Happy Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving with my family this year and we had a great day. Just my little food assignment took all morning to prepare. I decided to tackle making a lemon meringue pie since I've never made one before. It turned out pretty well and was well-liked, but my meringue did get weepy. Oh well.

We had a large gathering of 27 people. My sister, Lynda, and her kids came down from Idaho, and my sister, Cheryl, and her husband had all of their kids with their families there; plus us, my brother, Mark, and my brother, Eric, and his family minus his son on a mission. S was very nervous with so many people there. The same was true the next night at a Pie Party with Nathan's family. We're used to the loud ruckus that ensues when our large families congregate, but it's still not something she's used to. Both times she warmed up after a while and played with the other kids. She's been wanting to see Aunt Lynda and got to spend some time playing/pillow fighting with her and had a great time.

My mom was finally able to move into the addition to her house shortly before Thanksgiving, and it proved to be a great place for all of us to eat and spend time together in (that was a major reason my parents wanted to add on to the house). We had a delicious meal, helped clean things up, and stayed and visited for the rest of the day. It was different not having my dad there, but it was busy enough and new enough that it wasn't as hard. I'm not sure that will be the case when Christmas comes.

I'm grateful for the peace and happiness in my life. I'm so grateful to be a wife and mother. I still give thanks every day that I'm blessed to be married and to have my beautiful daughter. Family always has and continues now to be the source of great happiness in my life. I've been richly blessed.

S and I allll ready for eating!

A view of the crew

My lemon meringue pie

All of the yummy pie selections

I helped her make this headband after dinner

dog piling with Aunt Lynda

fall festivities

Here are a few of the fun things we've been doing this fall.

• Cornbelly's: S had reaaaally wanted to go to HeeHaw's, but finally settled for Cornbelly's. We went on a very windy, chilly evening, but still had a fun time. There's a lot to see there, but I still kinda like HeeHaw's better (plus it's not as pricey).

I love her silly, wide-eyed face in this one. :p
This was while we waited to go on the wagon ride.

Daddy and his girl in a carriage. So sweet!

Another silly face. Her favorite part was the bouncing pillow.
It was fun watching her run and bounce on it.

• Spudnuts: For the second year in a row my mom and 2 sisters and I rolled out and fried our favorite fall doughnut. It goes much faster with all of us helping and it's fun doing it together.

• Pumpkin carving...er...decorating: I actually carved mine, but Daddy and S used the Mr Potato Head and Darth Tater parts for theirs.

• Halloween party: We had some of Nathan's high school friends who live in the area over for a simple Halloween party. I didn't have the greatest time at the party, but I enjoyed making some Halloween themed foods such as bones and blood (breadsticks and marinara sauce) and witch's hat cookies.

• Trick or treating: not once, not twice, but 3 times! The ward trunk-or-treat, Daddy's work, and Halloween night. We didn't go to too many houses on Halloween, but she still has candy. And with going to Mickey's Halloween party in Disneyland it kinda feels like we did Halloween twice this year. Oh well. Multiple trick or treating opportunities gave S the chance to dress up in different costumes. First she was Ariel. She LOVES Ariel!! I think she would give up her legs to have a fin in a heartbeat. :) It's just too bad that she can't swim! When I reminded her she'd been planning to dress up as Elsa for a long time, she decided to be Elsa later. So, including Disneyland, she got to be Anna, Ariel, and Elsa! Nathan and I dressed up as Darth Vader and Princess Leia again for the ward party and even won a prize. It is fun to dress up, it's just kind of a pain to come up with an idea and then put together a costume sometimes. I'm glad we did this year, though.

• Mums: not a fall activity, but they made my fall a little brighter. I watered them alllll summer long and asked myself why I was bothering to, but when they finally bloomed again in the fall I was glad I kept them alive. They were a cheerful sight to see outside my back door.

just had to share

My brother and his family have been a foster family to a young boy. He came from horrible circumstances (that's all I will say about that!). They've had him for about a year and have been working to adopt him over the last few months. This week the adoption was finalized! Even the judge, with the many cases that he sees, remembered this one and remarked at what a difference he saw in this little boy. It makes me so happy to think how much better his life is and will continue to be as part of my brother's family! It's rather amazing to me. And it makes me think more seriously about looking into being foster parents. =)

And to make the story EVEN sweeter, we were able to see him sealed to my brother and his wife! It was really a special experience to witness a new member being sealed to their family forever. I'm so glad I could be there.