A time to give thanks

We have much to be thankful for!  Lots of pictures here that cover Thanksgiving and first weeks of December.  We took the kids to Scheels to ride the ferris wheel but when we got there they said the line was too long but really they chickened out. We aren't big thrill seekers around here.  They settled on this bear instead.

We were having friends and family over for Thanksgiving so I hit Costco with the rest of the world, right before Thanksgiving and with these two and their baby.  Costco is a busy, busy place.

This is what they'd like for Christmas in case anyone wants to know.

A rare moment that I'm sitting on this couch with the kids.  My look says, "suburban mom."

Dan and Sadie came for Thanksgiving.  Dan jumped right in to help Eric with preparations.  I made sure we documented it because Sadie was dumbfounded when she saw Dan in the kitchen.  Eric did most of the cooking and brought it home!  He just has what it takes.

Buttering up the turkey.

Dax, the new family pet, came along with the Corvino's.  Dax was a welcome addition for the weekend.

Leighton also helped do a lot of the cooking.  The men around here aren't afraid to be a little domestic.

Daniel also joined us for the day.  He's the sweetest guy around.

When the twins saw the turkey legs on the platter, their eyes lit up.  "Can we have one?"  Of course.

Maria took a shuttle from Rexburg to join us as well.  She's Daniel's sister and she's as sweet as pie too.  So fun to have them both.  I feel bad.  Shannon and Dave also joined us but I failed to get a picture of their family.  I swear I took some?  Shannon made yummy butter nut squash soup and monkey bread to take it all up a notch.

Dax made his way into every one's hearts.

Over the weekend, we did a little hiking at Bridal 

Veil Falls.

Had a picnic lunch up South Fork canyon.  I used the leftovers and felt pretty good about myself.  A full lunch and didn't buy a thing (except the 44 ouncers).

Jackson doesn't like sandwiches on white rolls so he opted for Ritz crackers and cheese stacked just the way he likes it.

We treated ourselves to an adult night out with the Corvino's and Wallis' to PF Changs.  None of us had been there in a long time.  It tasted divine.  One of my favorite places to eat when we first moved to Vegas and still is.

The first Monday in December I've started a tradition of giving the kids pjs for family home evening.  (I think I need to give credit to my friend Rylee for the idea.)  The kids were giddy with excitement for the Christmas season and their new threads.

The winter weather has been delightful.  I am sure it depends on who you ask if they think it's delightful but we are having a great time with the winter wonderland.  Although outfitting the kids and buying snow shovels and gear has been a big investment. 

The view outside my front door.

Alisha came to Utah for a couple weeks and we were able to find a miracle time that Melissa and Laci could meet for lunch.  #hendersonisthebestplacetomakefriends

Boston got to have a special night out with his dinner of choice - Panda Express.  We had "the talk" with him and he didn't bat an eye.  He didn't laugh, he didn't turn bright red, he didn't squirm.  It was just another day at the office.  Check.  Grateful we've come this far.

The twins needed to do 2 weeks of laundry for a scout advancement and it was the longest 2 weeks of my life.  It was much more work than they anticipated.  They were paid $2/day and earned it.  I think I need to start paying myself while I'm at it:)

This is the loot I normally pull from their jeans.

This is what some of it looks like if they do the laundry:)

We had what my friend Laci likes to call, FFF (forced family fun) and watched Christmas Vacation, popped popcorn and snuggled in our jammies with the fire going.  We all lasted about half an hour and were ready for bed.  Big talkers.

I picked Boston up from school the other day because his throat hurt.  He came home and slept most of the day.  Very rare for him.  He's quite the sleeping beauty. #thathair

I took him to see Dr. McCune the next day and he tested positive for strep.  One of those times I was grateful I didn't wait longer to take him in.

Every parent's dream - school projects that require a tri-fold board...A major bonus this time is that the boys got to do this project together and we have a little connection in the Danish world.  This is their finished project.  They will present next week and are wearing Lederhosen and doing a little Danish jig that will be sure to entertain.

I got the strangest phone call from the school the other day.  They claimed an odd odor was coming from Leighton's corner of the room.  The consensus was that his socks were the culprit. #theywerejustpulledfromthedryer #couldhavebeenanothersource

We attended our ward Christmas breakfast this morning and it was decorated like candy land.  Kneaders was catered with their yummy French toast, gingerbread houses were the center pieces and activity, along with a slide show and letter writing to the missionaries.  We are blessed to be in another great ward. #stillnotshadowcanyon

Boston just went straight to the eating and bit the gingerbread head off.

We topped the day off by dining at Bam Bam's BBQ in Orem.  The twins and Eric gave it 2 thumbs up.  It was a bit expensive but unique.  Eric says it's just like Texas barbecue and he'd go back.

And as Porky Pig would say... That's all folks:)