Happy Birthday!!!

This year, my Grandpa's birthday and Thanksgiving fall on the same day (I always thought he was lucky to have a birthday on a holiday - once in awhile). It would be 90 years ago today he was born in this world. He is an amazing person, who always had a story to share, a deck of cards or dominoes to play, the ability to make ANYTHING grow (oh the questions I would ask now), could build anything, fix anything, hike anywhere, take an ATC up any mountain (with a lot of grandkids hanging on the back) and could always seem to find a way to make me laugh. I still remember watching him turn on his record player doing the hokey pokey about 10 years ago. I thought I had one of the coolest grandpa's around :)

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!

Autumn Drive

Saturday, my dad and I took a drive up north to see some fall leaves changing color. It was a lot of fun. We explored Payson, AZ, and found a great park. We had lunch at Christopher Creek, and also explored many off the road areas. Through this adventure we discovered Woods Creek Lake, hunted for pine gum sap, heard fun stories, went down memory lane, breathed in beautiful views, and experienced amazing peace.

We may try to go up again in a few weeks to see if we can find more changing of the colors though... perhaps when the weather begins to cool down more :)

Utah Memories...

This is my last week in Utah, and I've been reflected the past few days of all that I have learned and been able to experience during this adventure in my life. I'm really going to miss this place. I've decided in this post to reflect on memories of when I lived in Utah before. I was born in Utah and my family we moved to Arizona when I was four. I don't have as many memories about living in Utah back then... just the basement, play room, dog house, indoor pool, the dogs, and for some reason my dad's office. It's interesting on the things we tend to remember.

Here is a picture of the first day of school (for my two older sisters)

Here we are in Vernal, Utah... I wasn't able to relive that memory again these past two years.. bummer

Here is, I think my 2nd Birthday, with cousins at my party! In Arizona we didn't have any close relatives nearby... or any relatives nearby. That has been one nice thing living here.

I think I'm 2 here and enjoying my birthday breakfast.

Easter in Utah, near a fireplace that we were able to actually use!

My best friend in Utah... my brother....

Sorry, there are no pictures of my sis, Lindsay. She wasn't able to join our family until after the move to Arizona.

Thanksgiving Memories

(9The coolest dog, Finney, celebrating Christmas 1999.)

For some reason I woke up early and wide awake this morning (5am). I decided that since there wasn't much I could do that early, I would go to the gym. I was thinking it would be crowded because everyone would want to work out before having their BIG feast. I was wrong. There was really no one there. After I went to Harmon's Grocery store to get a newspaper. I want to keep the tradition of circling everything I want in today's paper and then mailing it to my parent's to help them with Christmas shopping:) When I got to the store the guy delivering the papers was just starting to stock the stand. He had a cart full of papers that he was unloading. As I was talking to him and waiting for a paper, I began to notice the sweet smell of newspapers that I seem to like. I think this is smell brings more of sweet memories as I would work with my dad, brother and sisters on delivering newspapers to homes on the holidays and weekends. Thanksgiving was a day I thought needed to be dread as it was supposedly the biggest newspaper of the year. This paper was huge and heavy. We would get up REALLY early in the morning just to wait for the paper to be delivered. This was a fun time for us kids as our dad would provide us a feast of the best pop, sweets and food while delivering the papers. I think this was more to help us stay awake and not get car sick. I remember how cold it was standing out there putting the papers together, shivering, talking and shivering some more. I also remember how we would laugh a lot (or maybe it was more me, I can't remember) due to us being really tired. We would also listen to old songs on the radio. I love the oldies station because of this. We would try to get the job done as quickly as possible so we could go home to our warm beds and sleep.

Yesterday I was thinking about how when I was young it was almost a tradition for a few of us in my family to head over to a family friend's home (the Brauer's) Wednesday evening to help her make pies and clean. We made so many pies, and then we would celebrate Thanksgiving with them the following day. This was a fun time as we would also be able to watch movies on their HUGE TV.

I also remember a Thanksgiving where my brother invited me to go to Wal-Mart with him the day before. When asked why he said "because everyone was going to be there." It was a fun time, I think we both were just burned out as well with college papers and exams. We laughed as we were hoping to have to park in the back of the parking lot and stand in a long line. Instead we got the closest parking spot we had ever had before, and there was no line when we were ready to check out.

I've also been thinking about how it is almost a tradition for our family to go to KMart on Thanksgiving and check out their specials, and indulge in bread sticks. With this memory I feel that pizza has become associated with Thanksgiving as well. My dad one year took my brother, sister and I to a store and bought us a pizza to eat before we went to a friend's home to have Thanksgiving dinner. We were so stuffed before we went to the Thanksgiving dinner. My dad told us to not tell mom that we had pizza before. For some reason I feel like that was the best pizza. I think it was because we were hungry and it was fun to eat pizza on Thanksgiving. I also remember a few years ago when it was only my mom, brother and I for Thanksgiving. My mom told me that I would be in charge of Thanksgiving. So since I was in charge, I decided that we would have pizza. I had found a pizza recipe I could have. It was such a good dinner. We had BBQ chicken pizza.

So on this Thanksgiving, I would like to thank my family for all the sweet and cherished memories that you have given to me revolving around Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Thanksgiving!