Thanksgiving Weekend, 2021

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in St. George and it was one of the best holidays I think we have ever had.  Jarin and Jami were so gracious to host and it was all pretty perfect - the food,  the weather, and especially the company.   It was a weekend full of reminders of just how blessed we are. 

The people watching Hamilton were awesome and helped him make an art project.

The weather was perfect while we were there and the sunshine was just heavenly.  I went out for a run/hike in the hills around Sand Hollow Reservoir and it felt amazing.

Eventually, everyone got loaded up and headed down to the reservoir for some fun in the sand and water.  The kids played and played while the rest of us basked in the sun.

Jami wanted to do family pictures at the Joshua Tree monument outside of St. George and we were all more than happy to tag along.  I didn't even know that you could find a joshua tree outside of California, but it turns out that if you drive far enough into the dessert, you can find all sorts of beauty.  The kids had so much fun exploring - they found cool pieces of wood, old cans, and I'm sure, a few bugs.  The rest of us just hung out and watched the sunset - not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

We spent a morning golfing - some at the big boy golf course, and the rest of us at the putt putt course.  When we first arrived, the course appeared to be pretty basic and I wondered if it would be any fun.  Turns out looks can definitely be deceiving - there were a few holes where I thought we might never finish.  It was girls against the boys, and the way I remember it, the girls definitely won.

November Miscellaneous, 2021

 

Veteran's day give us a chance to honor our very favorite soldier.

We had our family pictures taken at Wheeler Farm and the kids had the best time exploring.  I couldn't believe that this was our first visit - it's such an awesome oasis in the middle of the city.

Lakeview Elementary has the best art teacher and we love going to their art shows.  This one focused on self-portraits and I love seeing how Ruby sees herself.

Isn't this the cutest self-portrait you have ever seen!

Here she is with her whole class.

Ruby had the best time making herself part of the art.

At school Luke designed a mask that was supposed to represent who he is - I think he did a great job representing himself - sports, music, pizza and family were some of the highlights.  His teacher was so impressed that he included the Book of Mormon.  I just love how well-rounded he is.

As part of the 4th grade curriculum, Luke has been learning about the state of Utah and all of the counties.  He had the chance to research Wasatch County and put so much effort into building a float for the County Float celebration.  It was so fun to chat with the kids about all that they learned.

This dog is just so spoiled.

Ruby absolutely loved celebrating with Grandma Whitesides