. 

Thursday we Thanksgiving. I guess I felt like I had cooked enough, so I played more with the kids outside. We went and found some tubes in the shop and climbed the big hill to go sledding. After playing for awhile I did go in and help get the table set and things setup for a wonderful feast. The feast never last quite long enough for all the effort it takes to make it, but it was still really good and fun to be together. We were missing Heidi and Jeff's family, but it was still quite a crowd. After I helped clean up I went outside and helped build two snowman and teach the kids to make and play fox and geese. It was really fun to play with kids, and enjoy the peaceful outdoors. Thursday night we played games, but went to bed kind of early because Heidi and Jeff were coming on Friday.

Dinner time. 

The kids table. Kylee, Tia, James, and Blaine.

Adult Table. Melanie, Aaron, Gary, Grandpa, Grandma, Aubrey, and Scott.

However, when Friday came their kids got sick and so they couldn't come. We found out they weren't going to make it on our way up to visit Grandpa-Great. I love visiting him. Going to his house and being with him is kind of like going home. For me it is peaceful and comfortable. I love it. The visit only got to last about and hour before we had to go. It wasn't long enough and I had major longing to live a little closer so I could visit more often. It was so good to see him and bask in his love. After that visit we headed up to Uncle John and Aunt Karen's for what was going to be a short visit and a meat pick-up but turned into about an hour visit and a meat pick-up. There whole family was there minus Michelle and her crew, so it was good to see them all and chat a bit. Eventually we got headed back to Swanlake, and spent the rest of the day there. Blaine and James had gone to visit there other family, so the girls just kind of lounged around and watched way to much tv, but oh well. About 3:00PM the boys came back and we got on our snow gear and headed out in the snow for a couple last runs down the sledding hill. It was good sledding and we went down the about 5 times. The last time I let the kids go as far and they could and we all made it through the gate by the grain bins, so that was pretty fun. Then we headed inside to warm-up and have some dinner. That night we played out last little round of games and went to bed.

Kylee, Blaine, Jame, and Tia getting ready to go down the hill.

Those are the kids at the bottom of the hill, and I am taking the picture from where we started.

Saturday we left. It was kind of hard to leave knowing we wouldn't be back for quite awhile. The weather wasn't terrible but it wasn't great. The roads from Cokeville to I-80 were terrible. However, we were blessed with safety and Jason took things nice and easy, so it took us 6 hours to get to Rock Springs (normally a 3.5 hour drive), and when we got there we found out the I-80 Eastbound was closed, so we got a hotel for the night. It was actually way fun. It had a little indoor pool and the Hallmark Channel, so we watched a Christmas movie. The girls went swimming once while I went to Wal-Mart to get some bread, PB, and Jelly for sandwiches that night and meals the next day. Then that night I took them swimming again while Gaupo got the twins to bed. Then we all kind of crashed. When we woke-up it was still closed and we didn't think it was going to open before 10, so planned to take it a little easy go to sacrament and then hope it was open. However, it opened around 8:00, so I took the kids to get breakfast. Gaupo and I chose to fast mainly because I stake was having a special fast to be able to have chance to invite in normal and natural ways. So, I really wanted to join with them in that. Then I also really felt it important and needed to go partake of the sacrament, so we did and then headed out. 

The bread I could by in WY. Probably the only reason to live in WY. (hehehe)

The hotel room party.

It was a really cool experience going to church that Sunday. I really struggled with to go or not to go the night before. We needed to get on the roads before they closed, but I really wanted to have Sunday, and to have the sacrament. So, as I was pondering Saturday night on what to do with fasting, and going to church and travel and all those things I found this quote for Pres. Nelson that really helped me. "When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, 'What sign do I want to give to God?' That question made my choice about the Sabbath day crystal clear." I don't know that it made the choice for what to do crystal clear for me, but I did feel empowered to choose what was right, and to know that what I felt could be different than what someone else chose and we could both be right. Sabbath day observance doesn't have one right way. Anyway, after pondering that I decided I wanted to go church. I wanted to partake of the sacrament. I really felt like I needed it. So, I was excited when the road weren't going to open, but when they did I knew I still needed to go, but I also knew we needed to go. So, we went to just sacrament, and I had intended to get my skirt on and the girls in dresses, but we simply didn't have time, so I went to my sacrament meeting (for the first time ever) in sweats and a nice shirt. My girls went in pants, and my twins in normal clothes. We walked in a couple minutes late and you know what the sacrament has never felt more meaningful to me than it did then. It filled me, I knew that what we were doing was enough. To be honest, I was worried I would feel self-conscious, out of place and maybe even judge a little for being late and in not Sunday clothes and then leaving really early, but I didn't and I think I didn't because I was doing my best and everything else didn't matter. Christ made up the difference. He allowed me to feel loved, and a part of his kingdom sitting in a beautiful chapel in my sweats on a Sunday. For me, on that Sunday the 20 minutes I had to give was enough and it was so amazing to feel that. 

The drive home was fairly uneventful. The roads were good for the most part. There were a couple of bad places that made us think 'Oh, that's probably why they closed the road yesterday.' But overall it was good. We did let our kids watch Alvin and the Chipmunks. We listened to the last of our audio book, and it was a good trip. We got home around 3:00PM and got all unloaded. Gaupo worked on trying to clean-up the snow and ice on the portion of our driveway that our neighbors didn't clear and while he was doing that I got things cleaned up and put away. Then we had dinner and got the kids to bed. I chatted with my parents until about 9:00 and then went to bed.

It was a fun filled Thanksgiving made with memories, fun, and family. I am so glad we went and I so very grateful for my family, a loving Father in heaven, for Jesus Christ, and for the time and ability to be with family.