Thanksgiving Party

Mimi wanted to host Thanksgiving this year. It's been a while since we went any where for Thanksgiving (I think since Marcus was born). We had to move the dinner from Thursday to Friday so we stayed home to get a few extra things done before leaving. 

Marcus made this place mat at school with a hand print turkey. He used it for every meal and we packed it away for next year. ;)

 

We made gingerbread sugar cookies with eggnog frosting and decorated a few to look like turkeys.

 

The boys managed to get a ball stuck in that light fixture and Steve risked life and limb to get it out and dust while he was up there.

 

Andrew has really been into basketball since school started. He takes his basketball to school to play at recess and the comes home and plays outside for hours. Our hoop is old and tilted so we bought a new hoop and decided to put it up on Thanksgiving (the weather has been so nice that Andrew has still been outside playing). It took us several hours and maybe a few minor incidents but it's done and works great.

 

Friday morning we needed to be on the road early so the girls and Steve could make their temple appointment in Twin Falls. I heard the boys up so I went out to check on them and they were putting on their shoes and filling water bottles so we could go. Unfortunately the car didn't fully charge (we tried to update in the app and it didn't take) so we had to stop at Tremonton and charge for 30 minutes. We watched some Disney+ shows while we waited. My parents met us at the exit and the three switched cars to continue their trip to the temple.

 

I went to the house with the boys and colored Thanksgiving mats with them and played games.

The kids went outside to play on the "ice skating" rink. I told the boys to not walk on it because we didn't bring extra shoes, but Andrew still managed to get his whole foot in the water.

That night we went to the square to see Santa Claus turn on the lights and see the fireworks.

 

Dad broke a plate Friday after dinner doing the dishes. I saw it happen and it looked like he broke it with his bare hands. He says the dish slipped and hit the counter. Unfortunately he cut his pinky trying to catch the plate. We didn't realize how bad it was until Friday morning. I should have checked closer the night before when Marcus said, "There's so much blood! Grandpa really hurt his finger." We called Kirk's wife Debbie to come over and check it out because he refused to go to the doctor. She said he probably did need stitches but he still refused to go to the doctor so she glued and bandaged him up really good.

 

We took some family pictures that morning.

 

 

 

We left Saturday afternoon. We decided to stop at Tremonton to charge because we wanted to drive through the lights at Willard Bay. We picked up food first because it said there was a medium wait. When we got to the chargers there were two open. Unfortunately the one we went to wasn't working. I called in to report it and shortly after another charger opened up and we ate and watched a show while we charged. Then we drove through Fantasy Bay which was fun.

 

We got home and I bribed all the kids with a Christmas bath bomb to take a bath before bed.

 

The kids had a great weekend with cousins playing games, eating food, and just being at Mimi and Grandpa's. It was a nice couple of days.

Birthday Freebies

Last Thursday Steve told the kids they had to be extra good and obedient because my birthday week started tomorrow. Then the next day I got like 8 emails from restaurants wishing me a Happy Birthday and a free dessert on them or BOGO deals. Well during a 10 day period we managed to cash in on most of them without feeling like we overdid it on sugar. ;) On my birthday Steve and I played pickleball before he had to head to Draper for work. Then a couple of dear friends came over for lunch and I made sour dough brownies (they were quite delicious). The night got a little hairy as Ellie went to sewing lessons and I asked Lila to read a book to the boys then take them to bed since Steve was still at work. She let them brush and braid her hair while she read, but somehow they knotted it up and she was afraid to tell me so she tried to fix it making it worse and huge chunks came out. There were tears and the boys went to bed upset. Thus is life. 

Friday Steve and I ran a few errands and managed to get our COVID booster vaccinations. Once again we had little reaction. We were both really tired the next night and Steve said he felt warm but he wasn't running a fever. 

Saturday we went for an early run before taking the kids to do the Turkey Trot at the elementary school. Andrew has been doing the running club. A neighbor does it at the school for free and she is really cute and makes it so fun for the kids. She even told them about her running the Boston Marathon this year, she placed 120th, AWESOME! Anyway, I volunteered to help her during the race so I got there early then Steve convinced everyone except Ellie to come because there were donuts. You could run a 1k or a 2k which is just another lap. After the first lap Marcus said he wanted to take a break to eat a donut then he would run the 2nd lap. Steve was certain he would not go back out but true to his word after eating his donut he said, "I'm ready to do the 2nd lap." And away they went. Andrew's best friend Beck was there so the two of them ran together and Marcus tried really hard to keep up.

Steve tried to get a picture of them running across the finish line but they kept stopping and walking before the end. We'll have to teach them to push through the end of the race. ;)

Then we came home showered and got ready to go to Hale Center Theater to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Marcus has been looking forward to this since the rest of them went and saw Mouse Trap at the end of October. It was a fun show and we picked up yummy Greek food from Spitz. Then we came home and chilled because Steve and I were tired (we think our vaccines made us a little more tired). It was a good weekend!

Andrew's Recital & Field Trip

Andrew had a violin recital last Saturday where he did a solo. He has had quite a few performances the last couple of months several of them have been group numbers with the exception of his baptism song and this recital. He's worked really hard for each of them and I'm really proud of him.

I was able to go with Andrew on a field trip today to the Tree House Museum in Ogden. It was a fun morning. After getting the kids on the bus I drove up with a friend from the neighborhood. They had great activities for them to do and it was a fun morning.

 

The school has posted these pictures all around the school. I love them! So one Monday I dragged the kindergartners around after I volunteered to find everyone's so I could take a picture of them. I asked the kindergartners where their pictures were hung up and they were like in a hall that you can walk in a circle. Then they kept saying, "let's just go home." But I was determined to find them.

Marcus said his pictures is meant to say, "I matter because I can make friends."

 

We also saw the Veteran's poster with the picture of Grandpa Moore we submitted.

COVID Vaccines

Andrew has been praying for the day he can get a COVID vaccine because he knows the girls, Steve and I have. So last week when it was approved I got online and scheduled appointments for the boys. Davis health is doing a drive by clinic. Unfortunately the timing was off a little and we waited in line for 50 minutes before getting their vaccines, but it was simple and they woke up the next morning feeling fine. I was grateful the nurse went over a few of the common side affects: fatigue, swollen lymph nodes (which happened to Ellie), and loss of appetite. I decided to schedule their 2nd dose a little earlier in the day and check Andrew out to hopefully miss the after school rush. As we were waiting the allotted 15 minutes afterwords, enjoying the lollipops and admiring the stickers Andrew said, "some kids in my class were wearing the vaccine stickers on their foreheads today." I laughed and asked him if we wanted to wear his to school and he said, "Yes, but not on my forehead." Then we went and picked up In-N-Out for dinner because Marcus wanted a burger and ice cream so their neapolatin shakes won our business for the night.

Andrew's Big Day

 

It has been a crazy week. On top of Andrew getting COVID tested last Sunday, I took Marcus to get tested on Thursday. He started running a fever and Steve's parents were flying into town so I thought I'd better check before they get here. I preregistered him and drove to the site. When we finally got to the front of the line the guy told me my registration didn't come through and my email confirmation was not helpful so I had to re-register. As I was frantically typing on my phone, Marcus said, "My nose is bleeding." I thought great just as we're getting ready to swab his nose. The nurse was great and was gentle with him and thankfully again it was negative. I sent Steve a text asking him to pickup Lila because the line was longer than I had hoped. I called when we got done and that's when Steve realized he was heading to dance and not to school so he had to turn around and get her. Ooops. During a late night prayer I was begging that everything would go well and that we would not get anyone sick, I was reminded of a recent convert's talk and how the week before her baptism was rough and it testified to her that Satan is real. I texted her and thanked her for the talk as it brought me comfort. She then asked if her and her son Paul (who is Andrew's age and is in his primary class) could come to the baptism because Paul thinks only adults get baptized and he's nervous to do it for himself. I said of course! We'd love to have them.

Friday morning Ellie, Steve, Grandma Moore, and I went and played pickleball. It was a fun little outing. Then afternoon craziness happened. I took Andrew to the church to practice his song once in the chapel before Saturday.

Then it was dance carpool (where I had offered to take a friend home and then realized she needed a ride there too so we had to hurry back and grab her). Carole and I hit the grocery store where we picked up a turkey and things we needed to do a Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. Then we took the kids swimming at the hotel pool where Mimi and Grandpa were staying. The girls were excited to try out their new swimsuits I had gotten them and everyone had fun.

I started tossing and turning around 4am thinking of all the things that needed to happen for the day. Andrew was excited to see presents and his birthday banner. I had him wear the hat he got from school on Friday where he took some birthday rice krispie treats for the class. Marcus could not wait for Andrew to open presents. I explained they are Andrew's presents and Marcus said, "yes, but when he shares it's like I get new stuff too." So funny. Andrew knew he was getting at least one long sleeve shirt because the day before he had ran out of long sleeve shirts and I told him he could get one out of the drier or open an early present. He was happy to find 3 more shirts, a set of scriptures, another pair of Sunday shoes, and some parts to upgrade his bike shifters.

The service was great. Andrew did really well on his musical number and kept going even when I made a mistake. It really was the first time he's performed a solo so I was proud of him. Steve said as they were walking to the font for the baptism Andrew said, "Well the hard part is over." Referring to the fact that the musical number was done. We found out on Tuesday that our ward was the last baptism of the day so we asked to use the gym for the luncheon. We had a fabulous time hanging out with family.

That evening the girls went shopping and the boys started working on Andrew's bike.

 

We also decided to let the kids open an early Christmas gift from Carole and Russ. They funded a Nintendo Switch which Andrew had been wanting for a while. It was quite exciting.

Sunday we had an early Thanksgiving with Carole & Russ, Stephanie & her family, and Lexi. It was a lot of fun.

 
I asked the boys what their favorite part was and Marcus said, "At the church, not the churchey thing but the lunch part afterwords." Andrew said, "The whole day was amazing!"