Thanksgiving in Idaho

Thanksgiving this year was supposed to be in Idaho, but my parents left for their mission at the beginning of November, so things were up in the air. I wasn't really wanting to drive to Idaho again, since we had just made the trip 3 weeks before, so I invited everyone to come to our house. It ended up that my brother Matt had ankle surgery right before Thanksgiving, plus they had a new baby, so it just wasn't going to work for them.

I felt like it was so important for the family to get together while my parents were gone because it set a really important precedent for the future. It showed that we were committed to keeping the family together, even if Mom and Dad didn't orchestrate it all. So many families lose touch after the parents are gone, and I don't want that to happen to our family. It was so important to me (and Kym and Joe), that we took one for the team and made the trip again. I am so glad we did. It ended up being a wonderful time with family, and our souls were filled.

The big undertaking was making Thanksgiving dinner without Mom and Dad. We all worked together and totally pulled it off like real adults! I was so impressed with our feast! Claire and Hannah made amazing pies, Daniel smoked the turkeys on the Traeger, Kym made her famous cranberry sauce, Claire made the yummiest rolls, Ally and Ben made green bean casserole and the best Oreo cookie dough, Matt and Kat did the potatoes and gravy, and Jonathon and I contributed stuffing, Martinelli's, and our traditional turkey sugar cookies. Everything was so delicious! We filled our bellies and ate leftovers for days afterward.

Christian got to join the adult table this year, which is quite a milestone. We also had a kids' table and the toddlers at the bar.

While we were eating dinner, I read a special letter that Mom and Dad sent from Australia. It listed some of the reasons that they were thankful for each of the people there. It was such a beautiful addition to the spirit of gratitude that Thanksgiving is all about. I am including it here to remember how sweet it was.

Thanksgiving 2019

We are thankful for each of you this year.

Jonathon- You are helpful and patient with children and old people like us.

Sarah- Second mother for the whole family.

Christian- We love that you are a great example for your brothers and cousins.

Andrew- You get the best grades in school.

Hyrum- We love your energy and zest for life.

Joseph- It is so tender to watch you with your little ones.

Kym- We love to listen to Kym because she is a great conversationalist.

Jadyn- You are so mild mannered and a great help in the kitchen.

McKay- You are very kind and loving to your little sisters.

Bridger- He is always ready with a big HUG!

Savannah- All we see in you is pure goodness and love.

Ruby- You are such a sweet bubbly little girl.

Matt- You are a great son without guile.

Katie- We love watching you save money on everything.

Carter-You are the best crafter.

Callie- Curly Cutie

Charlie- He has a great smile and is easy going.

Colton- Just glad to have met him before we left.

Daniel- You are so funny and quick with the one liners.

Claire- You are resiliently happy.

Elena- You are so excited about life.

Tom- You are humble and faithful.

Eryn- We love you for loving Tom. (I added this one because we were privileged to have Eryn, Tom's fiancee, join us!)

Hannah-You have a strong testimony and love God.

Jake- You are just right for Hannah.

Ben- You love to have fun outside: hunting, fishing, and working.

Ally- Oh how you love the little children and they love you.

It was cold and windy, as usual, so we didn't do too many things outside, but we did manage our usual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, followed by flag football on the front lawn. We also played lots of games, watched some movies, and spent lots of time chatting. One of the highlights was a special drawing class taught by Kym. The kids learned the secrets to drawing faces.  I was busy cooking at the time, but I totally wish I would have been able to participate. I can't believe we haven't taken advantage of her skill sooner!

One of my favorite things was hanging out with my little nieces. They are adorable, and I love them like my own kids. Elena found some videos of the orca show from Sea World on my phone and couldn't get enough of them. She would come up to me all the time and ask for "whale." We watched those movies over and over again while we sat on the couch. By the end, Ruby was also asking to see the whales. It was so cute. I definitely need those little girls in my otherwise boy-filled life.

On Friday night, we did our Christmas gift exchange. The couples give to each other, and the kids get a randomly drawn cousin to give a gift to. It's always fun to watch each person or couple open their gifts one at a time. This year it was really fun to think of and make the presents we gave to other people. Jonathon and I had Matt and Katie. We made them a corn hole set with a tractor and their farm's name on it. Jonathon did the woodworking, and I did all the painting. I was so proud of how it turned out. For Carter, we made a customized "Guess Who" game of all our family members. I found funny pictures of people wearing hats, glasses, etc. and put them on the "Guess Who" board. I played it with some of the kids, and it was so fun.

Everyone was so thoughtful with their gifts. Hannah and Jake gave us a day at Evermore, a medieval theme park here in Utah. We haven't gone yet, but I'm excited to go experience it. One of the most beloved gifts was one that Ruby gave Hyrum. They found an identical (only newer and cleaner!) stuffed animal to Monkey Bunky Wunky at D.I. Hyrum has loved that monkey since he was born. Kym was worried about what he might think having 2 of them, but I thought he would probably love it. I was right! He loves his monkey twins.

On Saturday morning, we got the kids together to do a fun video for Grandpa and Grandma. One of our family songs that has been passed down through the generations is called "The Burglar Boy." It is a silly song that everyone loves to sing. In the past, we have searched for the music and lyrics on the Internet, but it seems like the song has changed so much through the many years that there are no examples of the way we know and love. When Kym had the idea, she asked if we could figure out the piano music for it. I spent the week before Thanksgiving composing the song on the piano, and Christian and Andrew learned how to play it. Then, when everyone was together, we had all the grandkids act it out. Kym edited it and sent it to Mom and Dad for Christmas. There were so many little kids that they had a hard time singing the song by themselves, so Kym and Joe came through with the vocals, but included the kids singing it at the end. It is so funny and cute. Good memories! I am including the video and music score here for posterity.

When Saturday rolled around, and it was time to go home, we were all sad to leave. We considered staying an extra day to play with everyone, but decided we should be responsible adults and go home to take care of our church callings the next day. It was a glorious few days and a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was so wonderful that 30 minutes after we left, all three boys were sound asleep in the car.