Thanksgiving Weekend 2023

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend this year. 

Festivities really started on Wednesday afternoon when we had a pie-making party. Kristin and her girls came over to help. This year Alison made 6 pies because she wanted to ensure everyone had the pie they wanted. It felt like a lot of pie for 9 people, but it turned out great. She made pumpkin (Anna; Debbie), lemon meringue (Skylee), cherry (Alison), pecan (Eric), coconut cream (Blake), and Apple (Kristin; Debbie). Making 6 pies stretched from the afternoon into the evening - Blake, Debbie, and Aleene even joined us. Anna helped make the crust on the first few pies, but then her interest ran out. Alison tried to get her back telling her they were making pumpkin next. Anna replied she didn't need to make it - she would eat it tomorrow. So instead I entertained Anna by building Lego Dinosaurs with her. 

Skylee was proud that she made this pumpkin pie

On Thanksgiving morning Alison and I woke up and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on our TV while we were getting things ready for the day. It was great to be able to watch while we were working in the kitchen. We really would have loved to host Thanksgiving this year, but alas we are still waiting for the delivery of some key furniture, including our dining table. My brother Jon helped me transport the pies to Blake and Debbie's house. Tex and I also broke out our matching holiday sweaters. We were at Blake and Debbie's for Thanksgiving this year along with my brother Jon, Kristin, Skylee, Anna, and Aleene. We shared a delicious meal and then went around the table and shared the things we were thankful for. This year I am most thankful to be new home and especially grateful to everyone who helped us throughout the build and moving process. It took a lot of help and support to get us to this point. 

After dinner, we served the pie and ice cream (Alison and I made vanilla Salt & Straw ice cream because it was also Blake's birthday and vanilla is his favorite). The pies were all a hit. Pumpkin was the most popular followed by cherry, which surprised Alison because cherry is her top choice, but usually, no one else is that enthused by a cherry pie. It turns out cherry pie was everyone's second choice. After one of Blake and Debbie's old neighbors brought over a Tesla Cybertruck to show Blake (they aren't being sold yet, but the neighbor's son works at Tesla and had one he was using for the weekend). We also lounged and watched some holiday shows and movies - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The Velveteen Rabbit, Trolls: Holiday in Harmony, and Elf. 

It was easy to get into the holiday spirit this year because on Thanksgiving night we had our first snowstorm of the season. Tex loves the snow - we had a great time playing in the snow. Tex is extra photogenic when it snows. 

In the evening we went with Kristin and her girls to see Disney's new movie, Wish. It was alright. Some things really worked and others fell a little flat. I think what I will remember most is that after the end credits bonus scene, Skylee blurted out "Well that was not good!" not realizing there were still quite a few people in the theater. It was hilarious. 

After the movie, we met up with some of Kristin's friends to drive through Christmas in Color. It is a big drive-through light show at the equestrian park near us. We borrowed Blake and Debbie's truck and everyone piled into the truck bed. They were all bundled up and had hot chocolate to try to stay warm. I did the hero's work of driving, which also meant I got to stay warm. The line to drive through was so long. It probably took ~60 minutes. More than half of that was waiting in line. Overall it was a fairly fun Christmas activity, but I don't think any of us are in a hurry to do it again. 

On Satuday we had a relaxing morning. In the afternoon the girls came over and we continued building lego dinosaurs. Anna's favorite dinosaur is a pterodactyl because they fly. She was very excited to build that one. Then we went over to Kristin's house and Alison helped them decorate their Christmas tree. They went with a pink theme and it looked great. 

In the evening we met up with one of my old missionary companions and his wife. They are from Hawaii and after a few years of living in Utah they are moving back to help take care of his mom. It was a delight to catch up with them before they move back. Maybe next year we will see them in Hawaii. 

On Sunday we met up with some of our friends for brunch at Gourmandise. Gourmandise has a surprisingly great brunch menu. We chatted the morning away. In the afternoon we went over to Blake and Meg's house for an early dinner. They were with Meg's family for Thanskgiving this year so they wanted to get together. They had a delicious spread of soup and charcuterie and Meg made a divine pumpkin cake. We enjoyed good food and each others company. 

It turned out to be a bit of a whirlwind Thanksgiving weekend, but it could not have been better. Spending time with so many friends and family really filled our cup. We are lucky to have so many wonderful people to share our lives with.