Happy Thanksgiving 2010

The week of Thanksgiving we got hit with COLD! Temperatures in the teens and SNOW!! We had a cozy group of 6. Our little family, Grandma and Uncle Jon. What a fun time!

Mike built this great snowman!

Jon and Mike were in charge of smoking the Turkey. We used Apple wood. This time it took a lot longer than usual to smoke. By the time we ate, they were using flashlights to check it...about 5:30 p.m. :)

Decker got himself comfortable in Cody's bouncer chair, with his pacifier and blanket while watching Toy Story while he waited for dinner...

Cody in his Christmas Bear jumpsuit...

Practicing sitting up in his Bumbo
A tired Decker after dinner...This one is one of my favorites...doesn't Cody look like a little angel?Mike resting after going shopping on Black Friday at 3;30 a.m.

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...

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...

Thanksgiving Part 2 the PJ's

My sister-in-law, Julie made these cute monkey pajamas for all the young kids. They were adorable! We spent some time singing, 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed.... Decker, Dallin, Rhett and Elliott

Breez, Arikka, Isabel and Cambrea... I had so many pictures of these girls and trying to get them all to smile and look at the camera was quite the challenge!

Fathers and Sons

Thanks Julie for making them for everyone!

Thanksgiving Vacation Part 1

Mike and I took a full week off for the holiday and went to Vegas to spend time with my family. A total count for the maximum number of people would be 33 people counting women, men and children.

Oldest Generation: 3

2nd Generation: 17

3rd and youngest Generation: 13--of these 7 were under the age of 3.

It was so fun to be around everyone and catching up with each others lives...blogs and facebook just don't do it!

Here are some pictures from Thursday.

Because of our large gathering and the convenience of having the stake center right down the street, we decided to use the facilities, basketball hoop included. :) This picture unfortunatly is missing 5 people. This is gathered around the kids table:

The food table...Jessica and Alison...

Proud and happy parents ... My favorite two... Sisters....Part of the clean up crew....

Heather and Corie...Amber and Adam and ???? (May 2010)Luke, Lora and Dallin....Michelle and Steve....And with the Las Vegas Temple in the background, it ended the perfect night...Thanks mom and dad for braving bringing 7 children into this world and for bringing all of their immediate posterity to your home for the week! What a wonderful experience to be with everyone together!

And thank you everyone for taking time our of your busy lives to come...what a blessing to be together...