Let the Good Times Roll!


It is so much easier to give thanks when you are surrounded by those you love.  So we packed up our bags, and flew to Salt Lake City for Thanksgiving again this year.  The kids were so excited to see their grandparents, cousins, Aunts and Uncles, and yes, even the dogs!

We went to see the Muppets movie with all the Stewart cousins.  It was so corny that you had no choice but to love it!

We ate Thanksgiving dinner with the Stewarts, then went to the Rushings for dessert and games.
Keeping up with tradition, here we have the girls in the kitchen and the guys on the couch!
I guess we can cut Scott some slack - he did get up early with his boys and the Seals to run in the annual Turkey Trot.

We had to take advantage of having the entire Stewart crew together and take a family group photo.  Once again, Heather and her trusty tripod made it quick and painless!

After photos, it was eating time!
We found a real-live Turkey to carve our turkey.  What are the chances?  We are so lucky Beus Isuzu didn't need Johnny on Thanksgiving day!
My mom was excited to use grandma Norma's china and tablecloth.  She is living by the philosophy that you shouldn't save certain things for a really special occasion, because life is a special occasion!

After a wonderful dinner and visiting with the Stewarts, we headed over to grandma C.C.'s house where all the Rushing cousins were waiting for us so they could eat dessert.
The boys had a sleepover at the Seal's house they night before Thanksgiving.  They spent all day bragging that they never went to sleep and then spent all Thanksgiving afternoon sleeping! I don't even know if they remember being at Grandma C.C.'s house that evening.
 The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we met back up with the Rushings for Thanksmas.  It was fun to re-live a tradition we started many years ago.  Thanksmas let's us take advantage of all being together for Thanksgiving and combine it with Christmas.

First of all we had the cousin gift exchange.



Then the adults did a white elephant gift exchange.

Next up Grandma gave out all her gifts.  She said her gifts were all centered around a prayer that she had answered over this past year.  To give you a hint, we all had a blue...blue, blue, blue Christmas!  It also made it hard to convince Kennedy that the world truly doesn't revolve around her, but grandma gave everyone something BYU related. (except poor Eric who looked a little nauseous while watching everyone open up BYU gear-grandma let him open something RED!)


 Then it was time for grandma to open her gifts, including the much-anticipated Birthday Calendar!



 But grandma wasn't done yet, she had one last gift for the couples.  She had put together volume one of her life history, which mostly covered the life of her parents.  What a fabulous gift!  I am amazed at the photos, memorabilia and details she was able to put together.  We will treasure this book always and look forward to the next several installments that are to come!



It wasn't hard to be reminded of how blessed we are after such a wonderful weekend with family.  There isn't anything I could ask for that I don't already have.  I love this time of the year that helps me reflect on how blessed and happy my life is.  

Comments

heather said…
I started laughing so hard at the pictures of the boys knocked out on Thanksgiving. I had forgotten all about their all nighter!
January 10, 2012 at 9:58 PM
Heidi Rushing said…
It was like they were put asleep medically - no one could wake them up. I seriously think they don't even remember being there!
January 11, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Grandma Bethany said…
We loved having you and your family here for Thanksgiving! Another big plus for having Kennedy in Utah going to school. Hopefully having her here will bring you here often!
January 14, 2012 at 2:27 PM
Sommer and Eric said…
Call me vain but I feel the strong need to make it known I am chubby with a very good reason in these pictures! Not just because I like to eat... which I do! :)
January 16, 2012 at 2:00 PM
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