We had a wonderful thanksgiving holiday. It has been a five day weekend for me and I have really been grateful to relax and enjoy my family. What a priceless opportunity. This point has really been driven home this week. This morning we helped with the funeral of our backyard neighbor. He and his wife were in an automobile accident - he didn't make it and she will be in the hospital for a month, with a long recovery after. Just another reminder to cherish each precious moment that we have here in mortality.
Christine did a great job with our first solo Thanksgiving. The turkey was moist, the stuffing scrumptious, and the pies were delicious. Jackson smeared food all over his face, Mason nibbled on some turkey, and the rest of us enjoyed the feast.
This was Jackson's first chance to be big enough for the thanksgiving feast and he sure enjoyed it:
Here is all of us preparing to eat:
On Wednesday we went to Utah's brand new natural history museum. It was really wonderful. The building is very modern and cool-looking and the exhibits were interactive. Its 5 stories tall. Ryan and Colin really liked learning about Utah's dinosaurs, and the rest of us had a good time too.
I've used the spare moments over the last few days to put up our Christmas lights. We skipped lights last year (and Ryan and Colin were very disappointed and sad about it) and this years weather has been exceptionally nice so I went all out. Mason really enjoys looking at them:
In other areas we are doing well. Ryan and Colin ended their first term at school. They are doing well of course. They are in the same class and have a very nice teacher that seems to challenge them. They are doing a once-a-week pull-out program for kids who need an extra challenge. Mason is a very intense three-year-old. He has a very active imagination - today he has been a pirate all day. He is doing a neighborhood co-op preschool that Christine hosts once every 6 weeks. We just had their preschool Thanksgiving party here. Jackson is super cute and we think he might be saying a word or two now, but nothing confirmed. He is full of giggles, is pretty laidback, wants to play like an 8 year old, and is a great eater which has been helpful in motivating Mason to eat more than pop tarts. We plan to have him evaluated at 18 months for speech. He loves to play outside on the playset and will even go out there when its really cold and not want to come in. He can swing forever. Christine's undersocks seem to be selling well. Since launch she has sold a few hundred pairs and is almost out of some of the bigger sizes. We are trying to decide how best to proceed with this endeavor.
It has been a very peaceful and relaxing thanksgiving, and our hearts are very full of thanksgiving for the many blessings we enjoy. We hope all of you are well. Love John (and Christine).
