Life in a Northern Town

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Thanksgiving 2011

Uncle Sam & Aunt Elaine arrived on Monday 11/21, just in time to celebrate Addie's birthday with us. On Tuesday, we stayed out at the ranch house with them and they made us Navajo Tacos for dinner--YUM!!!

On Wednesday, we started cooking for Thanksgiving, and this came...

Aunt Marti & Uncle Ralph sent flowers since they're in Ukraine this year--BEAUTIFUL!!!

Uncle Sam making soup for the Wednesday night travelers and Addie helping Aunt Elaine make bread.

YUM! We jsut finished off the last of the six loaves ;)

One of the turkeys--this one got brined and slow roasted; the other got deep fried

Late Wednesday night everyone arrived safely from Utah--Gram, Drews, Petersens, Laytons, and Elreys--HOORAY! Uncle Sam, Gram, and Mom relaxing.

***

THURSDAY MORNING

Uncle Sam carving his turkey

Dishing up some amazing turkey meat

Darrin, Rich, and Uncle Matt watching the Yellowstone River roll by...

Gram & Laura--Lehmans arrived from Helena on Thursday morning

Mark, Lorelyn, Samantha, & Gabriel chill down stairs

Abby and Isabelle made the placecards

Sam & Kristen corraled the little boys down in the bunk room

Wee Gavin Layton, nearly 7 months old.

Can you believe these two are only 10 days apart?

Heidi & Jack are cousin pals!

Abby, Ally, Addie & Belle=Our Tweeners

The Big Kid Table

Lorelyn, Mark, Lyndi, & Gram at the "First generation" table

Me & My Niles

I can't stop laughing at his little pie face!

Niles with Aunt Laura--again with the pie face!

The amazing buffet!

Here's what we ate:

Appetizers

Gingerbread pita chips and apples with pumpkin dip

Raw Veggies with ranch dip

Main Meal

2 turkeys, one roasted, one fried

mashed russet potatoes

turkey stuffing

sweet potatoes

yellow squash casserole

green bean casserole

cranberry-orange slaw

gravy, rolls, & Martinelli's to drink

chocolate, pumpkin, and pecan pies with cream

pumpkin roll...

and all of it was pretty gourmet! Best TG dinner ever!

The Little Kids' Table

Owen, James, Heidi (Ben & Jack sat there, too)
Sam told me that Owen pushes up his shirt sleeves so he can look like Shaun the Sheep. I LOVE THAT!

More fine dining at the first and second generation tables

Kids Feasting!

Rich & Mike Melin are there in the background, with Sam, Darrin & Laura.

Looks like Uncle Matt is clearing his place.

After dinner and dishes, there were naps and football games and board games galore! Here's a huge gang of us in the basement playing a game.

Owen watched shows on the laptop

***

FRIDAY

My Uncle Sam, Aunt Elaine, Uncel Matt, Aunt Lorelyn, and Samantha all had to leave Friday Morning. Everybody else just hung out all day. I came home to do some laundry, etc., and then we had a yummy pizza dinner, kids' dance party, and a white elephant gift exchange.

The Boathouse was the kids' clubhouse all weekend. They roasted marshmallows in the wood stove and had dance parties, drawing/coloring, card games, etc. Some of the uncles even got to fish...such a fun time!

Break dancing!

White Elephant Party!

Youngest to oldest, Owen went first

then James

Heidi got a poodle

Ben got slippers

Addie got a bear

Kristen, Sam, Laura, Darrin, & Jill watched

Gabe in an AWESOME wig from Sam

Sam got Aunt Debbie's singing hamster, but Laura soon stole it!

***

This group shot is from Friday morning before The Uncles left

(I missed it because I was battling a blizzard in town and I had Jill and several kids with me, and mom & Mark & Marshall were in bed, I think)

Another group shot with the dogs

Sam, Lorelyn, Me,Niles, and Uncle Matt

Aunt Elaine, Addie, Me & Niles

Addie, Uncle Sam, Me & Niles

***

Saturday we didn't take any pictures. Rich went to work on some log furniture at the ranch early in the day, but I stayed at my house with Isabelle, Addie, & Niles to clean up and get our Christmas decorations out. My brother Matt and his family arrived from Helena around noon. We went out to ranch at 2pm for Mexican lunch before Laura and Darrin headed back to Helena. We watched the Norwegian Christmas Story that night and just hung out. Then we went home and got ready for Sunday.

***
Postums, Laytons and Petersens came to church with us. Drews & Grandma Lyn headed home on Sunday morning. I did sharing time in Primary and Addie gave a talk. Then after church we headed out to the ranch for a pot roast dinner, a relaxing afternoon of games and naps.

The girls were all playing games at the breakfast table when we noticed we had an audience.

Eight deer just hung out by the fence for an hour, no big deal.

Later, we introduced our wee nieces and nephews to the magic of Rankin-Bass animation by watching the old "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." We had a great time just hanging out downstairs letting our kids crack us up after the movie.

Niles took a nap right on my shoulder, pobrecito.

Kristen, Owen, Sam, Emily, Matt, Amie, & Jill

Addie & Emily love eachother-- Cutie Cousins!

Emily picked a winner!
***

We went back to my house Sunday night--Jill was staying with me--and watched some movies, folded clothes, and stayed up til 1am talking. Sam came to pick up Jill & her kids at 5:30am, then Matt & Amie left the ranch house that morning, too. *SIGH* The party was over and I was exhausted, but it was worth it. SO MUCH FUN! Can't wait to see my uncles again! We missed you, Auntie M! Hope everyone had a

Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks, Days 22-30

I was drowning in post-holiday funk Monday, sad about circumstances on both sides of our extended families, missing my people, neck-deep in stuff to clean up. The kids DID go to bed nicely after decorating the Christmas trees in their rooms for FHE, so that was a tender mercy. Rich went out to take out the ranch trash, so I thought it would be good to take a nice hot bath and read. But my book ("Then Again") was in the car (shucks!). Then I noticed the new Ensign & Friend magazines, so I took them down and had a good soak and read. The messages made me feel so much better, like a band-aid for all the sore spots. I was feeling bad because I tried to get online all weekend and I just couldn't make the time and wondered how I could finish off my month of giving thanks. I turned to pages 4-6 in the Ensign and got my answer from the Youth Section. It's called "Take the Gratitude Challenge," so I accepted. Dear Readers, I give you 100 Things...

I. 10 Physical Abilities:
1. A sound mind and great memory
2. The ability to digest, breathe, and pump blood on my own
3. The ability to walk and run without assistance
4. Sight & Hearing
5. The ability to read
6. Sense of smell & taste
7. The ability to conceive and gestate and make new little people
8. Although it's weak, I am thankful for an immune system that protects and helps heal my body
9. I am thankful that I am not as sensitive to pain as others seem to be.
10. I am thankful to be ale to keep up with my children on most days. I was so afraid of losing that.

II. 10 Material Possessions
1. My house--oh, I am so thankful for a warm and comfy place to live that is within our means to afford!
2. As I said before, I love my van--reliable & comfy transportation
3. Kitchen utensils and appliances where we can make good food for our family
4. A big comfortable bed to sleep in
5. Radio, mp3 and CD players so we can enjoy music & talk
6. Books
7. Our wii, where we can play aport or learning games as a family and stream so many great movies and shows.
8. Appropriate clothing and shoes
9. Camera & Photographs to document this wonderful family life.
10. A washer & dryer--oh, so thankful for clean laundry!

III. 10 Living People
1. My husband, who saved this wretch from a path of lameness & is my best friend.
2. My mother for giving me life
3. My Grandma for loving me unconditionally and being my pal
4. All my daddies for giving me life & keeping me alive & caring about me & my family.
5. Living Prophets to guide us--today, that's Thomas S. Monson
6. My Four Amazing Children who teach me everyday
7. Aunt Debbie for helping me understand Heidi better, and all the Sisterfriends for helping me be a better wife, mom, and Woman.
8. Erin, for being my sister from another mister; for helping me to rise above the crazy and keep choosing the right; and being hilarious and sassy all along the way
9. My siblings--veterans of the same war, best friends on earth.
10. Aunts & Uncles--it takes a village, y'all.

IV. 5 Deceased People (if you add them up, there's more than 10)
1. Grandpa, for helping me grow a testimony and giving me self-respect
2. Prophets who wrote in the scriptures
3. Gramareee
4. Founding Fathers
5. Joseph Smith

V. 10 Things in Nature
1. Sunshine
2. Moving Water
3. Rain
4. Trees
5. Plants we eat
6. Plants that flower & beautify
7. The beach
8. The changing seasons
9. Stars ona clear night
10. Baby Animals

VI. 10 Things About TODAY
1. I got a good night's sleep
2. My husband is cute & thoughtful
3. I don't have pain, I can move & exercise
4. Niles is happy
5. It's sunny and warm
6. The kids' Christmas trees look so cute
7. I got the laundry done
8. Left over turkey!
9. Taking James to the dentist today--love that boy!
10. One more day adn relative peace & freedom

VII. 10 Places on Earth
1. My Home
2. The Temple
3. Our Church Building nearby
4. The Beach, especially the Oregon coast
5. The beautiful forests, fields & mountains of Bavaria
6. London town!
7. Northern Mexico, before the drug & border wars
8. Old Town & Beaches in San Diego
9. Paradise Valley Montana
10. Down town SLC & Temple Square at Christmas time

VIII. 10 Modern Inventions
1. The Interwebs
2. Cellular Phones
3. As stated before, electricity!
4. Indoor plumbing & city water systems
5. Refridgerators
6. Microwaves
7. GPS
8. Ipods
9. Passenger planes & cars
10. Extended-wear contact lenses

IX. 10 Foods
1. Chocolate (Chocolove Dark with Almonds & Sea Salt specifically)
2. Broccoli
3. Spinach
4. Blueberries (and all the "super-foods")
5. Spices & salt & sugar & butter to flavor it all
6. Corn tortillas/chips
7. Tacos
8. Potatoes
9. Montana grass-fed steak
10. Oatmeal & yogurt

X. 10 Things about the Gospel
1. Plan of Salvation-Knowing who I am and why I am here and where I am going
2. Agency- the choices we make everyday matter; in fact, they are everything--they are why we are here, to prove who we really are adn what we really want.
3. Continuing Revelation
5. The Gift of the Holy Ghost and personal revlation- gives me confidence in choices for me and my family
6. The Commandments-living them keeps me from physical and spiritual harm
7. Divine Nature- knowledge that I am a daughter of a Heavenly Mother and Father whose divine attributes I have inherited gives me strength to face life and also inspiration to create and try new things.
8. Repentance & Forgiveness- nothing has to stay as it is; things can and should always get better, and there is never EVER a justification for holding on to bad feelings about ourselves or others--it's so liberating.
9. Families are forever
10. The Atonement of Christ that gives hope in every situation, for every person. Like the song says: "There is hope for every soul that's lost/ there is a way back home no matter where you roam...there's a place for every heart in pain/ a place where there's no hurt and there's no shame...let His Love reach you and teach you every hour."

Monday, November 21, 2011

Giving Thanks Day 21

Day 21: Addie turned 10, so I've been a mom for 10 years. You can read what I wrote about being a mom HERE. Today I am thankful for my kids and all they have taught me.

***

Addie had a fun bday weekend. Between getting her nails done and going to a draft show and seeing "Annie", we went to the grocery store and ran into Addie's friend, Kendall who moved to Butte last year.