No Santa?? 11/30

When in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving, we had planned to go to Ethel M's Chocolate Factory. They have a great Cactus Garden that they decorate each year with thousands of lights and Santa Clause visits to meet with the kids...except on Monday night when we were there. Oh well. We got to sit in his empty chair instead...

Because There Was No Room For Him In The Inn...

Ho Ho Ho!

Funny story...so Decker has met Santa a couple of times so far this year and sat on his lap and he's learned to say Ho Ho Ho.

We were at Pearl Harbor's Memorial on the USS Arizona and all of a sudden, I hear Decker saying Ho Ho Ho. I'm not sure why until I see this....

afterwards, I spoke to his wife and told her that I thought Decker thinks he's Santa Claus. She told me that they get that often. On the plane to Hawaii, he told a little wide eyed girl who kept staring at him that he was going to Hawaii to pick up his reindeer! How about that? Santa on vacation!!

(I secretly took this photo, even though it looks like he's posing for me!)

Blessings and more

On Saturday, after so many people started to catch this bug, my niece, Makaylee asked if she could recieve a blessing. This prompted the healthy priesthood holders--my dad, my Mike and my brother Luke, in the house go around and give everyone who wanted one, a priesthood blessing.

It was like the time of the Saints in Nauvoo IL when there were so many sick with cholera or malaria and Joseph Smith went around blessing all those who were sick in bed.

My dad also blessed the home that anyone within these walls or would come within them would be healed quickly and that this sickness would leave the home and it would be a sanctuary again.

It was a great emotional and spiritual moment to witness and be a part of. It was wonderful to know that our family is blessed with worthy men to help lead and bless our lives.

Thank you dad for being such a good example to my husband and brothers.

All the sick were given buckets to carry around with them in case the urge hit. Decker used this bucket about 10 times....

Then can you tell? --- Decker is feeling much better!

Thanksgiving Weekend- Another One Bites the Dust

It was a morning of fun...going to the park, playing on the swing and picking lemons from Grandpa's tree.... Only one niece was sick with the stomach flu...however that would change in a mere 8 hours...
Grandma Nickie gave Decker a little Thanksgiving card that played the song "another one bites the dust" ....this became the mantra for our weekend....

Decker now sees planes and get excited...there's one now!

Soon after all of this fun, we were all going to go the Ethel M Chocolate Factory that evening to sit on Santa's lap. They have beautiful cactus gardens that they decorate each Christmas season with lights. That soon changed after Arikka, Cambrea, Breez, Decker, Lora, Jon, Isabel and Rylee all got touched by the wretched virus and were all throwing up.

Then that night, Breiden, MaKaylee, Grandpa, Adam and Michael G., Jade and Michelle joined the group.

Then on Monday night, my Mike and Alison joined the group. Somehow, I managed to avoid getting sick and making it home to Seattle on Tuesday untouched by it all.

So of the original family from post 1 of our Thanksgiving vacation:

Generation 1: 1 out of 3

Generation 2: 7 out of 17

Generation 3: 8 of 13

Total: 16 people got the virus and became sick!

This Thanksgiving will go down as memorable! Too bad one of the reasons is because of the shared virus! It was kind of comical in a way. Sad but true!

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

Thanksgiving the Day After...Friday

Mom had worked on some geneaology of her side of the family and submitted names for everyone so that we could participate in a day at the Temple. This is everyone getting ready to go over:The teenagers went over on Friday morning to do baptisms. It was a neat experience because all the men got to participate in using their priesthood performing the baptisms and confirmations and being witnesses. While most everyone was over at the temple for this part, I got to be at home to help watch the young kids, until Breiden, MaKaylee and Rylee came home. this is what we did while they were gone:

Made another tutu...this one for Jade...

The kids painted pictures and played "dentist", some in their tutus...

Then my sister Leah and I went over to the temple to help with the initiatories and endowments. It was a great day to be together in the temple, what a treat!

Then in the afternoon, a few of us went to see Twilight: New Moon. I do have to say that Jacob was pretty cute in the movie...however, Bella is my least favorite character...way too depressed and moody. I hardly saw her smile once and does she forget her lines or something...so disconnected. Anyways, the book is much better. It was fun going out. While I was in the theater, Mike played the penny slots...lost all his pennies. :( Better luck next time...