Remembering Thanksgiving

I've been waiting to get these pictures from Karrie before I could go ahead with other posts. I'm trying to keep "life in order" at least for my blog book at the end of the year. So, I can't get to Christmas without first getting through Thanksgiving. Last year we were in Washington DC visiting Bonnie and her new baby Paije for Thanksgiving. John and I were very grateful not to be making that flight again with small children. We love being able to go up to my parents and pretty much not have to do much but just show up and bring the cute grandchildren. That we can do. I ended up going up the day before to help get things ready and after John played in the ward "Turkey Bowl" he came up also. By the time he made it up to my parents, I was ready for my pre-dinner nap. I think I was actually just trying to get Tate down for a nap and the bed was just way too warm to leave.

John is happy on Thanksgiving as long as there is a football game on every TV in the house! Blake was showing my sentiment about that crazy tradition (football, so many other things to do than watch TV-like napping:)) Dinner was fabulous as always. My dad was in charge of the turkey and he did two different preparation. I think one was soaked in a brine and the other I can't really remember this many weeks later. I do know, both turkey's were delicious!

The chef extraordinaire!
We did a buffet-style. Helps everyone get their food faster!

Love this picture with everyone's mouths full. The whole grown-up table and kid-table definitely got mixed up this year. This was the supposed "grown-up" table in the

dining room . . .

the kid table in the kitchen . . . we had the oldest and youngest at our table. I guess that means we had the most interesting dinner conversations.Blake couldn't really hold out until dinner time, so he got a special preview of the meal.

We tried to start civilized . . . at the table . . . food on plate.

But that quickly turned into food on the table . . .
and then Blakey and food on the ground.
This may be the only time I am glad my parents have a dog.

Ella is a great cleaner-upper after Blake eats!

Tate enjoyed the meal-especially the rolls Karrie made. I think he probably started eating about four rolls before we realized he was sneaking them.Tate's way of working off the extra calories--Dancing! That boy danced the night away and tried to get everyone to join in.
Little did we know that this was one of the last times we'd get to be with grandma Grace. I am so glad we got a couple pictures of the boys with their Great-Grandma.
Grandma always said how much Blake was starting to look like Tate. Tate loved to pull great-grandma around the house showing her all the things he was doing. This time he was showing her the fire and I think how to keep it going.
*Remembering. I think the hardest part about my grandma being gone now is that my kids won't get to have her be a part of their lives anymore. I know this isn't really fair, but I always thought of my grandma as "our grandma." She's been living with my parents for I think the past 20 years. She's just always been a part of my family's life. It will be weird to not hear my mom or dad saying, "go get grandma for dinner." Tate used to love going down to her apartment to get a cookie(s). Recently, he liked to play catch with her which really was Tate trying to be as gentle as he could throw a ball on her lap so she could toss it back. Tate's not the best aim and pretty much ran around her apartment chasing the ball. You know Tate and his love of all things that plug-in. Well, great grandma had a couple little lamps he would always go down and turn on and off and switch the light bulb in one. He loved to fill up her bird feeder outside on the patio and she had wined-up animals on the outside table that she would let him play with.

I was subbing at my old school so I brought the boys up on Sunday night because my mom was going to watch them Monday while I was at school. We all got to see great-grandma that evening and the next day when she fell out of bed, Tate was there to help grandma, help great-grandma when the aid car arrived. When I got back to my parents after subbing, the aid car was just closing the doors with my grandma inside. My mom was walking inside and told me she was headed to the ER to double check that grandma was okay (which they thought she was). As I loaded up the boys to head home Tate woke up from his nap and started crying to "help grandma." He kept reaching for downstairs saying that. My mom put him down for a nap after the paramedics got to the house and that seemed to be the first thing he remember as he woke up. I never would have thought that would be the last time we saw her. At the viewing my mom was holding Tate and told him it was okay to touch great-grandma and that her Spirit was with Heavenly Father now. So, Tate reached out and put his hand on hers and told Karrie "it's okay. Touch her." So, they both were holding her hands. I wondered how well an almost 3 year old would understand the concept of death, but the other day we were in the van and I heard from Tate, "She died. She's with Heavenly Father now." He said it so matter-of-fact and when I realized what he was referring to I asked him again what happened to great-grandma?-she died. Where is she living now?-with Heavenly Father. Is she happy?-she's happy. After the funeral services this woman helping with the dinner for the family somewhat randomly gave Tate this cute snowman bubble light (it's like a night light you plug in the wall). I don't know if someone told her or she was just inspired, but she is the person that gave my grandma the same bubble lamp for her apartment and it was Tate's favorite and first thing to turn on when he went to see her. I couldn't believe she gave Tate the same lamp and now he has something he loved of great-grandma's that he sees everyday to remind him of her.

Even though it still makes me sad to walk down to apartment and know she's not there and know that my kids won't get to have her amazing example in their lives; I'm most grateful that she is happy and not alone now (15 years is a long time to be without your husband).