Top 10 Reasons I loved Thanksgiving Weekend....

The weekend is almost over and the kids are gone. I have so much to be thankful for and we had so much fun, these are my top ten reasons I loved Thanksgiving weekend:

10. Naps

I just woke up from a LONG Sunday nap. The house is a mess, the fridge is empty, but it was a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I love having the kids here and I loved my nap.

9. Favorite Hymn

Today in church Christie Ivory sang my favorite hymn, 'I Stand All Amazed'. I love that hymn and Christie has a beautiful voice. I sang that song the Sunday after I got baptized as my very first solo. Mackenzie and her friends sang that hymn at Quinn's farewell. The words are inspiring and daily 'I am Amazed' at the love my Savior offers me.

8. Games

I love playing games, (I hate losing). Our family is not big on games, but on holidays we can talk most of them into playing a game or two. I've noticed as I get older my responses are slower and my eyesight is worse and I have a hard time beating my kids in ANY game, but if I get on the right team I do okay. (Thanks Peggy and Jordan!)

7. Basketball

Saturday night was the Big Bend Alumni game and once again the whole family was together again to cheer on one of the boy's at a basketball game. It was DeJa Vu for sure with some of the same players and the same poor refereeing. One of the best parts of being a mom is watching your kids do something they LOVE and Jordan loves basketball.


Jordan and Grandma after the ball game

6. No school

I love when the kids have no school. It means sleeping in, staying up late and no making lunches. It also means no dance, no drill team....(or not as much....).

5. Going to the movies

We all went to the movie 'Australia'. I definetly give it a 'two thumbs up'. We took my mom who is 80 and Easton who is 13 and we all enjoyed it. It's a little too long, they try to tell too many subplots, but its clean and exciting with a love story and a happy ending. Can you ask for more?

4. Passport

Friday I finally applied for my passport. I've been meaning to do it since Quinn left on his mission with the hope that I will get to go pick him up in Fiji November 2009. Now I'm one step closer to that.

3. Baby Shower

Peggy, Janet and Susan threw Danielle a baby shower this weekend. I know its a busy time but it was wonderful and so many friends came and gave her such beautiful, thoughtful gifts. She is truly lucky to have all those people in her life. Thanks to everyone that came and participated in this fun time in Danielle's life.

Danielle and friends


We played games


We opened presents






2. Heritage

What a great heritage Reid and I have. My mom has been here for the Thanksgiving holiday and Reid's parents are here. They are valiant members of the church that are enduring to the end. I'm grateful for their example and love and enjoyed having them around.

Four Generations-Thurn Baker, Hugh Baker, Whitney Baker and Eli Baker


Four Generations-Thurn Baker, Hugh Baker, Ivin Baker, Ivy and Rebekah Baker


Four Generations-Thurn Baker, Leon Baker, James Baker and Jenna Baker


Grandpa and Grandma Baker

Danielle and Grandma Jewkes

1. Family
Thanksgiving really isn't about the food or the games or the movies or the naps. It's about family and I was so grateful to have Jordan, Tyler, Danielle, Kenzie, Easton and Reid plus my mother here. That's what makes it a perfect holiday....It was our first with Tyler. I got to see Danielle's cute 'pregnant belly' and I got to feel her little girl kick. I got to enjoy them, and play games with them and feed them and talk with them and hug them. I can't wait for Christmas.....


Danielle and her 'belly'


Tyler-(you'll have to ask him to explain....)



Jordan, Kenzie and Easton at Thanksgiving dinner


Thanksgiving Dinner at Hugh and Lila's

My Blessings.....

I'm Thankful for:

My husband
My parents
Their parents
My siblings and their families
My children
Tyler
Tyler's family
A new grandbaby on the way
Laughter
Hugs
Sunshine
Snow
My bed
My pillow
My computer and cell phone
Music
My Health
Gas prices going down
Discounts
Potatoes
Popcorn
Free Time
Vacuum
Yummy Food
Reality TV
My friends
My kids friends
Sincere Compliments
A lunch invite
Shopping trips
Dancing
Good Grades
A good movie with a happy ending
Letters
Pictures
Chocolate
Diet Pepsi
Prayer
Temple
Sunday
Book of Mormon
My testimony
Priesthood
The Prophet
The Gospel
My Heavenly Father and Mother
The Savior
My Life

Thanksgiving traditions and memories....

Reid and I Thanksgiving 1985 (nice teeth Reid)


Dad and I Thanksgiving 1993


Grandpa and Grandma Jewkes and grandkids Thanksgiving 1990
Quinn sitting on Grandpa's lap sucking his thumb (too cute!)


Chris and Kenzie (Indian and Pilgrim) Thanksgiving 1993
I guess Chris wanted to be the Pilgrim


Dad and I Thanksgiving 1990

It's that day, the day before the day. I love Thanksgiving EVE.... So much anticipation in the air. Christmas music is playing. The house is clean (as clean as its going to get). The shopping is done ( I've only made two small trips today after thinking the shopping was done yesterday). The cooking has begun. The turkey's thawing. The dough is rising, I've started the pies. The fudge and carmel corn is next. The potatoes, the gravy, the stuffing will all wait till tomorrow morning. I've never been a great cook but my Aunt Geri taught me how to make pies, Buffy taught me how to make her fudge and I learned how to make rolls in Relief Society. I cook the turkey, the stuffing and the gravy just like my folks did. The kids are coming. Jordan, Tyler and Danielle will be driving all night, when classes are finished and work is completed. Danielle has not been home for Thanksgiving for two years. Two years ago Tyler asked her to marry him as she met and spent time with his family at Thanksgiving. Last year they were with Tyler's family too. I am thankful to have my mother this year as well. We will miss Quinn, but thankful to have him serving a mission and know he will be home next year. Tomorrow we will have the feast. Our thanksgiving traditions are simple. WE eat, we sleep, we eat some more. The men watch football. The women watch 'White Christmas'. Often we all go to the Theatre. (Anyone remember King Kong several years back?) It's a time for family and reflection and thankfulness.

SWAMPED....

I'm a list person and so today I sat down to make my list of things to do....it covered one full sheet of paper and I turned it over on the other side. If I moved nonstop from the time I got up until midnight, I would not get all the things on my 'To Do List' done. So I am revamping and rethinking and reprioritizing. I am only going to do what is ABSOLUTELY necesssary. I am not going to clean the oven--the rolls and pies will bake in the oven the way it is just fine....I am not going to organize my extra guest room for Jordan--he'll sleep just fine the way it is. I will only iron what I want to wear, there will be some garbage in my garbage cans and some laundry in the baskets...and I will be okay with that--right? Holidays are about family and spending time together. Last night at Family Home Evening I asked my kids and my husband what they wanted for Thanksgiving--I will make sure they each have their favorite thing and then I will sit and talk with them and watch a movie and play a game. The dishes may wait overnight in the sink and the house might be dusty. I will not order another costume until Monday, and work on another formation or move for drill team(well until Saturday, when we practice again). I will be content to enjoy my family and the time together. I am thankful for the tomorrow's that remind me I need to enjoy TODAY!!!!

In Honor of Kenzie

We got a letter this week from Quinn and he had a special surprise for Kenzie. He survived transfers and stays in Tanna for another six weeks. He got a new companion, a white kid from California who speaks English. His last three companions have been native to Vanuatu and don't speak English so this was exciting for him. He was called on this week to give a ride to a lady who was in labor and quite distraught. Quinn and his companion got her safely to the clinic and then went home. The next morning they went back to check on her and to make sure everything was okay. She had a beautiful baby girl and wanted Quinn to name her. Quinn named her Kenzie. I thought that was pretty sweet. Just when you think your kids don't like each other at all, they do something totally unexpected that reminds you that they do.....(they just forget to show it sometimes.)

'Come What May, and Love It....'

I have been thinking a lot lately about my niece Brittany and her two beautiful children Cambree and Gage. They are going through a rough time right now, and I know it isn't easy. This morning I was reading the November Ensign and Elder Wirthlin gave a beautiful talk entitled, 'Come What May, and Love it.' This advice was given to him by his mother when he was feeling discouraged and alone. He said that every life has its peaks and shadows and times can be very tough. He gives some great advice on how to life through days that are filled with sorrow, because there will be those for all of us. But he reminds us that if we approach adversity wisely, our hardest times can be our times of greatest growth. Never would we ask for the trials or want them, but as we get through them we realize how strong we are and how many blessings we have. Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering and sorrow is part of our trials here on earth. Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome. And most importantly Elder Wirthlin reminds us that the Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.

Brittany I know these days are not easy. And the months and years ahead maybe difficult as well. But I know you will be blessed and watched over and protected. You are an amazing, beautiful, spiritual women. You are a wonderful, loving, caring mother. I'm so proud of you Brittany and your faithfulness to what you know is right. You are loved and admired and we are all here to help. You are not alone. Your parents, your grandma's, your sister, your brothers, your sister-in-law's, your aunts and uncles, and friends will all be there when you need us. And most importantly your Heavenly Father will be there with you always.

It's A Small World

Our son Jordan served a mission in San Paulo, Interlagos Mission, Brazil three years ago. He loved the area and he loved the people. One young man he baptized was named Reinaldo Rosa. This young man has gone on to serve a mission in the Brazil Fortalera mission. He is serving with two elders from Moses Lake. Elder Kofoed and Elder Hopkinson, (whose family has now moved to Tri-cities). Elder Rosa just sent Jordan these pictures and a thank you letter for bringing the gospel to him and his family. It's a small word.....

It's Not What You Know, It's WHO You Know.....

So there has been alot of hype surrounding the 'Twilight' books.... Have you read them? Edward and Bella? I have read two, one on each of my last two vacations. Their an easy read and very clean. They are entertaining and creative and the storyline is very imaginative. They are directed at teenage girls and Edward is the kind of boy that every teenage girl would like to meet. He's unbelievably handsome and wealthy and sensitive, yet mysterious. He lives in a big beautiful home and drives several amazingly fast, cool cars. He's not interested in any other girls but Bella. He's protective, yet dangerous. He does have a few drawbacks, he doesn't eat or drink, or sleep, and his skin is ice cold. He will live forever at this age and Bella will not. And the smell of Bella can sometimes make him sick...(but hey, all boys have faults.)

The movie 'Twilight' opens in theatres across the country today and my daughter Kenzie and all her friends have been talking about it for months. The theatre decided to have a midnight showing so the girls were frantically getting tickets and talking about standing in lines for hours in the cold to be the first in. Somehow David and Peggy Earl arranged a private showing for Kylie (for her 17th birthday) and the drill team and sisters and mothers last night at 8:00 p.m. The girls came to practice at 7:00 p.m. and about 7:45 p.m. a boy came in with a big box and a letter for Kylie. The letter was from 'Edward' inviting her and all her friends to join him for the evening. There was a very loud scream and more screams, and yells and jumping up and down and running to get bags, and sweatshirt and shoes. Everyone loaded into their cars and drove to the theatre where we were ushered into the theatre to see the very first showing of 'TWILIGHT'. It lived up to the hype...It was PERFECT! and the girls giggled and yelled and screamed during the movie. My favorite part was seeing Edwards skin glisten in the sunlight and for a very short moment last night we all felt very COOL (and young)! Thanks David and Peggy.

GO DAWGS!!

I have to admit I'm a BYU Cougar fan but at certain times I'm all for the Gonzaga DAWGS!!! The Gonzaga Men's Basketball team is rated 9th in the nation (so my son tells me) and two nights ago the Molahiettes got to perform at half-time in what the Gonzaga fans loving call 'the kennel'. It was a sold out crowd of 6,000 and the girls did a great job. While waiting to go on you feel scared and excited all at the same time, and giving the girls opportunities like these is the reason I love coaching.

The Ultimate Compliment

I got a call the other day from my sister-in-law Lila. She was inviting our family to have Thanksgiving dinner at her house. I was very excited. I love Thanksgiving and the more family the better. I asked what I could bring. She had not really planned the menu yet, but she knew she wanted me to make the GRAVY. I learned how to make gravy from my father. He was an expert. He made the gravy for every roast and every turkey and delicious hamburger gravy. Holidays were especially delicious and we all couldn't wait to have our potatoes with 'dad's gravy'. My father died of cancer on January 2, 1996. We celebrated our last Thanksgiving together as a family in Idaho all together with my dad. He made the gravy--he was very weak and thin, and without saying it we all knew this would be the LAST gravy made by dad. Just as he finished, and was bringing the gravy to the table, it slipped out of his hands and spilled. He was so sad, he felt defeated. WE all acted like it was no big deal and we ate the delicious meal with a few drops of the best gravy we had ever had. My gravy does not taste like my dad's, but I'm trying and EVERY TIME I make it I think of my father. It is a good memory. I love you dad and this year I will again think of you at Thanksgiving time as I'm making YOUR gravy.

A Pictures Worth A Thousand Words

Quinn recently sent home so pictures and I thought it would be fun to share. The first group of pictures are of Reuben's baptism.


Quinn in his white Lava Lava...


The beautiful area in the ocean where Reuben will be baptized....



Quinn and Reuben....


Climbing into the ocean...


The members of Reuben's branch...



D & C 18:10 "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."



At Port Vila for Zone Conference with some of the other missionaries serving in Vanuatu!


Quinn's home on Tanna.



The next three are his bathroom, the toilet and the shower....seperate rooms, pretty nice huh?






This is what his area of Tanna looks like, and some of the housing...


Quinn and his companion teaching a discussion.