Giving Thanks

My Dad was in the Navy while I was young.
We lived away from family, and visited them on vacations.

Thanksgiving, for me, was always a wonderful assortment of people.
We feasted with each other,
neighbors,
teachers,
colleagues,
acquaintances...

We had gratitude in common, and an appetite for turkey and trimmings, and a desire to eat pie!

Living close to family, things have changed a little.

We have big families. Together, we have 14 siblings! In the past, we have spent the day feasting here AND there and trying to see and visit as many loved ones as possible.

This year, we missed K who opted to stay at school planning to work extra hours (see here).

This year, we played football (of sorts) in the field at the school.







This year, we shot paper rockets with our neighbors using an air compressor cannon.

This year, we ate once and it reminded me of years past.
Family AND friends.

Together AND Thankful.

And blessed.

40 Baby!

I am not even hiding it!

It was my day to celebrate on the 19th.

R took the day off and spent it with me.
Just what I wanted.
A sister kept the babes.
Also what I wanted.

We lunched at a great restaurant called Sekai Sushi.
Its on the NE corner of Gilbert and Southern.
It was our first time there, and our first time having sushi.
unless you count california rolls...
We loved them both!
I can't think of a better way to start a meal than with a hot towel...
and everything else just followed suit.

We did a little shopping.
We bought a treat from DQ.
I even got the large, thinking I would share... but I ate it all myself!

I love treats, especially cake.
J started talking about this one a couple of months ago, so I had to make it.
It tastes as good as it looks and I even shelled pecans from my tree for the frosting.
I think that makes it taste even better.

When my family sang, they had K on speaker phone from Provo.
Gosh I miss her and her music!

The best part of the day was spending time with my family.
A close second was getting so many sweet messages from friends.

It was a wonderfully happy birthday to me!

Unexpected Results

He had a plan.

It started with this.

Do you see the problem?

Nowhere does it say WASHABLE!

I only said, "WOW!"
...and picked up the camera.

He was quite pleased with himself.

He had been quite thorough.

Then he looked in the mirror.

It was not quite what he had been expecting.

It mostly washed off... with A LOT of scrubbing.

He did have purple circles under his eyes for a few days.


I guess he comes by it naturally.
No, I don't color myself purple...

I DO start projects and have an idea of how they should turn out, but when they don't I get discouraged and then my projects are few and far between.

I think that is why I stick with the basics.
Meals.
Laundry.
Cleaning.
Momming.

They don't require much vision, just some stick-to-it-ivness.

But sometimes, we are asked to stretch ourselves.
And when other people will see the success or failure,
it is scary.
Scary isn't bad... just uncomfortable.
I've been learning that from a friend who took a job in Abu Dhabi just because she could.
I have been comfortable with me.
But,
What am I learning?
What am I becoming?
What am I teaching?

Who am I fooling?
Not me...

Today, take a chance... do something different...

Use a marker that is NOT washable!

Veteran's Day

There is not much I enjoy more than a day off from the regular schedule!

I like a schedule to get things done,
but
with a day off, we relax and enjoy each other.

2 left bright and early to help with an Eagle project in the mountains.


The rest of us joined a wonderful early morning flag ceremony and breakfast.



At 1o:50, we were seated on Center watching the historic plane with a prop fly over the parade route.

We sat with Granny , an aunt, cousins, sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews... just like in the olden days.
My olden days.

For as long as I can remember, we have met in "our spot" for parades.
Muttie, my mom's mom, always brought a big bag of home popped popcorn.
Now, my mom does.

We cheered for the police officers who rode by...
we always have.
We stood for the first flag.
We called thank-you's to the Veterans.
We stood again and cried when too many pictures of young faces were borne past in waves.
And, of course,
we cheered for our favorite and tallest bass drum player!
He even grinned!


Granny treated us all to frozen yogurt cones.
We spent the afternoon visiting and letting all the children and dogs run in the yard...

Enjoying our free country...

THANK-YOU VETERANS!

Finally Halloween

My brain is a jumble right now. It has been for a couple of weeks. Anticipation of the upcoming and unknown has thrown off my sleep AND wake habits and blogging has suffered... along with a few other things...

For you who are away, here is our silly Halloween. Enjoy!

T with some of his class mates at Academic Accolades.

(the best pre-school in the area!)
We started the day by participating in the Juvenile Diabetes 5k walk...


Go team Coke!
(My sister in law's company sponsored us all!)
Here they are heading off to the ward trunk-or-treat...

One of our favorite Halloween carnival games!

L hoping to win the cupcake walk so he can win one of these...
delicious monsters we created in our lab!


Checking out the loot!
There's got to be more in here!

Black and Orange Dinner

This is one of our favorite family traditions.
We were adopted into it... the family and the tradition.
We have been going since K was little.

For the Browns, this was the 24th year!

costumes
dinner
bring something black(ish) or orange(ish) to share
homemade rootbeer
pumpkin carving
laughter
friends that feel like family
goody bags

This year was bigger than ever, but we missed our K!