We got back to St. George late on Sunday night where we
looked forward to being with three more of our kids – Kris and Michael for
Thanksgiving dinner at Stacy’s. We were
delighted to have Kris and Erin with us Monday and Tuesday nights, but I’m not
sure how excited Kris was when our smoke alarms went off – not once, but twice
- in the middle of the night.
On Tuesday night, Erin, Taisley and Grandma enjoyed popcorn
in the dark while viewing “Mockingjay, Part 2.”
On Wednesday, we got up early for “mystery trips.” The first was a visit to the newly remodeled
downtown Electric Theater, which now also incorporates the two buildings west
of the theater and where a dance studio, several small offices for arts
organizations, and many classrooms are ready to welcome arts groups of all
kinds. It was particularly interesting
to Kris because, having grown up here in St. George where this old movie
theater was the only one in town, she remembered it well from her
childhood.
The second mystery trip of the morning was to the Red Cliff
Desert Reserve downtown office (the former home of the Five County Senior Corps
programs) where Kris and the kids enjoyed seeing all the “critters” who live
here in our unique county where three eco-systems come together (Mojave and
Great Basin deserts and the Colorado Plateau).
The girls and I then headed for Deseret Industries for a
“shopping spree.” Between the two of
them, they found 6-8 t-shirts and 2 pair of shoes, while Grandma found a long
black skirt and some socks and underwear for the Spectrum’s Christmas clothing
drive. In total, we spent less than $30.
At home, we introduced Taisley to Phase 10 … and what
followed was a fun evening together around the dining room table.
On the Big Day, we all gathered at Stacy’s, which was a
beehive of activity – a cooking frenzy – with enough food being prepared to
feed both sides of a small army. After
things had settled down but before it was time to eat, Grandma and Grandpa, Michael,
Lilly, Taisley and Erin headed out for another “mystery trip” which Taisley
later gave “an 11” on a scale of 1 – 10.
First we went to the new WCWCD’s Red Hills Park, which the kids
thoroughly explored before moving over to the area by the Dixie Rock. They climbed and climbed all over those
beautiful red rocks, exploring – for nearly two hours - every nook and cranny
in their enthusiasm.
We got back to Stacy’s just in time for a delicious – and
bountiful – turkey dinner, including candied yams, potatoes and gravy, dressing,
homemade rolls, Nana’s green beans, corn, Martian food and two turkeys (one
cooked the traditional way and the second deep fried in the backyard).
It was a fun weekend and in this season of Thanksgiving we
are so very grateful for the blessings from heaven which we enjoy every day,
including our wonderful family.
PS: The kids, as always, insisted I make our traditional “ribbon salad” which is normally made with green and red jello, but since it was Thanksgiving and not Christmas, I decided to make the top layer orange. I wish I had been able to capture the look of shock and disappointment on Stacy’s face when she first saw it … she gasped and protested, noting it was just one more thing she was going to spend years sorting out with her therapist. It was hysterical!!!
PS: The kids, as always, insisted I make our traditional “ribbon salad” which is normally made with green and red jello, but since it was Thanksgiving and not Christmas, I decided to make the top layer orange. I wish I had been able to capture the look of shock and disappointment on Stacy’s face when she first saw it … she gasped and protested, noting it was just one more thing she was going to spend years sorting out with her therapist. It was hysterical!!!
