Second Post of the Day
When you have so many people (and dogs) together, there is a lot to record in your journal. So, enter another mish mosh post - snippets and bits from what our family did that I want to remember.
The Family Turkey Trot
Although maybe that's more the KIDS' turkey trot. It was a very cold morning.
The race was held in Curt and Vanessa's neighborhood on the walking path that goes right by their home.
And they're off!
The short course winners!
The long course winner! (Julie runs cross country for her school.)
The short course enthusiasm winners!
Leaf Raking - the Kids' Service Project
Vanessa had noticed that her neighbors had not been able to get their leaves raked up and so invited all the kids to join her in a service project on Wednesday morning.
They didn't have enough rakes but snow shovels worked just as well!
It was a good activity that helped others and let the kids get some energy out.
Some time ago, Vanessa came up with an idea to get her kids to clean their rooms. She films them standing in there, looking around at the mess, and then snapping their fingers, jumping, etc.
Then when the room is clean, she films them like that and puts the two videos together. It looks like they just snapped their fingers a la Mary Poppins and the job is done! Needless to say, it is a big encouragement for the kids and their rooms get cleaned quickly.
She did the same with the leaf raking activity. Fun!
Wicked
I had a ticket to see Wicked with the family. I also had a migraine and ended up staying home.
Several family members decided to get dressed for the show.
Titan has done so many musicals, he is well versed in putting on stage make-up. He helped Vanessa with her green face.
A flying monkey, Ga-linda with a Ga, Elphaba, and Ga-linda again.
Two Elphabas!
I hear the movie was very good and they had a lot of fun together.
Playing Dirty Santa
A family tradition that is done every year. Everyone over 18 brings a gift, names are drawn, gifts are opened and then swiped and swiped again.
The under 18s are shooed upstairs to play with games and activities set out for them. But they always end up watching and laughing with us.
Curt won a bag of bird seed and a bird feeder - he just happened to be wearing a bird shirt, too!
Jenny won Lisa's gift - a hat that has two solar powered fans in it. Those fans really work - Craig was gifted one himself last summer by Lisa.
The kids did eventually lose interest in what the adults were doing and got started on the upstairs activities.
A mapping game that took some sleuthing to figure out.
Making Froot Loop turkeys and necklaces plus some origami.
The Coleman Celebration (heavy on Elsie Mae, of course)
Sarah and Todd moved to Bozeman, Montana in August. Trinity graduated as a nurse from the University of Iowa and got a job in a hospital in Billings, Montana. JC, Jayci, and baby Elsie Mae live in Rexburg, Idaho while they go to school. Elsie Mae is just a month old and so their families stayed in the west and gathered at an airbnb in Rexburg.
Sarah and Elsie Mae playing Skip-bo.
Trinity's turn to hold her niece!
They also celebrated Sarah's birthday while together. (Sarah's grandma name is "Gimmy" as in, "Gimme that baby!")
Blowing out the candles.
A long standing family joke (running 26 years now) is Todd's creative cutting capabilities. It all started with a pizza before they were married and continues on to today. "Sarah likes icing!" he said by way of explanation when he cut her piece of cake this way.
Todd, Elsie Mae, and some of Blue. LOL
JC, Elsie Mae, and Oquirrh.
Their family gathering for Thanksgiving.
And finally, a photo Jessie took as her family drove through Illinois on their way to Indiana.
Our family home in Urbana. We lived there 18 years. I was glad to see that whoever lives there now is caring for it and that it looks so good. (It's at least 50 years old now.)
I am pretty sure that that is the last of the Thanksgiving photos. What a wonderful time we had being together and how I look forward to our next gathering.
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