It's beginning to look a lot like...

Thanksgiving over, our thoughts turn to the Christmas season upon us.  Right after I finish my halloween crafts!  ha ha.  I didn't get them finished in time, but wanted to finish them and pack them away to be surprised next year when I get out my halloween stuff!  They were simple and quick to do and turned out pretty cute.  Then of course we are getting some snow!  There it is up on Timp.  This is my view as I wait to pick up the kids after school.  It looks so pretty with snow on it!! Gorgeous sunsets are all the rage too, and I just can't capture it with a camera!  The mountains behind us get really gold some evenings.  A sight to behold!  And speaking of Halloween, as I was making my brother's 60th birthday book, I remember that my sweet friend Robin was born the same year!  So it was HER 60th birthday on the 29th of October.  I of course wished her a happy birthday, but felt the need to do more for her BIG one.  So I made her a "Orange you glad you are 60" box!  It was fun collecting all kinds of orange things!  I told her it was coming and she should just keep celebrating her birthday!  She is also as old as Scrabble so I found a little key chain size version of the game to throw in.  I hope she likes it!!  NOW it's time to start on Christmas!  David was our little helper one day out shopping and mailing.  He patiently waited in the post office and then we did his shopping and some of ours.  And of course, it isn't the Christmas season at our house until we watch a Muppet Christmas Carol!  Our favorite!  So yes, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Snow = Sledding!

When Amanda got home from school, she got the kids dressed in their snow gear.  Time to take advantage of the snow fall!  It was a beautiful day for playing out in the snow! They drove up to the canyon a little ways and had a fun time!  Joel went along to take pictures.  Not sure if he ever went down the hill on a sled.  He got a lot of great shots, it is hard not to post them all!  But there are a lot here to enjoy.  Those rosy cold cheeks and lots of fun.  Grandma made them hot chocolate when they got home.  It's a winter wonderland!  

Temple Square lights...

I must preface this post by saying how excited I am that Kelly Laing and her family moved up here from Clovis!  She lives about 20 minutes away so we made them some "Utah" cookies (handcrafted!) with snowflake cookies and delivered them on evening.  It was fun to see their house and we made plans to meet up on the Frontrunner train and go to Temple Square to see the lights turn on the day after Thanksgiving.  We did it!!  Everyone else had the same idea and that train was standing room only!!  It was so cold that night!  We arrived about 45 minutes before time for the lights to come one.  We took turns going into the visitor's center to get warm, while saving our spots.  We had been there once before when they turned the lights on and the crowds were impossible!  Well, this night there were no crowds.  It was so weird.  But as soon as the lights came on, there were people everywhere!  Anyway, I think the temperature was about 28 degrees but the "real feel" was 19.  Biting cold!!  The Laings were not dressed warm enough.  They thought they were, but they weren't.  They were dressed for California cold.  We had brought sack lunches to eat while we waited.  Once the lights came on, we walked around for a bit, and went inside the tabernacle to get warmed up before finishing the rest of the lights. What we wouldn't give for a cup of hot chocolate!!  We went around to where the nativity is in the reflecting pool.  It was too crowded and to dark to get a good picture.  I did take one of their family, Ben covered his face!  I couldn't tell while I was taking it though. It was very beautiful even though it was so cold.  We joked that Donna Miller needs to make Kelly a "Utah" scarf, as the cute one she made her for California just wasn't cutting it!  Peyton was crying that it was so cold and she was so tired while we waited for the train to go back.  I felt so bad for her.  I tried to get a picture of her scrunched up face but she yawned right when I took the picture.  Anyway, we got on trax, drove the little ways to the train station and then waited for the train.  It was so nice to get on and get warm!  Standing room only again.  Micah sat on the floor so leaned up for me to get a picture.  Despite the cold, it was super fun to be there!  I look forward to going back with the grandkids another night!  Beautiful!!!  

 

Kelly was feeding Peyton like a little bird because her hand were bundled up inside her coat and she couldn't feed herself!  Also it was Jacob's 13th birthday!  Thanks for letting us share it with you!

Thanksgiving 2015...

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year!  I didn't have to do very much at all!  It is great having others help so much with the meal.  Nate was our turkey chef.  He cooked them in his smoker.  They had to be smaller so we had two of them.  YUMMY! He got up early to get them going.  I felt bad, but not too bad.  I loved having someone else doing the turkey!  Amanda and Randa brought desserts, fruits and vegetables.  All I had to do was the rolls and the mashed potatoes!  We had green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, fruit, corn on the cob (Nate's request and Lilly's favorite) and of course pie!  It was all delicious!  My rolls are all different sizes, but they tasted good.  It is a new recipe and I am trying to master them.  After we ate, we girls made a craft, Names of Jesus trees, and the kids made pipe cleaner Christmas trees.  Eric worked on his "cake" for Steve's upcoming 60th birthday. It's going to have 60 fireworks in it!  It was just a lovely day and we all enjoyed it very much!  I didn't get a picture of Joel!  He had the camera! He was there though!  Fun to have him home.  The kids had their own table and their own mini pies!  Kind of fun.  Don't mind Lilly's face, she never smiles for pictures.  Everyone was happy and had a good day!  My tree isn't quite finished.  I'm going to re-do a bigger and fluffier bow. And spray the star gold to match the ribbon.  The ribbon has the names of Jesus too.  And someone wrote on my menu board for today. Pretty funny!  I assure you no one starved!  We put in the movie "Inside Out" and it was a relaxing day all around!  Here is our day in no particular order...

 Love my kitchen helpers! 

 Their first thanksgiving together!