First off, Ryan says it looks like he's being transferred back to Ponchatoula on the 11th, so if you want to mail him a card, send it to the mission home address on the right until we get his new address.
What a great week.
Andrew and Heather arrived on Wednesday afternoon. Not wanting to wait until Christmas when we wouldn't be together anyway, I allowed Andrew to open a Christmas gift (after all, I wanted to play it, too), so it became a Thanksgiving gift, which might have been a bad precedent to set. Anyway, it's a game, like one of our favorites
7 Wonders, where there are several things going on at once and I don't know if I even have a chance of winning until the game is over and the score is totaled. It's called
Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar. Loved it. Lost every time I played it. It takes longer, much longer, than 7 Wonders. But I loved it. Alex kept saying he hated it while he was playing, but it sounds like he wants us to own a game, too.
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| this picture is here to show a pattern |
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| Andrew, happy with his new game |
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| Heather, Andrew, and Alex playing Tzolk'in |
So, there were almost 50 at my sister-in-law, Kathy's, for Thanksgiving and the day after. Besides the normal Fallon crew, Andrew and Heather were here as well as Jacob, Susan, and baby Owen (they were how Andrew and Heather got here). Glen's sister Teresa and her family came from Utah (her husband Matt, daughters Haley and Shelly and Shelly's family--husband Jacob and children Jared, Melody, Rachael, and Matthew and then Haley's boyfriend Matt joined us). Plus there were a few other friends that joined us. We ate and played games and talked for 2 days. Thanks Kathy and Gary!
Then, since we had 14 family members here that we won't have on the 11th, Teresa arranged a little early surprise birthday party for my mother-in-law as her 80th birthday is coming up. Happy Birthday Grandma!
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| Becky (in the back), Grandma, Haley, Melody, Rachael, Matt, and David |
Yesterday, our family made gingerbread houses. Last year, I never got around to that tradition, so we got it taken care of early this season.
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| Heather and Andrew...who's making another face--see the pattern continue |
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| Hannah and Geoff hard at work |
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| Heather, Andrew, and Alex |
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| Andrew and Heather's final creations |
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| Hannah's, Geoff's, my, Glen's, and Alex's masterpieces |
Then today was Hannah's 18th birthday! Ack. Four of my 5 children are considered adults. Ack.
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| I think she gets it from her brother |
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| Cousin Michael was so thoughtful and sent her a b-day gift while he was in the MTC (it's a t-shirt) |
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| she wanted fondue and soft pretzels for dinner-Alex plans on the same menu for his next birthday |
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| yep, she just couldn't not make a face while I was taking a picture, it seems |
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| She wanted an ice cream cake...tasted good, but I had some construction problems--like letters sliding off |
My parents, who arrived yesterday to spend the night, left for Oregon this morning and shortly thereafter, Andrew and Heather left for Utah, so they weren't here for the birthday celebrations. It was so good to see them all. Holidays are wonderful for that.
And, no kidding, about 1/2 the photos I took of Andrew or Hannah had them making faces at the camera. I only showed you a few of them.
Great week. I'm exhausted. So excited it's Christmas time.
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