grat·i·tude/ˈgratəˌt(y)o͞od/| Noun: | | The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. |
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Let's start here:
This was a Thanksgiving project that Logan brought home for our whole family to work on. We got to choose any way we wanted to decorate a turkey, so we chose comic strips! Our kids are constantly reading our Calvin and Hobbes collections as well as a few Garfield books we have. We picked a Thanksgiving themed Garfield cartoon and one of our favorite Calvin and Hobbes strips where Hobbes says he'd like to have a sweetheart who'll called him "Pooty Pie" or "Bitsy Pookums" and he'd call her "Snoogy Woogy" in return. (Classic!)
We all colored a feather, Ross colored the body and feet and Logan colored the comic strips. We also put on lots of Sandra Boynton stickers because we love her books. It was lots of fun and I'm pretty sure the best turkey of all the first graders! ;o)
We were so excited, BEYOND EXCITED even, to go to Utah for Thanksgiving this year. We heard that Ross's parents would be coming up from California and that Ross's brother Blaine and his family would be coming over from Colorado, so there was no way we could stay in Montana! We haven't spent the holidays with Ross's family for quite a few years now. We hadn't even seen Blaine and Charity and the boys since August of 2008. It was way past time to get together!
We didn't tell the kids we were going until the night before. The above is the video of that moment. Don't you love how I keep saying "LISTEN!"
We drove down Tuesday to Ross's cousin's house. Mike and Marianne had let Ross live with them for four months while we were engaged so he could save money on rent. (They have done that for so many people they've actually lost count! Talk about an example of giving!) We love them and they were so extremely generous to let us come with our five kids for five days.
Wednesday we went over to Ross's brother Jeff's house and mostly just hung out with them and Grandma and Grandpa Wilkins. Jeff's wife Jane and Ross's mom were busy making pies, pies, pies. I felt a little useless, but they were amazing to watch!
On Wednesday night we went to my brother Jeff's house. They bought us Cafe Rio food and let us play with their beautiful 2 week old baby James. He was so sweet. Sadly I didn't take many pictures. Just this one with Jeff and Stevie.
Jeff took this one of Baby Jamie and I with his phone and sent it to my mom. She hadn't yet met grandchild #24. It was mean of him, but she loved getting it too.
Thursday was the big day! The grand event took place at Ross's brother Jeff's house. Notice how fancy we were feasting there in their garage. Well, what would you do with all these guests????
Grandma and Grandpa Wilkins
Jeff and Jane and 3 of their girls (Oldest is currently being awesome and serving a mission)
Stephen and Amy and their 4 boys
Blaine and Charity and their 3 boys
Ross and Janet and our five kids
Melanie and Shane and their 2 kids
For a grand total of...
29 people!(So much fun.)
We brought the drinks. Cranberry juice mixed with 7-Up and frozen blackberries stirred in. We're fancy like that.
Rebecca's cute "Cheese!"
Jane, Lauren, and Jeff
Grandma, Grandpa, Samantha, and Ross
A ton o' cousins relaxing and playing in the basement
Blake and Becky
Post dinner adult activities included trying out the stilts. This is Ross's turn.
5 of the 8 Wilkins siblings
Grandma and the PIES! Hooray! Boysenberry, Lemon Sour Cream, Apple, Pumpkin, Buttermilk, and many others I can't remember anymore!
Logan and Evan during pie time.
Logan's front tooth had been loose for a few days and was hanging by a thread by Turkey Day. He was still wiggle, wiggle, wiggling it, but hadn't pulled it out yet.
He'd also been busy entertaining aunts and uncles and cousins over at his table. Uncle Shane posted this Logan quote to Facebook,
"Did you know the honey badger is the toughest animal in Africa. Even the lion is no match for him." Luke Wilkins
(Yes, I know I just said that Logan said that, but like so many do thanks to their closeness in age and height and coloring, Uncle Shane mixed up Logan's name with Luke's.) ;o)
Timothy got a little tuckered out from all the fun he was having.
After dinner we did the whole mingle and talk thing. We watched Norman the Dog chase a ball and we chatted and caught up. Becky came over to where the grown-ups were and would NOT stop chattering away in her little 3 year old voice. It was adorable. She and Logan are so much alike that way!
Logan showed Grandma Wilkins his tooth and she was more assertive with getting it out than Logan's mommy had been. She reached in and yanked and VOILA! Logan officially lost his first tooth! When the other tooth was ready to come out a few weeks later and we were trying to get him to let us pull it he started saying, "I want Grandma Wilkins! I want Grandma Wilkins!" Made me smile and her too (I'm pretty sure) when I told her.
Success!
Timothy and Tyler
Rebecca, Michael, and Emma (Evan and Hunter in the background)
This was a moment I loved. Ross and his brother Blaine have always been close, but since we got married we never seem to see him and his family. (As I said, it had been over 3 years since our last visit with them!) Blaine and Ross were sitting and sharing their love of music as Blaine showed Ross what he's been missing out on lately. Poor Ross doesn't get a lot of opportunity to hear cool songs and good bands that appeal to him up here in the land of crummy radio stations. I liked that they took the time to bond over this. Call me a silly woman, but I did.
I couldn't resist taking these pictures.
Uncle Blaine and Luke Blaine
Uncle Ross and Tyler Ross
The next day we did something that I almost never do. We went shopping on
Black Friday.
First we went to University Mall in Orem. I used to work there actually. In JCPenney. Which was torn down and moved to another mall. So I guess showing the kids my old stomping grounds wasn't exactly the plan. ;o)
We were starving and ended up at Sizzler. With all the restaurant choices in the area, I'm still not sure why we ended up there other than the huge food bar that the kids could choose from. Oh well. We still had fun.
We eat!
Ice cream, you scream...
Love the expression
Suckers with lunch!
Who can choose just one treat when there are so many choices? Honestly!
We headed the Provo Town Center Mall next and I got the girls matching dresses for the first time ever! With them being 5 years apart I have a hard time finding anything matching. It was buy one get one free, so I was thrilled!
Next we were off to Aunt Melanie's house. Samantha desperately needed a haircut and I needed some guidance from a skilled professional on how to cut her bangs well.
"Gonna wash that man right outta my hair!" Well, maybe not a man...
My niece Sydney wanted me to take a picture of her socks. She's so adorable.
The boys and Blake
Timothy was just becoming an expert stair climber.
Samantha getting beautified.
Thanks, Aunt Melanie!
Grandma and Grandpa came over so we got to see them too. We live way too far away from them.
Okay, pardon me for taking a picture of my food. I think I just needed to cherish and remember that moment. We went through the drive through of a restaurant called Kneaders and I got their famous Turkey, Bacon, and Avocado on Focaccia sandwich. (Slow-roasted, hand-pulled turkey, bacon, Kneaders sauce, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, salt and pepper, avocado.) Yum. Yum, Yum, Yum. I haven't had it in years. So delicious.
I had to take this picture because Samantha and Logan had been arguing earlier that evening about staying on their own sides of the hide-a-bed. Guess it didn't really matter in the end!
We went to Temple Square on Saturday and met up with my cousin Michelle and her family. It was so fun to see her! I was also excited to have my kids experience Temple Square when it wasn't crowded with thousands of people like when we'd gone in December in the evening a few years ago.
We got to go see the Christus statue in peace and let our kids feel the Spirit being there brings.
The darling Tomlinsons
We toured around the visitors centers to look at all the amazing displays and learning opportunities there.
It was a beautiful fall day in a beautiful place.
I loved this shot of the kids in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. I also love that they recognized the pipe organ from the cover of our church hymnbook.
I probably shouldn't have dragged my poor little family as well as Michelle's around as much as I did, but we also went over to the Church History Museum. There is a fabulous interactive children's area there. Our kids had a blast!
Luke, Timothy, and my handsome husband on "Nephi's Boat".
This video is sideways, I know, but I loved it of Logan learning the Mexican dances.
Leah and Rebecca dancing away
Twirl girl
Lots of the displays and activity centers had stories to go with them. Stories that taught a valuable life lesson, of course. Like one about chickens. :o)
Logan building a "temple". Sort of.
We then went over to the Conference Center. Michelle's sister Wendy is a tour guide there. We were a little walked out and also really hungry at that point, so after we went into the main room where conference is held, Wendy then took us to see a display of Arnold Frieberg paintings.
Wendy and the Wilkins
Samantha, Logan, and Luke by the waterfall windows.
Our silly car was acting up and we had already had to have it jumped a few times. It was ridiculous, but Gary and Michelle jumped it for us again in the underground parking garage. So frustrating.
We drove to their new home so I could see it. We'd planned on going in and having a late lunch, but Ross and I both were paranoid that the car wouldn't start again if we turned it off. I ran in, saw the house, kissed Michelle good-bye and we were on our way.
We ended up going through the drive through of (drumroll, please)...In N Out Burger! Woo-hoo! It was so amazingly good. The kids got quesadillas from Del Taco, but Ross and I spoiled ourselves with In N Out. So, again, forgive the picture, but I had to savor the moment.
That night we met up with Melanie and Shane again and took all the kids to see the new Muppet movie. I loved what I saw and and can't wait to see the whole thing! You know, at a time when there's no interruptions to take the kids potty or to calm a fussy 1 year old. Sigh...
Sunday morning we got up and ready for church. Ross's cousin Marianne is one of the sweetest people in the world. She was so concerned about us and our silly car. She stayed home from church to help us take care of getting a new battery. We ended up switching our plans to go to church with Melanie and instead went with Ross's brother Jeff. Our dumb battery (which was a refurbished one we'd only put in a few months before) was dead again in the hour we'd let the car sit in the parking lot.
Marianne and Ross went and bought a new one and got it installed while I packed up. She got us lunch and took care of the kids and was all around fantastic. Mike and Kyra got home from church later and I was glad to get a picture with them. The kids had taken to calling them "Grandma Marianne" and "Grandpa Mike" and were so darling with them.
The Saltzgivers and my kiddoes
We were finally on the road and were grateful to have had such a fun and eventful vacation. I love how this picture seems to represent how we felt.
Very happy and
very tired.
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