Utah Hockey Club vs. Calgary Flames

My sister Marilyn is not a hockey fan (we are not really sure how this happened) so, when one of her colleagues gave her four tickets to last night's Utah Hockey Club game to thank her for helping him with a big project, she invited me, Kristine, and Trent to go with her because the three of us are huge hockey fans.  We had so much fun (even Marilyn) and I know my dad was so happy that his three daughters were together at a hockey game (especially against a Canadian team because we got to hear "O Canada").  Utah played the Calgary Flames and it was a really important game with playoff implications for both teams so it was very exciting!  Both teams are very evenly matched but goalie Karel Vejmelka was the difference for Utah because he made 33 saves.  Kevin Stenlund scored first for Utah with with a really nice one-timer at the end of the first period and the crowd went crazy!  It looked like Calgary had scored early in the second period when Mikael Backlund's shot hit the skate of Utah's Nick DeSimone but the goal was disallowed after it was reviewed (which also made the crowd cheer).  Thirty seconds later Barrett Hayton scored on a backhander to put Utah up 2-0.  Rasmus Andersson got one by Vejmelka (I thought he had it) mid-way through the second and then there were a few penalties and a fight to end the period.  Calgary had a few good chances in the third but Utah never gave up and the captain Clayton Keller scored (with an assist from my favorite player Dylan Guenther) on an empty net goal in the final seconds to win 3-1.  I was so happy to see them win because they lost the only other time I've gone to a game this season!  We had such a great time so I think Marilyn might be a new fan!

Christmas 2024

Yesterday was a lovely day!  I celebrated Christmas with my family at my sister Kristine's house and everything was planned by my nephew.  We exchanged stockings (I had Sean and Trent had me) and then we opened presents while it snowed outside (it was quite magical).  I got a quilt, sheets, and pillows for my new bed, an air fryer (which I am really excited to start using), some new shoes, and the movie Dune Part Two (which I am really excited to watch).  We were all very spoiled this year!  After opening presents we continued the tradition started by my mom of having cinnamon rolls and orange juice (this year Kristine made the cinnamon rolls and they were delicious).  In the afternoon we had a wonderful dinner of chicken cordon bleu, twice baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, fruit salad, and rolls.  In the evening we ate lots of treats and played Shanghai rummy, which always gets crazy (I won), then had pie.  It was such a great Christmas and I hope all of you also had a nice day with family and friends.

Gingerbread Houses 2024

Last night we had our annual gingerbread house party and we had a lot of fun!  We always buy kits and this year we got ones that were pre-built (although we had to fix a bit of damage) which saved us a lot of time.  We also always buy more candy to supplement what comes with each kit.

Our gingerbread village

Sean's house

My house

Marilyn's house

Kristine's house

We have had a lot of fun doing lots of Christmas activities with Sean this season!

Thanksgiving 2024

I spent Thanksgiving with my family (we definitely missed Tashena and Tucker who live in Washington) and it was a really nice day.  We had a wonderful dinner with ham (instead of the traditional turkey), potatoes, stuffing, yams, pomegranate salad (a family favorite), rolls, and vegetables with dip.  My sisters are amazing cooks and I am so glad that I am always invited because I am definitely not (my contribution is to bring store-bought pies).  After dinner we all had a rest (my nephew and I watched a movie) and then we played this crazy card game called Shanghai rummy.  We haven't played for a long time and it was a lot of fun (I won).  We had lots of treats while we played and then ended the night with pie.  I enjoyed spending the day with my family and I am really looking forward to all of the fun things we have planned for the rest of the holidays.  I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving with the ones you love.

Pumpkin Carving 2024

Last night we had our annual pumpkin carving party and it was a lot of fun!  I keep waiting for the day when Sean says he doesn't want to continue with these holiday traditions but I'm so happy that he wanted to carve pumpkins this year.  We all went a bit old school with our designs but my favorite one was Sean's "Pumpkin Pie."

I love this Halloween tradition!

Tashena's Wedding

Tashena and Tucker got married last Saturday and the wedding was beautiful!  They held the ceremony and the reception on some property owned by neighbors and life-long friends of Tucker's family and I think Tashena did an amazing job with the decor.

I loved the rustic theme!

It was overcast and a bit cold and windy but the sun came out right before the ceremony!

It was a really special moment seeing Trent walk Tashena down the aisle.  She was a beautiful bride!

The ceremony was lovely but the reception was a great party!  There was a full bar and an Italian cream soda bar that was really fun and the owners of the property barbecued pulled pork sandwiches and chicken along with the best baked beans I've ever had, coleslaw, and cornbread muffins for dinner.  After dinner there were speeches (which were highly amusing but Tashena's biological uncle got everyone crying), a champagne toast, and the couple's first dance (it was choreographed and Tucker did a great job) before everyone started dancing.  Marilyn, Sean, and I left just as the dancing got started (and sadly before the cake was cut) because we were really cold but we had a great time!

I am so proud of Tashena and I hope she and Tucker have a very happy life together (they were so happy at the wedding).

Washington Road Trip

Tashena's wedding was in Washington last weekend and, of course, we all wanted to be there to support her!  Most people would fly and stay at a nice hotel but not us!  We decided to make a road trip of it (the trip took eleven hours to drive each way) and stay in a deluxe cabin at a KOA. It was a long day driving to get there (and it felt even longer driving home) but we actually had so much fun and there were many times when we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe.  The cabin was really nice with a full kitchen, a full bathroom with a shower, a seating area, and enough bedrooms to sleep eight (with lots of amenities provided such as dishes and linens).  There was also a patio outside with a table and chairs, benches, a fire pit, and a barbecue.  Marilyn and I spent a lot of time out there relaxing and reading while Trent, Kristine, and Sean helped with wedding preparations and it was lovely.

The part of Washington where Tashena lives is incredibly beautiful, especially the Wenatchee National Forest.  We all really enjoyed staying at this KOA and would definitely recommend the deluxe cabins.