Thanksgiving Day

We missed Thanksgiving breakfast, but we knew all about it because of the pictures.  Jason's family has decided that bonding is sending pictures of food back and forth.  A holiday doesn't pass (even a "lame" holiday, like the super bowl) with out all the siblings exchanging pictures of food they made. 

Travis and Jeanne came back for Thanksgiving Day and Dane was thrilled.  He and Marcus spent a few HOURS playing nintento in the basement.  I tried to tell myself it was ok.  And it was.  They had a great time.  

The girls did a lot of art.

And adults and teens played a few different games.  

As I mentioned earlier Randy didn't come out of his room much, so all his son's spent almost the whole week in his room with him watching football. It made all our hears happy.

Pictures of the "picturesque" food.  

And the cute kid table.  Plus Jeanne

Randy wanted family pictures  

 

Thanksgiving: Christmas Jammie Pictures

My Wednesday night before my brothers and sister left my mom gave everyone their matching Christmas jammies.  And we got our annual picture

The big boys

The little boys

The boys

The girls

The group

My kids

 

Thanksgiving: A hot minute at the Hanna's

Since this Vacation was mostly focused on the Herbert's we didn't spend a lot of time with my family.  It was ok though because since Randy got sick we havnen't been splitting our time for a few years, so my family got an abundance.  But we did drive up there for about 24 hours.  We went up early Wednesday morning, getting to Sandy about 10:00 am, spent the night, and drove back to Mapleton Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning, getting there about 9 am)

Noah mowed the lawn.

The kids played in the yard and jumped on the tramp.  We were lucky - it was the nicest day of the whole trip.

We decorated the Turkey cookies.

Played a money game.

It was nice to get together with everyone

 

Thanksgiving: Seeing Friends

One of my best childhood friends moved about 5 minutes form my in laws.  Most of my other friends also live in Utah county.  So while we were in Mapleton I reached out and we got together late one night.  We don't get together often (like 5 times in the last 20 years) but every time I do I NEVER regret it.  The best thing about my friends is how funny they are.  I feel like I grew up laughing, and laughing HARD.  I think I still laugh and have fun, but when I am with them I realize I haven't laughed like that in years.  Being with them is also very therapeutic for me as I now have kids that same ages as we were when we were "besties".  It helps me gain insight into my own "stuff" that I am maybe projecting onto my teenagers.  It also helps me see how life is long and things work out.  Many of us were a HOT MESS at certain points in our middle school through college years.  It looked hopeless.  We have all been through hard  trials, some created by other people, some created by ourselves.  But a weird thing: in a time when most in our generation are leaving the church, none of  them are.   They are stronger and more "in" than ever.  And many in high school who "did it right" are NOW a hot mess.  I love them dearly and hold a sacred place in my heart for them and the fun we had, the tears we shed, the connections and memories we shared and now for the amazing (truly amazing) women they have become.  My patriarchal blessing mentions some things about the life I was given and how it was intentional and I think my childhood friends was divinely orchestrated.  Our personalities were such that we didn't make terribly bad decisions that would ruin our life and we were absolutely protected from situations where we did not understand the danger, but we all journeyed off the path enough to know that we were off the path and we wanted back on. 

Niki, Trina, Megan, and Me.  Despite Ali living  the closest she couldn't come!  Next time.  (Also I was having an allergic reaction to an eye cream - I am pretty puffy! ha)

Her daughter took pictures of us "getting ready" for the picture. We had no idea, but I love these pictures becasue they show us laughing and talking. Trina and I were fighting about who her first kiss was.  I was CONFIDENT she was wrong.  Turns out she was right... weird.  

 

Thanksgiving: BYU Tour

We signed up Brock and Noah to take a tour of BYU while we were there and everyone decided to join!  It was a TOTAL failure though as far as pictures go.  I didn't take one picture on the tour or with the whole group.  I am so so so so mad.  I had visions of the pictures I wanted.  The main reason was it was very cold, we got there late, they moved our reservation from private/golf cart to group/walking and the group was huge so we thought it wouldn't be as good and Jason told me his mom couldn't walk that long.  So i had to "fight" with the tour guides and they delayed the tour to find another guide and golf cart that would fit us.  By the time they did that the walking tour started and Debby and the rest of the group went with them.  So it was really embarrassing and I felt a little foolish and didn't want to make more of a scene by taking pictures.  

I wasn't sure what to expect from the kids on the tour.  I was blown away by their interest and excitement.  Many wanted to stay after and go to specific buildings and departments.  We broke up into groups and took the kids around.  

This was the "department of belonging" group.  We were happy that Jamison would consider BYU and wanted to go see if she felt like she would be accepted and fit in.  We had a GREAT time bonding with family we don't normally spend time with. 

When we were finally leaving and out in the parking lot I made the "final" group take a picture. It will have to do.  I REALLY  hope at least one child attends BYU for at least 1 year.  I didn't particularly enjoy my time while I was here and definitely didn't take advantage of it, but it now holds one of the more sacred spaces in my heart.

Jason and I also had an opportunity to meet with the BYU President Shane Reese.  I won't really go into how or why, but it was miraculous and clearly spirit driven.   We don't know why we met with him, I assume in 30  years we will know why.  He was awesome.

 

Thanksgiving: Family History

One thing the teenagers wanted to do was go to the temple.  They had lots to choose from and ended up going to the Provo City center.  Debby got excited to have some family baptisms done so they all spend an hour or so in the office working on family history.  I am not sure if it were all for show, but they all seemed genuinely interested in it.  I took some video, it is pretty cute.  

 They all found some names to take and went to the temple with Aaron on Wednesday morning.  I think *one* of them took a picture of them at the temple with their phones, but I am not sure which one.  I need to track it down.  Then they went.... somewhere for lunch after.  I think subway.