November Fun

Time flies when you're having fun and staying busy!

Chadwick was lucky enough to have Wed-Mon off around Thanksgiving, and we made good use of the time. Nancy and Steve hosted Thanksgiving for us and James + Family - we spent the day at the Hunts eating, playing games, kids watching movies, and enjoying one another's company. In addition to the usual turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing (Nancy put raisons in hers...we gave her a good teasing for that), sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, salads, and rolls, Steve had caught a steelhead salmon earlier in the fishing year and grilled that up as well. We didn't leave hungry! And we had more dessert than we knew what to do with to round out the feast.

Naptime inevitably followed the eating...for at least two members of the family. =) Darwin was able to come join the festivities and he spent most of the time looking out a window for chickens or keeping a watchful eye under the table for stray crumbs.

Neither Chadwick nor I are much into the Black Friday craziness, so we stayed put the following day. Instead of fighting the crowds, Brother Barrus from the ward came to the house and spent the day in the backyard with my hubs, happily making a mess of the yard in order to dig a 3-foot trench to lay pipe for water supply. At the end of the day, we had a working faucet in the back of the yard for the future chickens and sheep. Plus electric line as well...a success! Too bad the gravel and grass were torn up; it leaves my kitchen floor less than sparkling clean now until we can repair the damage next summer.

At one point in November, we had a really COLD snap, blanketing the Treasure Valley in snow and warming us with highs in the teens. In addition to playing in the backyard - Mallorie cried and fussed the whole 45 minutes we were out - Chadwick and I got tickets to a Boise State Football game vs. San Diego State. For some reason, we decided to attend. And for another reason, the couple we invited agreed to the madness. We met for a quick dinner at Wendy's and made it to our seats in time for kickoff...and then proceeded to freeze. The temperature was hovering around 10 degrees, and Amie and I spent time in the heated bathroom during breaks between quarters, attempting to restore some feeling to our frozen toes. Amie and Devin bailed around halftime, partly due to the cold and partly due to the fact that it was already 10 pm and they needed to get home to relieve the babysitter. To this point, the game had been quite boring and not really worth watching, especially since we were losing!! Chadwick and I stuck it out through halftime (me back in the bathroom with several other women), drank some hot chocolate, and stayed to the beginning of the fourth quarter. We left as the Broncos defrosted and began a comeback which would ultimately win the game. I don't think I fully warmed up until about 2 am that night....

Santa-Dog

Ortons and Hunts

Saturday following Thanksgiving, Nancy and Steve hosted their 2nd Annual Christmas Workshop for the Boise grandchildren - my girls were dropped off in the morning for a pancake breakfast and spent the day decorating a pretzel cabin (rather than gingerbread), helping set up the house for Christmas, and watching the "Polar Express." The parents were invited for dinner that evening and we read through and acted out the Nativity as found in Luke. Morgan made an adorable Mary with Chadwick accompanying her as Joseph, I was a shepherd, Nancy played piano and Steve narrated. Jordynn and James filled in when possible. It's a fun tradition started last year and one the kids are going to remember and look forward to for years to come. I love that!