Christmas 2021

Christmas was a little bit subdued this year because we were missing the one member of our family who loved Christmas the most and it wasn't the same without him.  We all had fewer presents because we didn't have as much free time to prepare but we were all very happy to be together and spent a lot of time reminiscing about past Christmases.

We really enjoyed having Thanksgiving dinner from Cracker Barrel this year so we decided to do it again for Christmas dinner.  This time we chose Olive Garden and it was delicious!  Later in the evening we played Shanghai rummy again (we love playing cards).  This time Kristine won (I have had a streak of bad luck).  It ended up being a really nice day.

I hope you were able to have a wonderful Christmas with the ones you love.

Thanksgiving 2021

It has been a rough two weeks for my family because my Dad has been in the hospital for some unexplained symptoms.  He had to be put on a ventilator for several days and recovering from that has been rough on him.  None of us were really up for celebrating Thanksgiving (and all that it entails) this year but my sister had the idea of ordering everything from Cracker Barrel!  She picked everything up on Wednesday and then all we had to do yesterday was heat it up (they even gave very detailed instructions of when to put each item in the oven so everything would be ready at the same time).  The whole dinner tasted delicious but, more importantly, we all were able to get together (except for my Dad, who is still in the hospital, and Tashena, who is playing in a basketball tournament in Arizona) and have a much needed break from the stress.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the people you love!

Note:  We are thinking of ordering Thanksgiving from a restaurant from now on!

Memorial Day Weekend 2021

I have had the most wonderful holiday weekend!  Kristine and Trent purchased some property in Tabiona (near Hanna which is our very favorite camping spot) a few years ago and are in the process of building a cabin.  They have also parked their trailer there for the summer.  I was invited to spend the weekend with them and Sean and I absolutely loved it there!

The area is incredibly beautiful and there are many places to visit in the nearby Uinta Mountains.  I drove up to the property early Sunday morning (they had been there since Friday) and when I got there we all decided to go for a drive.  The first place we visited was Moon Lake which was gorgeous, but cold.

We all enjoyed spending time on the beach but I think Ebony had the best time running around and jumping in the waves!

Next we went to the Yellowstone River which is another really beautiful area, one where Kristine and Trent would like to bring the trailer because the campsites are right along the river.

We also visited the reservoir near the river, another breathtaking area!

We saw this random brick chimney while we were driving around the area and I thought it was cool.

Sitting around the campfire late into the evening is one of my favorite parts of camping!

Monday morning, Memorial Day, we had a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, and pancakes outside and I don't think anything has ever tasted so good.  I think everything tastes so much better outside and, since I usually don't eat breakfast, I always love it when I wake up to the smell of bacon on the grill!

Sean and I took the side by side (he drove) up the trail to the top of Mt. Tabby.  It was a really bumpy and dusty ride but the views all the way up were spectacular!

On the other side of the mountain we stopped at Red Creek Reservoir where Ebony, once again, had fun playing in the water.  We got back to the property in the late afternoon and, sadly, had to pack everything up and come home.  I was tired, sunburned, and really dirty (from the dusty ride on the trail) when I got home so, in other words, it was a great weekend!

Christmas 2020

I was given very strict instructions by Sean to be at my parents' house by 8:00 yesterday morning to start opening presents and I made with a few minutes to spare!  He was a bit excited!  We always take turns opening presents one at a time, starting with the youngest (Sean) to the oldest (my Mom), so it takes a couple of hours but it is so much fun.  It is also tradition to have cinnamon rolls and orange juice while we open.

Sean got a bunch of new games and, after we opened presents, we didn't see him again for the rest of the day because he was downloading and playing them.  Tashena's big present was an Apple watch and now I think I need one!  I got a new rolling duffel bag, a puffer jacket that folds into a small bag, a Hydro Flask, some winter boots, and some more DVDs for my Alfred Hitchcock collection.  If I am actually able to go to Iceland next year I am all set!  My Dad gave everyone $50 which is a tradition we have had since my sisters and I were really young (Sean already bought another game online).  In the afternoon we had a wonderful Christmas dinner with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pomegranate salad, rolls, and vegetables with dip.  We took a break and then had another game of Shanghai rummy.  I didn't come in last place this time but it still wasn't pretty!  It was a really nice Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2020

Yesterday my family had a wonderful holiday (as you can see from Sean's expression ha ha!).  It was a little different than usual because we put all of the food out buffet-style and ate in the living room so that we could distance ourselves a bit more.  That ended up being a lot of fun with lots of conversations and laughter!

We had turkey and ham, stuffing, cheesy potatoes (here in Utah they are called funeral potatoes), rolls, pomegranate salad (a tradition in our family), and a vegetable tray with dip.  Everything tasted delicious!  We actually had pumpkin, pecan, and cherry pies but we were all so full that we didn't even get them out!

After dinner we played a crazy game of shanghai rummy!  We have not played this together since New Year's Eve and it felt really good to be doing something so normal after the year that we have had!  We got laughing so hard that I could hardly breathe!  Kristine won but I came in second, even after a disastrous early round (we are thinking of having a tournament over the Christmas break where we all buy in and winner takes all but that might make it even more ruthless than usual).  I think this is one of the best Thanksgivings we've had!

Note:  Tashena is going back up to school in Washington state today after being home since the pandemic started.  We will miss her so much but she'll be back for Christmas!

Fourth of July in Hanna

My sister Kristine and her family are spending the weekend at their trailer in Hanna and they invited my sister Marilyn and me to come up on Saturday to celebrate Independence Day.  It was so much fun and so relaxing!

The campground where they stay is one of my favorite places!  I love it when the wind blows through the trees and I love how blue the sky is!

We played card games, read our books (at one point there were four of us reading by the fire), went on a run to the general store for treats, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores, and sat around the fire until Marilyn and I had to leave!  It was wonderful!

Sean makes the best s'mores!

Of course we had the traditional flag cake!  I have made it every year (with a few exceptions) since I was about seventeen!  We had a great holiday and I hope you did, too!