Celebrate...times 3

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This time of year has many reasons to rejoice....5 birthdays in a short space and Christmas smack between them! We had David and Nick home from Logan for Thanksgiving and took the opportunity to celebrate David's birthday. Since Annalisa's and Morgans are this week, the 2nd and 3rd, we tossed them into the Brithday Bash! One of our favorite dishes is Pumpkin Pie, deep dish style so it served as our Birthday cake and Thanksgiving dessert. After finding no candles, I poked in some sparklers from last 4th of July and the pie was a glittering delight! It was great to spend time together. We shopped for an outside dog house for Bear, I played a game of Othello with David, we cooked and ate a great Thanksgiving meal, and watched a couple movies. Thanks Kids!

'Tis the Season to be Jolly.......fa la la la...

'Tis the Season to start the Holiday magic and start the Christmas cheer. It has been fun to adorn this new house and place our favorite things about. I especially wanted my Holiday decorations out when my college boys came for Thanksgiving. For all of us, it makes the new house feel a little more like home with the familiar Christmas stuff around. Merry Christmas everyone!

Morgan goes to Preference Dance

American Fork High School had it's Preference Dance 2009 (girl asks guy) and Morgan was asked by his friend Brittany.

Morgan and I both forgot to get a corsage and at the last minute on Saturday afternoon went hunting for one. Not to be found! Finally found a place that would make me one for $20. No way, too much! So, I went to Albertsons and found the components and made it myself for $5. Ha! This happened to be during a white out snow storm to boot.

Morgan looked great, as you can see and so did his date. He wore the Tux to church today and looked quite dandy.

I would have to agree with Oma's adage, that I have the best looking children!

Target for Egger - Football Banquet

Friday, Nov. 13th was a pretty eventful day. We discovered the house had been hit again by an egg throwing idiot. This is the third time in 3 weeks. I called the local police and an officer came by and took a report. I decided to make a flyer and I put it on 200 houses in my area calling for a Neighborhood Watch! Later Ethans team held a football banquet and that was alot of fun to see the comraderie and the coach took time to tell something great about each boy. (28) Morgan came and we enjoyed some great food.

Sunday Drive to Logan, UT

With the weather being warm and the time available, Annalisa, Morgan, Ethan and I headed to Logan to see Nick and David. We got to see Nicks apartment, had some lunch together and then went to Davids house and test drove his sweet and nearly done Mustang. He has taken this car from a junk yard disaster to a great sounding and nice looking car. His last investment is to get it painted and his lifelong dream car will be complete. It was terrific to spend the afternoon with my children. Michael and Bridgett wanted to join us, but Bridgett has been plagued with chronic headaches the past week and even had an overnight stay at the Blackfoot hospital. Initially the doctors worried about a Aneurism being the fault, but later, after a CT scan, found a probable deep tissue sinus infection. Even with multiple kinds of drugs, she still is suffering from the migrane level headaches. Wishing you well Bridgett!
A parent loves the little things when time with grown children is possible. Thanks Annie for your company and conversation in the car, and the terrific gift of 'Planet Earth'. Awesome! Thanks Nick for sharing your place and spending time with your family. Thanks David for sharing your sweet spirit and your super car and I especially like your hugs! Ethan and Morgan were great sports and Thanks Morgan for going to the Dr. with Nick and finding out what the rash was on his face. If you recall, Nick had pnenmonia last month and was given anti-biotics. These doses lowered his auto-immune system and he was found to have Shingles! Yes, he had a good case of Chicken Pox as a child, but the Dr. told him a shot of steroids last month probably brought the Shingles to the surface. Go figure!

Friday Night Date

What an eventfull weekend this has been! Friday night I took Morgan to get fitted for a tux and he look quite dashing in his fancy get up! Next weekend is Preference at American Fork High School and his date is Brittney and her twin Stacey will be going with Morgans friend Tyler! Nice double!

Saturday morning I requested Morgans help to put up Christmas lights. With a new house this season, the planning was fun to get the house lit up nice. Ethan had his last Championship game with his Freshman team, and they won 45-12. They were on a 10-0, winninng streak. Even though Ethan still couldn't play he supported his team by going to practises and games for the remaining two months. The last game was as exciting as the others with 80 yard runs/touchdowns, and several interceptions from the AF team.

Saturday night Morgan was again my companion and he went with me to the American Heritage School (private LDS/patriotic school grades K-11, and coincidentally, my employeer, Curtis Miner architecturally designed the school.) A concert was being held there that honored the WWII Veterens through original song & student orchestra and video display. It was very moving and I was so grateful for Morgan coming with me. A family who recently lost their son in Afganistan attended and were honored as well. Curtis and Janine graciously got me tickets and it was such an amazing event with how well the student orchestra performed and the original songs that followed the lives of several real soldiers and their families.

Sunday Drive - Battle Creek Falls

The weather was so great, staying indoors was impossible! After church we packed up the dogs and went to a canyon nearby called Battle Creek. Ethan's dog, Bear loves to fetch anything you throw so the boys had a great time throwing sticks, and discarded water bottles. Bear climbed the steep walls of the canyon and amazingly didn't tumble down. Gretchen did a good job keeping the pace, though she doesn't like to fetch. On the top picture you can see Gretchen walking towards me to Ethans left and Bear is behind Morgan looking for the plastic bottle.

Ethans Halloween Masterpiece

Ethan did a great job of carving his Halloween pumpkin. Our ward did a 'Trunk or Treat" at the church with a chile dinner for the kids and adults. We decorated the back of the Jeep and handed out candy. Saturday Annalisa came over with Chance and Zoe and we had my famous BBQ Baked Beans & bread. It was terrific and later we awaited the throng of kids. Ethan and I set a stuffed spider to drop from the porch overhang when I open the door to greet tricksters. It was pretty funny to tease the kids for their treats. My house didn't get as many kids as anticipated, but enough to make the Spider a hit!