Thanksgiving Adventures

Life is an adventure....and as long as I choose to view it that way I tend to enjoy it more!

I remember traveling to see my father in Idaho.  I remember that he used to ask if we knew how to get to his house from where we were.  "Do you remember now?" he would ask.  It was always an exciting time when we finally remembered how to get there from that point on.  We traveled the same route every time so it was just a matter of time before I finally would remember it ALL.  But I do recall the excitement in telling him HOW to get home.

Thursday was a LONG day....a LONG traveling day.  It was just as exciting this year as Cody yelled out to Kelsey, "I know where we are!"  She responded and it was squeals from that point on.  They LOVE to see the Batman building and from there it is only about 20 more minutes.  This time they forgot to look...they must have been doing something else.  I said, "I SEE IT!" and then they all followed suit.  Kelsey was sure it was her that saw it first.....said that I didn't say WHAT I had seen.  It is a fun 'come to Nana's' tradition.

So, from the point where Cody knew EXACTLY where we were...closer than the Batman Building....he and Kelsey could call the shots.  I slowed down as if the car was dying JUST before getting there...they didn't buy it this time.  They are getting too old for silly stunts like that.  But after our day I'm just glad it didn't make them MAD.

You see...our day began a little more adventurous than desired.  It was raining and COLD and yucky.  But we finally left around 8:30 am.  We had to make countless stops that really bothered everyone....Scott checking tire pressure, then stopping at a gas station to pump them up, then the car was missing and acting funny.  We stopped to check it out and then have Scott drive.  After a few quarts of oil....it burns it too quickly, which was a cause for a lot of frustration.  Scott drove it and after some time decided we would just head back home.  An hour from home and we head back.  I had no idea what the plan was.  In my head I'm trying to figure out what in the world we are going to eat for Thanksgiving Dinner.  We had a turkey...but it was in the freezer.  For the most part we nothing in the house since we had planned on being gone through Sunday.

It was as we drove the car to the shop that I found out from Scott that we would just head back down and rent a trailer to bring the dryer back.  Oh yeah!  Our dryer broke and we have been hanging laundry in the basement.  Because we have a ton of laundry I finally just took the rest to the laundromat and got it all done at once.  Wouldn't it be nice to have MORE than one washer and dryer to get multiple loads done all at the same time?  It has been a topic of conversation over this holiday weekend with my sister in law as well as another friend of mine.  Laundry seems to be one of those time stealers....a necessary evil.

At any rate, my father in law has an extra one so we were going to drive the van down without seats as well as the car.  He could work on the car and we could put the dryer in the van.  Well, nothing seems to work out perfectly....but ... life is an adventure!

After 8 hours of driving, I'm pretty sure the kids were way more than just EXCITED to be so close to Nana's!

We got there just in time for dinner.  Snacking in the car is disastrous when a Thanksgiving feast awaits.  Needless to say, the food was fabulous as usual.  I love turkey and mashed potatoes!  Of course, I pretty much love ALL of the Thanksgiving feast.  It was relaxing and fun.  The kids are old enough that I no longer have to watch their every move, feed them, change their diaper, or really anything except watch and listen to them having a ball with their cousins.

So, if you were to ask about my favorite part of this Thanksgiving I'd have to say that listening to the laughter and delightful joy of the cousins topped my charts.  Of course, a day with just our family shopping and hanging out ranked highly too.

On Saturday evening Nana took ALL 9 kids and let Robby and Christy & Scott and me go out to dinner and on a "date."  It was fun.  We don't get to spend time with them enough.  But now that we aren't so necessary in the daily chores of the children, maybe we can do it more often while there.  I would like that.

While at Best Buy I got a call from Kelsey.  She asked if I was on a date.  When I said that I was I could tell something was going on in her head.  I asked if it was creepy....to that she replied "YES!  You do know that your already have kids, don't you, mom?!!"  I laughed out loud.  I guess Scott and I need to go out more often.  We tend to do things at lunch time together.  But maybe she needs to see it more....so she knows that we date prior to marriage as we are looking for a husband and after to remember why we chose our husband!

The weekend was perfect!

Going home was like the National Lampoon's Vacation.  We put the dryer on the cargo hauler...but it scraped bottom.  I guess they aren't made for the low riding van we have.  So back we went.  When we figured we'd just have to drive home with it that way we headed out for gas.  At the gas station we decided to turn back AGAIN.  Jeepers...this was a trip of turning back a million times over!  This time we opted to put it on the roof of the van.  What a sight we were!!!  I really wish we would have taken a picture.  The looks we got heading up the interstate we picture worthy too.  But...we made it....safe and sound.

And when we got home we had to put the Christmas tree up.  Kelsey was so excited that...we did it.  The ornaments came Monday after school and we have yet to add the lights.  I sat in the front room with Scott after the kids had gone to bed one night this week and we just laughed.  I remember as a kid, or maybe a young adult, that I so wanted one of those Festival of Trees type Christmas trees.  You know, the perfect ones that match and have a theme and nothing is out of place.  Of course, I think I may have wanted that in my home also.  NEITHER of those exist in this house.  As Scott and I marveled at how we love our tree completely put together by our children my heart felt full.  The garland is all over the place...a short broken red strand (I'm sure one of the kids used it as a leash or a whip or something fun and it broke one year...probably last year) here and strands of gold there.  And all the ornaments are from the kids making them at school or church.  I thought back to my Christmas tree growing up....it was the same, though my mom may have made sure it looked more put together, I don't remember.  I just remember the joy of decorating it.  And that joy has lasted forever...only I don't get to decorate it anymore.  I just watch as my children have gained that same Christmas joy to decorate our tree.  They remember making certain ornaments, like I vividly remember making shrinky dinks when I was just young.  And I still sit and marvel with Scott (or alone) at the wonder of childhood and Christmas.  Kelsey is my Christmas lover...she reminds me of me a lot.  I love Christmas.  Only this year I feel a bit behind on the decorating and such.  I suppose with school I have had my mind elsewhere.  I'm curious to see how I blossom into my Christmas spirit on the 16th when I take my last final and head home for a month of NO SCHOOL!

And so...our Thanksgiving Adventure was quite an adventure.  But typical of my adventures I learned a lot and sat back and reflected on the tender mercies of love my Father in Heaven sends:

• family family family
• safety in the yucky weather as we drove
• the innocence and joy of childhood
• the opportunity to drive down in one vehicle and spend more time together as a family - these times seem so few and far between lately
• anything can become a learning experience
• if I look hard enough I can find the joy and laughter in all situations
• I have wonderful children that will never cease to amaze me and fill my heart to the brim with love
• I am blessed more than I deserve
• Life is good....with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns, and many a traveler has turned about when he might have won had he stuck it out...and you never can tell how close you are, you might be close when it seems afar  ...  from a poem I memorized many years ago called "Don't Quit."  Still one of my favorites.

Pictures to come later...