Thanksgiving

Since Mom was getting married on Saturday after Thanksgiving, Wendy's family would be over and Mom asked if we could do Thanksgiving at our house. Of course! So assignments were made and preparations made.

between my Turkey Bucks, and Shiala's Turkey Bucks and a coupon for a free turkey that Ford had from his work, we were able to get two turkeys (worth $52) for $12.98! Sweet!!!

I made pumpkin/choc chip cookies for those who don't like pie...

I made the pecan pie, as well as cooking the turkey.

On Thursday everyone arrived around noon and we enjoyed the rest of the day together.

It sure was fun having everyone together. We did miss Stacy's family of course, as well as Jordan & Lindsey and Montana.
Allie, Sadie, Laila, Hannah, Ane, Tilly

Ford, Cambria, Shiala

The kids' tables. That far table doesn't have little kids around it anymore!
small table: clockwise from left-James, Charlie, Ane, Soren, Ethan
long table: clockwise from left-Allie, Cambria, Laila, Sadie, Hannah, Tilly, Peyton

The buffet table…So much yumminess. My tummy is too small on Thanksgiving!

The 'adult' table…L-R: Kami, Jim, Karla, Mom(LaRue), Wendy, Ben

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday I think. I love the low-key atmosphere, the not-too-commercialized part of it. And that it draws family close and helps us ponder our blessings and be thankful for all we have. Not much better than that.

Grandma B ties the Knot

On my birthday, I got this picture in a text….

A "Prairie Diamond" on my mom's finger with these words:

"Have an announcement to make. it is official! No date set but it will happen. I am very happy hope you will be too! Love you all mom"

Here's the backstory:

After my dad died in Dec 2011, I wondered whether Mom would ever date or remarry. A few months after Dad's passing I asked her if she had ever thought of dating. She wasn't very open to the idea at that point, she was still concerned about the cancer coming back and was doing ok being on her own. I told her then that I wanted her to know that if she ever did want to date and get remarried, that I was all for it and wouldn't cause an issue. That I just wanted her to be happy, however that came about.

A year or two ago Stacy mentioned to me that she thought Mom ought to date Bro. Kirkham, a widower in her ward. I told her "Good Luck!" I didn't think there was much chance of Mom being interested. Although Bro. Kirkham had lived in Blanding for a lot of years and Mom actually knew who he was and they had all been in Jeep Patrol together in the 70s. 

Stacy mentioned it to Mom, but it went nowhere. In Dec 2014, we went to Price for Aysha's mission report and Mom told me this is when she had a change of heart. She told me that she had become aware that living alone was not fun. She was always the 5th wheel and had to go home alone from the Fort every night. She also told me that she was noticing that she was getting really selfish because she didn't have to help, serve or care for anyone but herself. And she didn't like that. So after church in Price as we were driving back to Stacy's house, she saw an older man walking down the sidewalk alone and thought it was Bro. Kirkham and at that moment she was overcome with a sense of sympathy for him, having to go to an empty house and make his own food, wash his own clothes and be alone. She just felt so bad for him. After that she looked up his number and called him.

They corresponded off and on for several months. I remember Mom telling me she had called him, but then it didn't seem to go anywhere, so I didn't think much of it. 

Then when I went with her in Sept to Aysha and Chase's wedding and reception, she said to me, "Don't be surprised if Hugh comes to the reception." And he did. And they talked a lot and we actually went to his home and he showed us some things he'd been telling Mom about. And we took him some cantaloupe we had picked up in Green River. It was an interesting experience, almost being a chaperone for my mom. ;)

 Then Hugh started spending time in Bluff, helping at the Fort. (I'll have to share all the crazy details of this courtship at some other point. But there were so many things bringing them together.)

So when I got the text about being engaged I was not all that surprised. Although a couple of my sisters were. Mom hadn't said much so it pretty much came out of the blue for them. 

I'm still so happy they finally realized that they could spend their older years together and neither of them has to be lonely anymore. They are almost 2 peas in a pod. The kicker for me was the fact they they both have the SAME Bernina sewing machine! It's meant to be!!!

They are very happy and are enjoying life together!

So here's their wedding story:

They set the date for the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They just did a simple ceremony in Hugh's ward building, then had a party with pie and ice cream and root beer floats. Mom asked me to make some tags to put on the lanterns that would be on the tables. She wanted them to say "You Light Up My Life" So I pulled out my stamping supplies and figured out a design and got crafty. Haven't done that in ages and it was fun. :)

We all drove up to Price on Friday after having Thanksgiving at our house. We all stayed in the Holiday Inn Express that night. 

Letting the kids swim Friday night, even though we forgot swimsuits…
James in the hot tub

Soren with Ethan and Ane. Caught midair...

James and Nina

Poor Charlie had on long fleece pants, but that didn't stop him.

What would I do without big siblings helping little siblings?

On Saturday morning we went to the Church and got things set up and ready for the wedding/party. We were able to meet all of Hugh's children, (I now have 5 step-brothers and 1 step-sister, so strange.) and lots of his grandkids. He has a nice family. With all of us there, it was quite the crowd!

My awesome family waiting for the ceremony 

cute kids! and grandkids!

Mom sharing her part of their story!

After sharing how they got to this point, Mom and Hugh were married by Hugh's former Stake President, Pres. Potter. Although he's no longer a stake president he was able to marry them because of his elected position in the government. He did a good job. He also knows Mom because his mother-in-law is one of Mom's good friends who lived in Blanding. So many connections.

Officially Mr and Mrs Kirkham
(We still call her Grandma B)

Grandma asked Cambria and Allie to sing "You Light Up My Life" at her wedding. They were incredibly nervous to perform in front of people, especially strangers, but they did it!

Then Hugh had a few words to say and then put on his song for Mom…

"You Made Me Love You, I Didn't Want to Do It." by Al Jolson. 

Oh, how we all laughed! 

Sharing their first dance as a married couple...

James and his 'Co-Op Pop"
They brought up cases of Root beer from the Fort for the root beer floats.

Nina and James dancing, Aysha in red skirt, Ford and Shiala.
There were games for the kids to help keep them occupied.

It was a lovely day and I'm so happy for my mom and Hugh. I hope they have many more years together. It's so nice to see them both happy. Mom almost glows! It's amazing what a marriage relationship can bring to life. Nothing can take the place of that relationship.

Of course, they both drove their cars to the church. So there are two cars with "JUST MARRIED" on them!

Monument Valley Sunset

We drove down to Bluff on Sunday to have FHE with Mom and Hugh. We got there in the late afternoon and caught them as they were leaving on a little trip out to see the sun set behind Monument Valley, so we followed them. We turned south on 191 and drove toward "Toda" and then went up on a hill on the east side of the road. We got out and looked west and there it was. I had no idea you could see Monument Valley from here. It's a different angle for sure and very distant but it's still a dramatic skyline! 

After the light faded we headed back to Bluff and had a nice FHE and then headed home. We need to do this more often, like we used to do with Grandma and Grandpa Yorgason.

Sun just going down...

drops behind the horizon

now you can really see the monuments

Charlie the barber

It is a rite of passage that all children go through. Cutting their own hair. 

Charles was the culprit this time.  Cambria had given him a haircut earlier but had left the top a bit longer than he liked it apparently. So he took matters (and scissors) into his own hands. 

Here is the damage. Guess he didn't like having bangs

WhenI discovered what he had done, I had to pull out my clippers and scissors and try to remedy it. Thankfully, it looks okay. If you don't look too closely.

my repair job

Not sure he's too repentant ;)

**Edited to add: I posted these pictures and story on my Instagram account and my friend, Tabatha, said Charlie looked proud of what he did and would probably do it again. And she was right. About a month or so later he cut it again, the same way, and this time I had to just buzz it all off. Stinker!

First snow of the season

One fine day we woke up to a white blanketed world. James was eager to go out and play in it, so we dug out the snow gear and bundled him up and off he went. He made trails in the snow and then the trampoline caught his eye and he just had to get on it. So I had to put on shoes and put him on. 

What a blast!

And of course, you have to eat some!

Later in the day, I was in the addition doing some work and saw that we had some visitors outside our garden fence, looking for something to eat...

Mama deer

Mama and baby deer. I always wonder about how their feet survive in snow...