Thanksgiving 2010

We decided to try something new this year. We stayed home. Just the 6 of us. No stress getting ready for a houseful of people. No traveling long distances. No cooking for hours only to eat it in 30 minutes. Well okay we did do some cooking- what's Thanksgiving without pie? We volunteered to take pies to the local homeless shelter. So we all got up and made apple pies together that morning. That made it all the more fun. And then the boys helped me deliver the pies. The lesson I was hoping to teach them- made. The look on their faces to see people right in front of them who have less than they could imagine. Then the buttons popping off their jackets as the folks sang their praises for bringing their pies. Yes, that was a lesson learned and a wonderful way to spend a Thanksgiving morning. We did return to our own small feast that afternoon, but just kept it low key. I wondered if I'd miss the BIG, but I didn't. It was quaint and relaxing. We really enjoyed it.

Sacrament Meeting Program

Today was the yearly Sacrament Meeting Program at church. It's a time that every adult looks forward to each fall. It is such a joy to see all of the sweet children up there on the stand, belting out the songs they've practices OVER and OVER and OVER again (sometimes I actually feel bad for them, as I think to myself in primary, "Do we have to sing that AGAIN?"). And the little cuties all line up to recite into the microphone the little script line they have been rehearsing at home for weeks. There is always one adorable child that more or less screams into the microphone bringing on chuckles from the understanding audience.
So, like I said, today was the big day. Coleson was prepped and ready. No freeze-ups this year, like last. He had that line MEMORIZED. Bring it on! Hunter, well, he was flat refusing to even stand up- much less say his line. With MUCH, MUCH coaxing and proding (alright, I just about drug him up there) he was able to make it to the microphone. He said his part- whew! Stress over? No! With nothing else to occupy himself with, he took to disassembling the choir chairs that are bolted to the floor and to each other. I was trying to lovingly lean over to him and convince him to stop doing it (as I didn't really want the congregation to see me bop him on the back of the head). But he was practicing his octopus impression (all hands) and I couldn't stop him. I was reassembling them as quickly as he disassembled them. When the program was FINALLY over, I was exhausted!! I returned to Jared, who simply sat smiling at my struggle from the audience seats, and frankly handed him a pile of screws and bolts that needed to find their homes. He chuckled, knowing there had been something going on up there, just not knowing what. Leave it to Hunter!