We Give Thanks!!

No matter where you live it seems that the holidays bring that fun feeling and life turns up a notch, filling every moment with the fun of the season!  Since we are so far from any family, it's a real treat when we do get to see some.  We headed to Dallas the weekend before Thanksgiving to have our first family encounter since we moved to Texas 8 months ago.  Everyone was so excited that we were able to meet my brother Nick and his wife Tiffany, who drove down from Oklahoma City. We had a great time visiting the Fort Worth Zoo and catching some yummy BBQ.  We also were steller parents and fed our kids icecream at 10:00 the next morning at a great place in Dallas that Blake turned us onto, and we all Loved it!! So we truely give thanks for our family and for the amazing animals that our Heavenly Father has created!
Pics from Dallas trip to come!  ( Tiffany took some great ones, but Blake's camera batteries died:( )

The night before Thanksgiving we went to a "Pie Before Thanksgiving" Party at some friends in the ward.  It was a good time and started off our holiday weekend of good eats, well.  Blake also got to go to a B-day party for one of the girls, yes GIRL'S, in theward.  (I'm not ready for this!:) So we give thanks for good friends! Thanksgiving was a fun adventure as well.  Thanksgiving morning the boys were off to play in a Turkey Bowl with the ward.  Grant wasn't going to play, because he has had a knee bothering him, but as he said, his "manlyness" got the best of him and he got out there with the best of them, and has had aching muscles ever since.  Back at home, Paige and Jason got busy making their first green bean casserols.  Jason made one for our Thanksgiving dinner, and Paige made a huge one that we then took to a church that was doing a dinner for the homeless.  We didn't get to stay and help serve, but it was a good experience anyway!

So we give thanks for the bounty we are blessed with!

The mighty Turkey Bowl players!

Then we were off to Sea World yet again.  The weather was beautiful and the crowds were small.  We had a blast watching shows and riding rides!  Blake even conned me into riding the "Steel Eel" (an intense roller coaster) with him, and got the biggest laugh of his life as he watched me scream the whole ride:)!!  We stopped to see the pictures at the end of the ride (while I was still shaking of course, but only because the weather had turned cold;)  and sure enough, the one of us had me with my mouth open wide and Blake with a big smile looking over at me.  Then we topped off our Thanksgiving night with a Whataburger dinner.  It was funny to think that it was Thanksgiving, but it was a great time with our family!! So we Give thanks for fun time with our family! 

Ready to watch Polar Express in 4D.

Some of the left over "snow" from the movie in Meg's hair.

The way they do Christmas trees in Texas.

The only kind of snowman we'll see for a while!

Friday we had a fun time cooking all day. We thought about family all day too, as everyone contributed to the dinner.  Jason and Paige helped with  Mom G's Pumpkin Pie and Aunt Vicki's Sweet potatoes.  I made Mom G's pie crust and made tarts like Grandma Hansen used to always make and I told them stories of the best sugar pies and tarts.  I didn't drop the turkey like Grandma G :), but I did only cook a turkey breast instead of a whole tukey (which was great by the way!).  Grant made Mom B's amazing home made rolls, and Blake peeled the potatoes for his favorite part, mashed potatoes, who I leaned to make yummy from Aunt Mel.  Megan set the table just for 6 which is way different than the 30 we have had in the past, and we all wrote what we were thankful for to make a "Thankful Chain."  All in all, we agreed that it was as good a feast as any we've had and we all helped make it so!  So we give thanks for our yummy food and good memories and amazing families that have taught us so much!!

                                                 Tarts we made from our left over pie dough.

Cutest cook!

                                                 This is how the boys watch football!

The feast! 

We used fancy glasses like we would at Mom G's, and Blake had to have a fancy drink, so we opted for Mom B's limeaid!

We had some friends over for the Bronco game that night, but won't go into that! (Grant is still too depressed to look at any Bronco news) But we still stand by our Broncos, love them, and give thanks for them none the less!!