Turkey Times are Good Times

The phrase for Thanksgiving for our family this year can be summed up in the following phrase: Crazy-fun, complete and utter chaos. I wish I had pictures, but alas, I was a slacker. It starts the day before Thanksgiving with the first annual Pie Day with Jevan's sisters. Imagine 5 women, 12 pies, one galette (don't worry, I didn't know what one was either, but it was beautiful and tasty), pretzel dessert, other various side dishes...and ONE kitchen. Imagine that all together...all at once. Add in, just for fun, 6 kids under the age of 7. Voila! Pie Day! It was hillarious...and really fun. If anyone knows Jevan's sisters, you would know they are to cooking what Mozart was to music (yes, Stephy, even you...the pumpkin pies DON'T count). I just play along, and they help me...a lot. They are also highly entertaining. No one lost any limbs, or had any serious burns, and I came home with all my pies, and all my kids. Yahoo!

Next up, East Canyon Resort with all of Jevan's extended family for the weekend. This would not really have fit in to the crazy chaos category if not for one little (and very loved) creature we call Allie. Here's the equation: 1 Allie +1 Condo + us+5 more -minus space + many interesting things right at eye level+cold weather and not a ton to do outside+no sleep = Captain Destructo! Holy Cow. Allie was a veritable hurricane. We love her, but she was everywhere and into everything. To make things more exciting, we had brought up her porta-crib and after putting her to bed the first night, quickly discovered, as she came ambling down the stairs, that she could climb out of it. We battled for a while, trying to come up with some way to make her sleep, but she was too wired to fall asleep, and would not stay still for the life of her. We would be up there a few more nights so we had to come up with a solution. Jev's mom had one for us. Before you report us to child services yet again, let it be known that it worked, and Allie slept and is none the worse for the wear...it might come back to bite us in her twenties. Better keep adding money to her crazy jar. We tipped the portacrib upside down and Allie slept under it. Yup, like a cage. It gave me guilt but I had no idea what to do at that point.

The rest of the trip consisted of lots of game playing, movie watching and no sleep. Oh, and WAY too much eating. I think I can feel all the pecan pie I ate in the extra wide swing of my backside when I walk. Add one big bootie to the aforementioned equation.

I think both girls really enjoyed the Thanksgiving feast although Jane mostly just went for the rainbow jell-o. I went for the mashed potatoes. Allie went for the pie. Jevan went... away when I asked who wanted to clean up Allie after dinner.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for family. I am lucky to have lots of family around on both sides and I love them all (even if we do complain about how time consuming they all are :)..we never mean it). I am grateful for my mom and dad. I'm grateful for Jevan's family where I feel completely loved and comfortable, as comfortable as I am with my own brothers and sisters. I'm grateful for my own little family...for my little girls...for how cute and funny they are. For Jevan, for how completely devoted he is to us. We're lucky. I'm lucky. I'm thankful.