The Big Weekend

Thanksgiving weekend is probably the biggest weekend of our whole year.  We have more tradition in those few days than any other time.  It is always a great time and goes too fast.

Wednesday was a busy day of getting everything that I could ready.  It also was the cherished pie night at My Fosters house, such good pie and such wonderful company!

Me and the boys had signed up for the Turkey trot at the rec center for Thursday morning, so had a lot of my family members.  With temperatures forecasted to be 4 degrees we made the decision not to run.  Of course I was disappointed and so were the boys.  Well Thursday morning I got up and took Brandon with me down to the rec center to pick up all of our bags.  The temp said 15 in my car and there were tons of people dressed to run.  I couldn’t take it, I had to run.  I hurried and texted my BFF, who was planning to run it with other people before the cold hit, convinced her to run, drove home put the turkey in the oven, changed into lots of layers and made it back down in time for start time.  So glad I did.  It wasn’t too cold and we had lots of fun.  It was the first time we had run together and I can tell that I am going to convince her to run with me more!!!

Thanksgiving day was wonderful.  My family all arrived on time, oh except for Michael who had fallen asleep, everyone helped with the food, everyone obeyed my 2 hours at the table rule, the food was FABULOUS!  So much work, but so worth it.  I did have to help clean up which was a first, usually the boys clean up while I am still enjoying myself.

The adult area

The children’s area

Enjoying the feast with 30 people plus the 2 little twins

Friday was my beloved tree hunt day.  Due to Blizzard 2010 (what a crock) there was so much snow in the place we usually go.  Even big 4 wheel drive trucks were sliding off the road.  So after already driving for 2 hours we drove another hour to another area.  Poor Jonah was so confused as to why we weren’t there yet!  This area was very snowy as well, but we made it work.

Doesn’t that look fun?

My perfect tree, actually Bryan found it and it was the best I could find in the thigh high snow I was trudging through.

We stopped at My Foster’s cabin on the way home, which was a mere mile or so from where we chopped our tree.  Said hello, the boys admired the game on the wall (is that what you call dead animals on the wall?????) and said goodbye.  We love them, lots.

O.K. I am almost done.  Saturday, Game Day.  Lots of people, lots of food, lots of fun.  No pictures of the event, just our yard.

Of course a different outcome than everyone thought one second before the game ended, but hey it was a great game.  We are good sports and love our Ute fan friends!

One Week????

How is it possible that Thanksgiving is in one week?  What have I been doing not focusing everything on this great day?  I don’t know, but I do know that next week I will be hosting 28 people (give or take a few, I am sure some will change).  Usually a week before I have detailed plans for cooking the next week.  I barely created the menu (that is not hard, it doesn’t change much) and haven’t given everyone their assignments.  I must get going on that.  I am sure it will be the same whether I plan now or later.  This year is so weird, I still think it is April!

Football

Our first experience with little league football ended a few weeks ago.  What a great time we all had.  Brandon was born to play football.  He has wanted to for years and last year I finally gave him the O.K. to play.  He decided at the last minute not to play.   When sign ups came around this year there was no question in his mind, he wanted to play.

It was all a new experience for me.  Picking up his equipment, going and buying extra things he needed, and running him back and forth to practice.  He spent all of August practicing 5-6 days a week for 2 hours at a time and he LOVED it.  Once school started the schedule decreased to 3 times a week and he was sad to not have practice everyday. 

His games were a lot of fun to watch.  Even though we had to travel to Sandy several times and Oakley once they still were fun.  His team didn’t do very well, they only won one game.  In fact they only scored 3 touchdowns the whole season, but that didn’t matter.  The game would end and Brandon would have a big smile on his face and talk about how much fun it was.  This has been a great experience for him.  I loved watching him and his enthusiasm.  We will enjoy the months off and be ready for more next year!

Sweet

A usual occurrence at our house during Jazz season goes like this, boys are supposed to be getting ready for school.  Brandon- “Mom can I get online and see if there are cheap Jazz tickets”?  Me-“Hurry you are going to be late”.  Yesterday morning, Mom there are tickets for tonight's game and they are only $1.66, can we go.  No, we have 5 different things going on from the hours of 3 to 8, we don’t have time. 

Now fast forward to 4:05 as I am sitting in the dentist office with Jacob hoping they will hurry so he can get to the birthday party he is already late for.  I get a text from Bryan, call me ASAP.  I am thinking, why didn’t he just call me and say that?  I call him and he says, we are going to the Jazz game tonight, dinner first and then sitting in a suite, it is a work thing and we HAVE to go.  Work it out with the kids we need to be there at 5:30.  O.K. no big deal, oh and Brandon just got invited to go to the game with some neighbors.  One crazy hour later I am driving to meet Bryan.  Our fabulous and ALWAYS saving me neighbors the Barlows have Jonah and will collect Jacob from all his events and put them to bed.

So off we go.  Dinner at the top of the ESA, then head down to the suite where Greg Miller talks to us.  I sooooooo badly wanted to ask him if Kyle could come back, but we were with Bryan’s company and I  knew he would DIE if I did that.  Sitting on the front row of the suite, popcorn, candy and soda at our fingertips.  Sweet!  We located Brandon who was just below us, that was very fun.  At halftime they did a raffle in our suite for a few prizes.  Bryan won this HUGE jersey, of course he did, he always wins things.  I love my new dress.

We met up with Aliska, Brandon and went and saw Casey at halftime.  What a great time!!!  After the half we had nachos and ice cream bars.  I rolled out of there after the game, seriously not a good situation for me to be in a suite with all that junk that I can’t stop eating!!!!

Anyways super fun and worth the stress to get it all arranged!  Here’s to a great season and lots of games to go to.

Broken

Ice Maker is leaking water on my hardwood floors.

Vacuum cleaner won’t vacuum the carpet.

Dryer will only dry clothes if turned on twice.

Plumbing pipes are banging loud, and toilets running.

Fence is blowing over.

Hubcap came off my car, I don’t know how or where.

But I have a beautiful (I still prefer the old) new and expensive roof.