Thanksgiving Feast

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a feast with the Wrides up at Park City today. I was impressed that we all fit in one unit together. 

A big round of applause goes to Mark for bringing up folding tables and chairs and getting it all set up. 

Mark sent out a google sign up a week ago for us to fill out. The feast was to start at 1pm:

THANKSGIVING DINNER @1:00

ITEM & ASSIGNMENT

Paper Plates (30) - Wayne

Plastic Cups (30) - Nancy & Jeremy

Plastic Silverware (30) - Mark & Chalane

Napkins & Small Plates (30) - Corey & Tiff

ITEM & ASSIGNMENT

Turkey - Mark

Turkey - Wayne

Gravy - Mark

Cranberry Sauce - Wayne

Rolls and Butter (15 people) - Nancy

Rolls and Butter (15 people) - Lily

Mashed Potatoes (15 people) - Nancy

Mashed Potatoes (15 people) - Abi

Sweet Potato Souffle - Nancy

Stuffing (15 people) - Mark

Stuffing (15 People) - Wayne

Green Salad + Dressing - Corey and Tiff

Fruit Salad - Joseph and Eliza

Veggie Tray & Dip - Mark

Vegetable/side dish - Corey and Tiff

Vegetable/side dish - Ethan and Bella

Vegetable/side dish - Mel & Christian

Pumpkin Pie/ whip cream - Natalie

Pumpkin Pie/ whip cream (COSTCO) - Nancy

Pie/topping - Corey and Tiff

Pie/topping - Lilian Wride

We and our children contributed the most numbers to the crowd, so we told our olde kid couples to choose something to bring. We also had the kids here at home each choose something to help with, even though for some it meant us doing it (like us getting the pie for Natalie's sign up, and the whipped cream for Lily). It was a feast - there was hardly room on the table for all the food everyone brought. 

We have had a new tradition at meals the past few years, where oldest gets priority, so Wayne first, then old marrieds, young marrieds, single adults, teens, kids. The little kids are good at waiting their turn. 

After the meal, we went around the room and each shared thoughts on things that we are grateful for. Then people got more food if desired as we watched the video that Jordyn made and Ethan put music too, that was played at JeNeal's funeral. 

That put almost all of us in grateful tears. Then we watched the end of The House: VI (Finale) cause the clips starting at 30:50 were along that same theme of remembering JeNeal, but we as we were looking for that part we just started at 25:45 and watched those old videos of our older kids, so that was really fun. 

Other photos from the day - the kids making pretzel turkeys in the Mine ~

The kids, young and old, did a good job taking turns playing with Mary

We love her!!

Katharine's turn.

Hyrum playing Little People Princesses with K while we waited for everyone to gather for our Thanksgiving meal.

Owen (left) and Daniel (right) enjoying having the whole pool to themselves!

I generally tried to avoid the large pool. It was "warm" but still cold compared to the hot tubs. Katharine and Natalie have the right idea. Stay in the hot tub!

The men and boys had an epic game of Risk.

And we all went hot tubbing many times - 

Peter ready for some billiards - 

Corey giving me a smoochy kiss while I was reading. Abi took that pic and sent it to me with a "oh la la"

The kids did their fair share of watching Sponge Bob, and then we watched "Unbreakable" together this evening. A little darker than we remembered. Had to cleanse our palate with a few Studio C sketches. 

It was a nice day. We are blessed to live in this beautiful state and great land of America. Thank you Lord for thy providence. I pray with George Washington, who, after his defeat at Germantown, later wrote that "the day was rather unfortunate" but that his soldiers "were not in the least dispirited." They appreciated the valuable and much needed combat experience gained. All things considered, from Saratoga to Brandywine and Germantown, Washington commented that "A superintending Providence is ordering every thing for the best, and that, in due time, all will end well." (- Washington Hypothesis, p. 104)

Ice Skating & Engagement Pictures

Tonight we went ice skating here at Park City! This is my first time skating up here. 

The kids have come before, to the Resort Center Ice Skating Rink. I can't find it recorded here on the blog though. I didn't go skating that time but I do remember seeing videos of it. I searched my youtube but couldn't find videos there, hmm. They are most likely lost on a phone or computer somewhere, so good luck finding them. I was probably at the hotel room with an infant. Thus it was not documented here. But tonight was really fun and great. We had 12 tickets and spent time on Sunday fitting everyone up in the skates. We brought up all the skates we had and were able to fit up most of our group, and save $10 each (tickets were $25 for skating pass plus rental, or $15 for the pass if you brought your own skates). Corey had us all try them on and we were able to bring up all 12 of our pairs of skates. We went to the car to grab skates, then walked over to the rink.

Abi helped K get laced up.

It doesn't get much cuter than a little kid in snow clothes and skates (or skis)

Daniel let his attendants serve him. 

We had fun on the ice. Many of us used these skating aid things (similar to this). I used it for probably half of the time. I enjoyed going fast when I knew I wouldn't fall on my behind. I didn't take a break at all. K wasn't very good. She tried a little bit, but mostly her legs were wet noodles, even if she was able to hold onto the walker thing. Corey tried to help her, but she was still useless.

So then Corey carried her. I wouldn't trust myself to that, but Corey's had more experience skating. He played a little bit of ice hockey back in the day, and did a few stick and puck sessions with Wes. Kids taking a break - Corey brought hot cocoa, so they liked that. 

Everyone warming up. 

Little Alvie Bear is already snuggly and warm. 

After about an hour I felt like I had my legs under me and I was channeling my inner Bonnie Blair. I even crossed my legs over. Corey tried to help me go backwards too. 

Mel and Christian did this thing where she skated underneath his legs, impressive. Christian is taller than Corey, but Corey and I tried it too and we did it too, oh yeah! What other tricks do you got?? We'll have a contest! The girls got some insta worthy pics for "the gram". 

When the kids were done skating, Bella and Ethan got some skates and the girls watched Alvie and Kat. 

So that was a good activity tonight. Good job Corey for making that happen. Other than that, we've been playing around the hotel - doing some Twister - 

... hot tubbing... 

Sophi and Natalie getting ice cream in the Mine...

This morning, Corey and I drove down to SL and went climbing early, and then picked up Joseph, Eliza, and Mary at 9:30 from the airport. It was just a 4 hour direct flight from Columbus. Joseph said it felt like cheating to be able to cross all that land so quickly, when it took the pioneers months! Mary liked the Biscoff cookies served on the Delta flight. She made a yummy mess of herself with it, but she's so cute! So who could be upset?

She really is such a smiley happy baby! After getting them, we went by home to pick up Katharine and Peter's floaties, which we forgot, and my swimsuit, and a few other things, doh - we'll just gone for 3 days, and you'd think with all the junk we loaded up yesterday that we'd be set, but nope, we had to go back to get more (also forgot the salad stuff I needed for one of our contributions to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.) The kids took K swimming without floaties but were glad that we brought them up. 

That pic is from when Abi took her. I went to the pool with K after we were back with my swimsuit, but she always wants to move to a different spot. We'll be in one tub, then she'll want to move to another, and she even made me go into the big pool with her, which was not freezing, but cold enough that it took some bravery from me to leave the hot tubs and face the lukewarm temp, brr! The kids all went to the hot tub together, and Mary and Alive had a splash battle (battle 1 and battle 2). I missed that pool session cause I left to go with Mel and Christian to get some engagement photos taken by Nancy. I was the official chauffer, jacket holder, and bag carrier. We left with an hour of daylight and drove over to Deer Valley in search of some pine tree backgrounds.

She took a few hundred pics there, and then we were going to go up to Empire pass, but it was closed. We found a place to pull over close to Mid Mountain and took a few more there before the light was gone. 

With a handsome couple like this we know the pics are gonna turn out great!

Now the boys are all playing a game of Risk but it's been a full day for us so we'll let them stay up late if they want but I'm going to head to bed! 

Venue Searching then Up to Park City

Hello. Today the majority of my time was spent checking out venues for Mel's reception. Abi didn't have a flute lesson today, so I had the car, and she and I left at 10 and drove by Wildflower Event center. I wasn't impressed by my drive by - it's just in a strip mall. Meh, then I drove by the Midvale Cactus and tropicals, didn't love the parking or surroundings there. Then the Ivy House... that looked like it was closed - had a chain link fence around it. Then the Sugarhouse Cactus and Tropicals, I did like that one - easy access from the freeway, easy parking, and then we got back in the car and headed to Red Butte Garden to meet Mel and Aimee for a 12 appointment tour of the Orangerie. 

We really liked that one. It is usually $5000, but Saturdays in January are only $2500, yay. That is doable, the only catch is you have to use one of their caterers... We were able to stay and sit at one of the tables there and we called and emailed a few of them to try and get an idea of what that price would be for light refreshments. Didn't make too much progress with that, but they let us put a hold on the venue for one week for free, yay. So we'll try to do some work and figure out things before next Tuesday.

Katharine making her contribution as we tried to crunch numbers. 

Many decisions to be made, but the venue is one of the priorities, cause we have to have that one figured out so we can put it on the announcements. After Red Butte, Katharine and I went to Costco in SL to get some groceries for the next few days - we are up at Park City for Thanksgiving. Abi drove up with the kids, Corey and I drove together. We brought ice skates, coats, hats, and a bunch of other things that filled up the back of our two cars. It will be a fun week though with plenty of food, SpongeBob...

... and grandbabies!!! Alvie!!!

Joseph and Eliza and Mary are flying out and will be here in the morning, yay!! Fun fun for everyone.

Cute Kat

Cute Kathrine this morning.

I actually look forward to her coming into our bed. It's usually between 2-3 am. She'll come over to my side of the bed, ask to sleep with me, and I help her come up and then we snuggle. I'll tuck her in but after an hour or two, she usually kicks off the blankets, so I am sure to wear socks so my toes don't get cold when that happens. She also does a bit of rotating, so I have to keep her far enough from Corey so she doesn't kick him awake, while also keeping her from going off the side of the bed. I love her. She's three and a half but she's still my baby. 

Lily got creative yesterday and make a soda can choir with all the soda can's that she's been collecting from her friends. Cute, creative, and I'm trying to not be annoyed at her wasting my hot glue for the eyes. 

I took a ride up the canyon today, and got another local legend, yay, this one for Downhill Quarry (17 times in the last 90 days). After that, I got cleaned up and then Corey and I left at 5:30 for our date to meet Christian's parents!

We met up at Aubergine to negotiate the bride price, haha. They are super great, and we willingly give Mel to Christian and are happy to share her with his family. We met at the Aubergine in Sugarhouse, which was a good in between spot (they live in Bountiful) and this Aubergine was the perfect restaurant because it is the one that Mel worked at after her mission, and cause his parents are plant based too! That pic was at the end of our meal while we were talking some wedding plans. We should have taken it with our visually pleasing plates of food before us, oh well. I'm sad to report that the cashew melt is gone, hopefully not forever. Corey got the Aubergine melt instead. I got the Vitality Bowl, I think? Either that or the Good Earth bowl, those are the two I switch in between, though now I can't really tell them apart. Tomorrow Christian's mom, Aimee, is going to come with Mel and I to look at Red Butte Garden as a possible venue for the reception. Ahhh, there is probably a lot to do! Lucky for us, Mel and Christian are both college graduates and very responsible adults. They are doing a good job so far at taking care of the plans, and shared their spreadsheet with us. Lots to do, but we should be able to do it all before Jan 10th, even with holiday festivities and a missionary coming home!! 

Temple with Alvie

Today at 11:30, Ethan and Bella attended a marriage sealing at the Draper Temple, and asked if any of us wanted to come watch Alvie for them while they went inside. Um, YES!

Katharine came along with me and she helped me watch Alvie. I asked her if she wanted to hold him, and she said no. But then she said yes. 

I think she said "no" at first, cause she could see that this baby was not tiny sleepy baby Mary. This was big baby Alvie. But then she got brave and held him for a second. And we walked around the temple lobby, and then I saw the waiting room area and we went in there, and let Alvie practice his push ups and planks - 

and look at a magazine about temples... 

and stare at Aunt Katharine...

...and eat the television remote. 

He liked that the best. There might have been a few germs on it, but honestly I don't think anything is dirty at the temple, so it was good. And I let Ethan and Bella know I let him have at it. It kept him happy. 

And we looked at fake plants. He liked practicing grabbing those, and then Ethan and Bella were back out. Lily and Natalie came to perform baptisms while I watched Alvie, so it was all good for everyone! 

And since I shared pictures of Alvie, here are a few of Mary too. Joseph sent these to us on Wednesday. CUTE MARY!!! 

Aww she's getting so big! We are excited to see them next week!

So they are cute. Yesterday/Friday the church announced that young women can serve missions starting at 18 years old now. That means Abi doesn't have to wait until September and can turn in her papers like in two months (they say to do it 4 months before you anticipate being available to serve), so I think she's going to get started on that soon! She could start right after graduation in May 29th. Wow! Yesterday I'm pleased to report that I finished blogging April 2025! yay, good job me. Today I went over to the church to update the Relief Society board. And as I came out, I saw the updated missionary board! There is our cute Wesley! Center top - 

He is coming home so soon, yay, we're so excited!