We invited a family from our ward to eat with us and enjoyed celebrating with them. We have tried to get together with this family a lot and have been unsuccessful so I was happy it worked out. The food turned out really well. It just tasted better than other years. I can't say why exactly, maybe because they were telling some really funny stories of Thanksgiving fails they had had over the years. After eating we played "Don't Eat Tom!" a festive twist on Don't Eat Pete and did a few Thanksgiving Mad Libs together. We did this last year with my family and it's a great thing to do with a group in a setting like this. Mark had to be at the airport at 4:00 (he kindly covered for another coworker) and they left about 30 minutes after him. I finished cleaning up the kitchen and then did a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt with Lydia and Jared. It was a new way to talk about things we are grateful for. After we put all those items away I realized I was tired! So we all laid down in the front room and read our books for about 45 minutes. It was lovely. I'm so grateful they love reading, it was very Hygge of us and it was great.
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
Piles from Left to right April, Lydia, Jared (Front)
2019 Gratitude tree
The next day we got up early and drove to Raleigh to go to the temple. I did sealings for the first time since changes had been made and enjoyed hearing the changes and being a witness. As I sat in the sealing room I just kept thinking about how right it was to be in the temple and that we had made the right choice in coming there. It was really nice. Mark was signed up to do sealings after me but ended up getting a spot in the session so he did that. Lydia, Jared and I did some shopping while he was inside. (He took them to a nearby park while I was inside) We bought toys for the Charlottesville Toy Lift and books for the library book giving tree. By the time we finished it was time to meet up with Mark so we headed back to the temple to pick him up, stopped for lunch and then headed right back home to Charlottesville. Normally we try to do some fun things in Raleigh but we had just gone in September and there was an event I wanted to attend near home so we got on the road.
On the way back we took wrong turn just after Lynchburg and had to back track about 30 minutes on some crazy back roads which was not fun but we made it to Boars Head Resort in time for their Christmas festivities which included hot chocolate, luminaries and a carriage ride. Their decorations were beautiful and festive and the carriage ride was fun. I was happy we made it in time.
Today Lydia and I watched Frozen II and loved it! We met up with Jen from work and had a great time. Lydia and I both liked it more than the first one and are so glad we went. Neither of us wanted it to be over. We stopped by the library to drop off the books we got for their giving tree and when we got home we broke out the Christmas decorations and got them all up. This meant taking down the Thanksgiving ones and cleaning up a bit but I got it done. For whatever reason Jared was super grumpy about decorating the tree so that was annoying but it does look beautiful and festive.
I was super happy to find these matching Christmas Pajamas on sale, so fun!
After dinner Mark cut Jared's hair and Jared's reaction was so extreme. He was so upset about getting his hair cut. Loud sobbing and moaning during it and in the shower after. For over 20 minutes! He hates his hair short and now refuses to be without a hat. I made it very clear that he will not be wearing a hat outside of our house when we are in buildings like school or church or anywhere really. He is even sleeping with the hat on. I truly don't understand him at times. And I was annoyed that he would not take it off for this picture! Now the story is recorded for us to tell his kids one day.
I also ordered Christmas cards, did some shopping for gifts (I'm about half way done buying what we plan to give) and Mark and I planned some Christmas events to attend throughout the month so we are ready! It was a good holiday weekend, minus Jared's craziness, which was really just half of today. Not that he can't have bad days because that is ridiculous but wow was this a rough one for him.
No comments:
Post a Comment