What is Thanksgiving?

For me Thanksgiving can me summed up into three words:

• food,
• fun and
• frolic.

Case in point, check out this food. Now it may look to the untrained eye that this could be fun and frolic too, but I promise that this is minor to what comes later. We’ve had a long serious talk with mom about how much food should be prepared for eight people. Of course, no Thanksgiving meal would be complete without candied yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and fresh cranberry sauce, but five pies (plus a marble cake for Shane) are a bit much. Turkey is good, ham is good, but probably we don’t need both. And least we forget the fruit salad, the spinach salad, and the Jello salad.
P.S. Chris says to tell you that was one large, heavy bowl of potatoes. And I want to note that I really did do my hair that way on purpose... Lisa calls it my crazy hair (it goes really well with my angry eyes!) and that grimace is because I just dropped ham on Tricia's lap and she doesn't know it yet :).

One of our traditions is to go to a movie on Thanksgiving. Disney used to released their new cartoons during Thanksgiving: Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast. This year I haven't gone to the movies for a while so this weekend we took in three movies (four if you count that I rented one on Wednesday!). Thursday we all went to Madagascar 2.

Friday Chris, Josh and I went to Bolt--I HIGHLY recommend it and I only “forgot to blink and my eyes got all sweaty” a few times (that was Josh’s excuse for crying when his Dad took him to see it last week). Then some of Tricia’s friend’s joined us for Twilight on Saturday. Talk about fun!

As for the frolic part, we’d made of list of optional activities that we worked almost all the way through.

After Thanksgiving Day sales... check.

Games, games, and more games: Aggravation (where Josh totally kicked my trash!), Racko, Hand and Foot, and Apples to Apples... checkBowling... check.Catch with Roxi (I love Tricia's terror as Josh threatens to through the soggy, stuffed puppy at Tricia for Roxi to catch--hilarious!)... check
Just chillin'... check.There's a story that goes with this last one that I have to share. Right before they were packing up Josh was rough housing with Roxi and Shane told Roxi to sit on Josh's head. She backed up and sat right down on Josh. Not on his lap like she did here. But right on his head. Bummer.. right?! ha ha ha! whew. I have NEVER heard Shane laugh outloud and when she did that he couldn't stop laughing.

So... Plenty of laughs... check.

I am thankful

It's important to show gratitude, but I didn't start thinking about my blessings over the last year until my friend Natalie asked. Thanks Nat!

This Thanksgiving I'm grateful for my job. I love my boss, I get to sit down to work, and I enjoy the people I work with.

These are some of the people I work with: Left to Right is Daryl Whitehead (new owner of Western Hills Realty), Jack and Laura Hill (former owners and current missionaries in Nauvoo)

I LOVE having a desk job!

I am also thankful for my improvement health. Last year, I could hardly walk and everything was shadowed with pain and now I have my mobility back and I've been able to drop my meds drastically because my pain has decreased.

Check it out... Two matching shoes... and their cute too :)! All thanks to surgery and physcial therapy. You can read about the progress here.

Last thing, I promise :), is that I'm happy I've had some adventures this year. I've always thought that enduring to the end meant actually enjoying the journey and I've been blessed to try some new things this year, visit friends, and build my relationships within my family. It's been a good year!

This is temple week. You can read about it here.

This is a display honoring my Grandpa Brown at BYU and you can learn about him here :).

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Friday was Black Friday. Also known as Dad's 70th birthday. Mom found a black table cloth, black plates, and black silverware and then we all dressed in black. Well, Chris and I did because after all that work, Mom was too tired to change her clothes :). We ordered Chinese and Dad got a German Chocolate cake (his favorite) and then he opened his present of six Carol Burnett DVDs. Oh yea, he was excited. :)
Dad's been telling us for months that when he turns 70, then he'll be an old man. I shared that little anecdote with his older sister and she didn't find it particularly amusing. Opps.
But, she shared with me that she was flipping through a textbook in her son's office and in it they said that a person doesn't start aging until their 80. I'm pretty sure it didn't say exactly that because I'm pretty sure I'm aging right now. Apparently, you body changes at 80 and starts to fall apart. Once again, that's paraphrasing Aunt Nila because once again I'm pretty sure I fall into that category too!

So on that sunshine-y note here's to ten more years Dad...

... and then you'll finally catch up to me!

Déjà Vu

Last week we painted Mom and Dad's living room, hall, and stairwell. And by we, I mean Mom, Dad, and Chris. The house is really starting to look great... if you ignore that the banister and the carpet have been ripped out :).
Although, while I was watching on I had a moment of déjà vu. Step back 18 months and we're back in Chris's house with Dad painting and Mom correcting :).

Can you guess which was then and which is now?

Utah Va-Ca

Last weekend I went to Utah. I had a doctor's appointment on a Tuesday and rather than running down and back for a quicky trip I decided to make a vacation out of it. I feel exhausted so I don't know how appropriate is a title of "vacation", but I did have a lot of fun :). I figured since we have family coming to Burley for both Thanksgiving AND Christmas, then this was my chance to get out of town. I was telling Chris that I went down to visit and I think I managed to see everyone and their dog... literally... both Trevor's and Lisa's families have puppies :).

So here's my [insert British accent] schedule :).

Friday night at Lisa's I got to tell them about my progress with my foot and we had a one leg standing contest. Josh won only because he was leaning against the kitchen table. Lisa is like a rock. And I almost lasted 5 seconds. They have a new puppy, Roxy, (she looks JUST like the RC Willey dog) and we tried to play catch but she slides on the Pergo flooring so that was pretty hilarious. Lisa I talked and visited and chatted and ... you get the idea ... until late. Saturday morning was Josh's hockey game where he had some awesome hustle in the third period; he's getting really good. They have a tradition to go to lunch afterward so Shane treated. NICE.

Then I went to Trevor's where we messed around with the kids and playing catch with their puppy (apparently it works better on tile, who knew?!). Before bed, Ian (age 5) read to me. So, so, so sweet. Plus, Trevor and I watched ALL the special features to Iron Man on Blu Ray. There's not many people that think that's fun, so I was glad I got to do it it with Trevor. Sunday morning we went to church then later the kids and I went for a walk with my camera. Alex (age 3) was step, click, step, click, step, click with the camera all the way down to the end of the street! Ian took a few too but it was more like 20 compared to Alex's 100 :). I like walks with kids and camera because it's always interesting to me what they find interesting.

Sunday night I visited my cousin, Alisha, and her family. She made a seriously yummy orange teriyaki chicken and then we watched Journey to the Center of the Earth with a Moose Track ice-cream break. yum! After all the kids went to bed that we talked and visited and chatted and ... you get the idea ... until very, very late. Monday morning I had a migraine, but after I got sick and took a nap with some Hydrocodeine, I felt much better.

I met Tara, my old roomie from BYU, for lunch. I don't think I've seen her since I graduated eight years ago, so it was reat to catch up. Then I had some extra time, so I ran over to Aunt Nila's house to visit her and Uncle Ted. He's had another stroke so I needed to check in. I got to live with Uncle Ted and Aunt Nila my first year at BYU. Imagine the perfect Grandma... bakes cookies, attends your recitals, so soft to hug. Yea, that's my Aunt Nila.

After a few hours I needed to go since Michelle, an old roomie from Ricks, was expecting me. She has a new little girl, Stella, that is just a doll! As Michelle describes it via her blog, upon meeting Stella people always remark on: "Her big fat kissable cheeks (from her daddy), Her bright happy blue eyes (from heaven), and Her adorable outfits (from her mom)." We had a good time visiting and kissing Stella and then it was time for bed. So far, I’d slept in three different beds and one comfy couch and I was pretty tired so I slept way late and puttered around Tuesday morning until we joined our other Ricks roommates for lunch at the Dodo in the Gateway (seriously good food and even better service, by the way). Of course, the experience, might have been colored by the company more than the great food :). There’s Natalie who has just moved back from California, Stephanie and her little boy Charlie, and Michelle and her Stella.

After lunch, I went to visit the doctor... after all, that is why I came down. He was pleased with the progress of my foot and thrilled that my pain is so little that he lowered my arthritis medicine. That’s a huge step! I’ve never taken this little of medicine before so I’m pretty darn excited.

I noticed in my pictures I tended towards the same themes: sunsets, self-portraits with a friend, and food/lunch. Unfortunately, most of my sunset pictures were snapped while I was driving. I promise I only took pictures when other cars weren't near and I never actually lined up my camera. See? I WAS practicing safe driving :). Here's a pic of the mountains in Utah that was my best shot.

As for the self-portraits, I wanted to be able to look back on my pictures and see how much fun I had. I didn't mean for it to be egocentric or border line narcissistic. I'll say instead that it was not at all self-absorbed but merely self-centered since it was genuinely meant to be a chronicle of my weekend. Here are a few of my favorites.

For me, food is as social an activity as air is for breathing. Good food, good company, and best yet... no clean up :).

Now it's back to the grind and the stack on my desk is calling my name and I have to run about 12 errands during lunch, but thankfully Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

Tag, Your It

Thanks for tagging me Mindy! Better late than never, right?! :)

I am: cheesy

I know: useless trivia like that your foot is as long as your elbow to your wrist, that J.R. Tolkein’s estate and the director of Lord of the Rings still haven’t been paid proceeds from the three movies, and that Rheumatoid Arthritis is actually the inflamation of the synovium.

I have: ten dollars and 95 cents; I’m rich!

I dislike: mornings.

I want: just five more minutes to sleep.

I win: at Freecell. I rock!

I lose: at Spider Solitaire. Stupid game.

I miss: my scooter... zoom! zoom!

I cry: at anything. I call them sympathy tears because if one person starts then I’m a goner.

I feel: hungry. What’s for dinner?

I don't: like Brussel sprouts. What was I thinking?

I hear: the printer says the ink cartridge is jammed so I restart the printer and it runs back and forth clunking and squeaking and then the printer says the ink cartridge is jammed so I restart the printer again...

I argue: that I am smarter than a printer.

I smell: good. :)

I search: for "I wonder" questions on the internet.

I wonder: the name of that Hawaiian guy that sings "Over the Rainbow"?

I listen: to music at my home, at my desk, and always in my car. My play list includes Wicked the Broadway musical, Simon and Garfunkel, Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, the Everly Brothers, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (FYI, he’s that Hawaiian guy that sings "Over the Rainbow"), High School Musical, and I love the Now That’s What I Call Music albums.

I crave: chocolate. Helluu?!

I need: more chocolate!

I regret: never living some place different. I always wanted to live a year in England and get to know the day to day and not just the touristy things of the country.

I love: nephew kisses. They may be a little wet but very precious.

I care: about what my friends are up to.

I wish: I was funny and not the accidentally run into walls accidental kind of funny.

I can usually be found: laying on my bed with my foot up reading or watching TV.

I am scared: of ice. Treacherous, slippery, dangerous, sneaky, out of no where ice.

I worry: I’ll turn old before my time.

I remember: running and running when I was a kid and never getting tired.

I believe: in optimism. As my mom once told me, I can be happy or sad but either way I’ll still have arthritis so I figure if I smile no one will remember the limp.

I dance: a funny little John Travolta move that for some reason cracks my family up. Maybe it’s the face?

I write: so I can keep in contact with family and friends. I try to share silly stuff to make them laugh and interesting stuff that I learned and day to day stuff so they don't feel so far away. That's probably how I ended up having an account with facebook, myspace, and a blog. :)

I forget: all the time. I have post-it notes and a date planner in my phone and still can’t remember.

I am happy: when surrounded by my family.

I tag: my fellow bloggers Michelle and Ivy and Linda to share because they’ll all approach a "I tag" bit in different and interesting ways! :)