Ready...Set...Hike

Due to a hectic workday, I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of The Lime on Halloween. I was told that I would win the medal for "Worst Mom of the Year", for not getting a picture. If only that person knew how many other photos I have of The Lime, they would have kept their mouth shut. But that's a different post.

So when LaVor told me he was going to play football on Thanksgiving morning, I knew I'd be able to redeem myself in the picture department.

The Lime could hardly stand the excitement. We started off with a breakfast for champions (orange juice and hash browns...or a giant french fry, which is the way we got him to eat it).

We were afraid there wouldn't be enough people to play a real game but after a while, enough bodies showed up. Two of which were The Lime's best buds, Ben and Joe.

The Lime wasted no time to participate!

He was the cutest dude out there and threw a major fit when we had to leave.

I see a new Thanksgiving tradition in our family's future.

Giving Thanks...Z

The first city we stepped foot in, when we got to Europe, was Zurich. And what a fine city it was.

Drinking from the fountains, enjoying sausages in crusty rolls, savoring my favorite macarons, paying way too much for fast food, watching the men play with the giant chess set, buying a clock, attending church. So much to do, and what a surprise! Most of it had to do with food :o)

Zurich was where we spent our first day and Zollikofen is where we spent our last night. It was also where my parents were married. (Note: the temple is actually in Münchenbuchsee, the mailing address for the temple is Zollikofen) I loved being able to visit the place where my eternal family began.

Two "Z" cities that we will always remember.

Giving Thanks...Y

Four years ago, I was asked to bring the rolls to Thanksgiving dinner.

While at culinary school, we would tape our recipes on the wall so they were out of the way and at eye level (easy to read). I decided to start doing that with my recipes that weren't in cookbooks.

When I volunteered to bring the rolls again this year, I realized I had the recipe STILL taped to my cabinet, four years later. Yikes!

But I must tell you why...this is the best yeast roll recipe I have ever made. I use it for dinner rolls as well as cinnamon rolls, and can't seem to justify filing it away.

When I was in my breads class, the instructor warned us about the constant use of yeast and how we'd be at a higher risk of yeast infections. Blech...freaked me out a bit.

But how I grew to love yeast. Where would I be without yeast? I'll tell you. I would be a deprived person that couldn't enjoy bread, pizza, croissants, bagels, pretzels, and doughnuts, just to name a few.

I love my carbs, can you tell? And I love yeast, at least when it comes to food.

The original date and time of when said recipe was printed

Giving Thanks...X

Never did LaVor and I think that we would take a cruise, let alone win one. So when we heard the news that we were going, for free, we were taken back.

Celebrity X Cruises took good care of us the second we boarded the ship. They offered us champagne, which we turned down, but were then offered water. Our room wasn't ready for quite some time after we were on board but a sweet lady made sure to get things taken care of. Our room attendant was SO helpful, especially when it came to the wave of illness. The food was good and always at our fingertips, hence why I ordered four desserts the first night at dinner. The customer service was astounding when we notified them of our botched excursion.

We were so appreciative, and still are, of the kindness and generosity we received on this trip. If we ever decide to go on another cruise, this one might be hard to beat.

Giving Thanks...W

LaVor doesn't really like it but I'm a cold cereal kind of girl. He always asks if I want to go out for breakfast but I much prefer to stay home and eat my Chex or Cheerios.

So you can imagine how bummed I was when I went to pour my milk this morning, only to find that we were out. Ugh!

I was rushed for time so making eggs was out of the question. Then I remembered my homemade frozen waffles and popped two in the toaster. They get extra crispy, which I love, but soften up a bit with the help of the syrup, so I don't crack a tooth. And the combination of the salted butter plus the sweet maple is something I just recently converted to. Why did I pass up the butter all those years?!

When we have waffles for dinner, I usually make extra and freeze them so I have an impromptu breakfast for times like this.

The waffles saved the day, or at least me from being late for my Black Friday shopping.

Giving Thanks...V

The Lime gets a lot of colds and since times aren't like they used to be, cough medicine is out of the question. I always get a bit frustrated with the nurses who suggest the same ole "steam, honey, humidifiers". Blah blah blah! Suggest something that works!

Like Vicks Vapor Rub!

This stuff is great. It not only helps The Lime breathe easier, I think he also likes the way it feels when we rub it in.

He's happy, we're happy, and everyone gets some sleep (because the coughing seems to be worse at night).

Giving Thanks...U

There is a little boy in Primary who, whenever he says the prayer, asks that everyone be united. You can tell it's something that his family says in their prayers and it's the cutest thing.

I'm sorry to do this, as I hated hearing about the election while it was taking place, and I certainly hate hearing about it now. But I need to mention it.

My parents have always been public with their choice for President. Every election year, we had a sign in our yard, showing everyone who they supported. In the election four years ago, their home was egged because of the signs they had. This year, after the winner was announced, someone put a spray painted sign on their garage door with an expletive + the name of one of the candidates. Then today, while driving in my mom's car, a passing vehicle pointed and laughed at their bumper sticker, while shaking their head profusely as they drove by.

I'm disappointed in the actions of the people mentioned above. I'm disappointed in the people that want to move to another country after the results of this election (because it really might be better somewhere else?). I'm disappointed in the people who want to break away from the United States and form their own country.

What I am thankful for is the example of a six year old, who asks Heavenly Father to bless us to be united with our brothers and sisters, no matter what they look like or what they believe.