Thanksgiving 2024

Happy Thanksgiving! I know I may say this every year, but I sincerely can't believe it's already Thanksgiving and pretty much the end of the month of November. It is crazy how fast the years fly by...even if some of the days and weeks seem to drag on. I actually really love the essence of this holiday. I love that there is a month where we, as individuals, family, communities, a nation, get to reflect on the things that we are grateful for. Instead of focusing on what we're chasing or what we lack, we can recognize all the blessings we do have. I think it grants us a moment of humility as we acknowledge the divine power that has granted us those blessings. I love that it sets us up to be more outwardly focused as we enter the season of giving and generosity. I think that's why I love the holiday "season". It's not just a day to eat a big meal or a day to open a bunch of presents; it's months of reflection and traditions. It's a time to gather with family to make memories. It's an opportunity for sacred contemplation...and I love all of it!

Our Thanksgiving weekend was pretty packed. We started our celebrations on Tuesday night. Jonas, Jeff, and I went to see the movie event of the weekend, a screen adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, Wicked. It was soooo good! The vocals, cinematography, special effects, etc. were phenomenal!

Wednesday (Nov 25th) Jonas didn't have school, but I still had the kids so we decided to head to Lowe's Xtreme Air for a little fun. The kids enjoyed climbing, jumping, and running around. That evening, Jonas, Jeff, Dallin, Audrey, and I headed to the Peaks Ice Arena where we met up with Stan's family for ice skating. I never acquired that skill but I still enjoy watching everyone play tag as they quickly skate around all the other people on the ice. 

Thursday (Nov. 26th) was the main event. Our little family woke up and headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. This (along with ice skating the night before) has become a bit of a tradition for us. And heck, why not?! Who wants to make a big dinner and a big breakfast? After breakfast, we headed back to Payson where the boys, along with a few neighbors, got together for a Turkey Bowl. Once they had burned enough calories, we headed back to the house for our afternoon feast. A few more cousins joined us. We ate, played games, and swam (not me though! The boys were the only ones crazy enough to jump in. I know the water was warm but getting out of the water at 40 degrees is a little too insane for me!). When evening came, we gathered for our traditional hot cocoa bar and pie before heading to see the Spanish Fork Festival of Lights. (Krystle and Camden joined us for that as well.) This too has become tradition. I love watching the kids experience the lights. Carter was way more animated this year; by the end of our drive around the lights, he was waving at all the cars and yelling, "Merry Christmas!".

The rest of the weekend was a little more chill but still fun. On Friday, I put up all our Christmas decorations. Once the turkey is consumed, the tree comes out! Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. Jonas and Jeff helped me decorate the tree. That afternoon, Jeff took Dallin, Audrey, Jonas, and Jacob out on West Mountain to go shotgun shooting. It was Jonas's first time and he was pretty excited. Jeff was super proud at how well he did. That evening, we got together with Stan's family again for a night of games.

Saturday morning, Stan, Maci, and Bennett came over to shoot the pellet pistols while Kristi helped Carson secure a loan for a car. After lunch, they headed home. Jonas, Jeff and I helped clean up from all the weekend festivities then decided to go see another movie, Red One. This is a little different take on the Santa story, but it was pretty funny and had a really good message. It just helped us kickstart the Christmas season even more. It was the perfect way to end our Thanksgiving weekend. Now bring on all the sights, sounds, and flavors of Christmas!