Around and after Thanks Giving time

 Grandma had everything out the Sunday before Thanksgiving so that we could make Turkeys, the boys were at a preisthood fireside. Good times.  This is our one traditional food that we have at thanksgiving, little candy turkeys that sit by our plates. 

 Even though this is the family car, yes we have invested in a very bright BYU blue vehicle for the families use, we all call it Grant's car (everyone except Troy).  We picked it up the Saturday before thanksgiving and Grant was FINALLY excited to drive that he drove me too and from all of my errands that I had to do that day.  It's nice he is finally interested in driving himself places!  Soon he will be able to go it alone - don't fear there are a few more months before he turns in his learners permit.

 Ahhh, we arrive at Thanks Giving pictures.  Troy's sister and her family joined us for the festive holiday this year and we had a really great time with them.  The turkey came out nicer than expected and we had enough food to feed all 11 children!  Troy put on some oven mits and cook some very delicious polenta for us all - Troy does not cook and it turned out very yummy!

 I just have to post this beautiful picture of the front of our home that we are building. The framers have been working on the front porch and I'm just thrilled with how well the shape has come out.  So exciting.

 The relatives had bigger and better things to do and left us Friday, so we invited some friends over to eat more food!  A spread of odds and ends in the left over department.

 Saturday we pulled out the trailer and some gloves and picked out a live Christmas tree.  We haven't had one for a lot of years.  The 10' beauty was only 39.99 at Smiths market place - I thought live trees were a lot more than that.  The tree is beautiful and smells wonderful, it's really beginning to look like Christmas around our house.

Before Thanksgiving

I can't believe I havent' blogged for an entire month!  Where did the time go?  So here is a flash back to before Thanks Giving...  sometime in November.

 preparations for thanksgiving...Our thankful chain.

 Ethans Jr. Jazz team, thanks to me Troy ended up coaching.  Thank heavens another dad, Dave, has been around every week Troy has been gone and has taken over the coaching.  I don't know that I could have done it!

 Snow, snow snow.  Our first real dumping, enough to make snowball forts.

 My new phone, love it - forgot to save my calendar so playing a bit of catch up on dr. appointments and guessing on hair appointments...

More Paradisos

Even though we were not envious of all the snow the east coast received last week, Saturday we received our own dumping of snow. 

We also had the great priviledge of meeting another memeber of the Paradiso family (the brother of Debbi & Tati Paradiso - our girls from Argentina).  David, his wife Andrea and their 8 month son Santiago came up for Sunday dinner.  What a beautiful little boy with a mellow, happy personality.  Cousin Aly also joined us for dinner, we just love having Aly come hang out.  She was so nice to play some piano with the kids and listen to all the kids.  And she was the photographer for the Keller/Paradiso picture.

Trick or Treat

  Happy Halloween!  Since Troy was out of town Morgan, being 12 & unsure if she was too old to trick or treat, was put in charge of taking Ethan and Ana.  Her friend Hannah came over to help out and I think they had a good time.  Last minute Morgan pulled off a cave woman costume and was thrilled to be able to use the trick or treating bag she had sewn.

 Ethan, once again, opted to make up a Star Wars costume for the purchase of a new light saber.  Thank you Grandma for sewing this awesome Jedi cape, I believe this is its 3rd year in use!  Last year he was Darth Vadar.  Ana following in Ethan's foot steps wanted to be a storm trooper.  She and Ethan have recently watched a couple of the star wars movies - could you tell?  Ana always says she wants to be a princess or a dancer, but when it comes down to it she follows the boys with ninjas and storm troopers...

Grant was going to have some friends over, but one of the boys families was making scones and invited the boys over to eat and they ended up staying all evening.  A cute neighbor who is an exchange student from Chile invited Tanya over to help hand out candy with her.  She has been super nice and great for Tanya.  Tanya doesn't like to do things with the girls in YW or in the neighborhood, but she has gone with Angela when she has invited her to go shopping or to watch a movie.  Angela has been such a blessing!  Victor stayed home with me to help pass out candy and watch a movie - he's one that will go when invited, but it's pulling teeth to get him to call or invite someone over.  So a little late in the evening he tried to call a friend, but he wasn't home.  All in all I thought it was a great Halloween.

October 29th

 Last Saturday Grandma and Grandpa brought Grayce and Mason over to roast some marshmellows and make some smores, Tricia and Justin were stranded in Hawaii - poor people : ).  The kids all had a great time. Ethan was at a halloween party and Tanya was helping with the ward trunk or treat.