Thanksgiving WEEK

What a wonderfully exhausting Thanksgiving week we had. Tuesday night started all the festivities…

We went to the Zoo lights that night. Other than the beautiful lights our favorite thing was the 17-foot talking giraffe. Brinley was able to have a fascinating conversation with him. We watched the lights dance to the music, hopped around on the “bouncy” ground, saw Santa, touched the stingrays or cried at the sight of the stingrays, road on the Merry-Go-Round, and ate a churro. What a fun night!!!!

Thank you Justin for being a teacher, once again we were able to have him home Wednesday so he could help put up Christmas decorations. Okay, so this is the first Christmas in our new home and who would have guessed that it would take all day and a lot of $$$ just to put SOME of our decorations out. We did have fun but I think that it was a bit more stressful that I had imagined. I had pictured music playing in the background, happy helpful children, and an all patient loving husband that was willing to buy everything I wanted to get at Target, even if wasn’t necessary. That scenario was literally in my dreams:) That night all the siblings stayed at my parent’s home the first time in YEARS mom had all her children sleeping at home again. She loved it, and it was fun to feel like we were kids again.

Thanksgiving morning was spent pealing TONS of apples for my mom’s famous apple pies, then off to play b-ball with the family, and a stop to get icees on the way home. Mom had made us coffeecake and monkey bread with eggs on the side, YUMMY! Justin and I got the kids ready and then left for dinner #1 at his parents home, it was very good and nice to visit with them, that family is sure expanding. Again we packed up the kids and were off to dinner #2 at Grandma and Grandpa Kings. Again delicious food, at this point in the day I am just eating to taste the food I am completely full already, but isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about? We left late that night after visiting with my large extended family.

Friday was another fun filled day. I took Owen shopping with mom, Jennie, and Stef. We were able to stop by the Pavilions to see Na Na helping Santa in her elf custom (cute)! The King family tradition since I was itty-bitty was that the men take the kids the zoo the day after Thanksgiving, so the women can shop. The tradition lives on to the next generation. Justin has taken Brin to the zoo every year, after they stopped off at Carlos O’Brien’s for lunch and then on to the ASU football game. Justin and I poop out before the game most years and this year was no different. I always say next year I’ll go with all the cousins but I think I mean it this time.

I guess she was having fun with my adorable cousin Braden. Watch out for her kisses she gives them freely, I try to tell her that not everyone wants kisses all the time but who listens to their parents anyway:)

Saturday morning we went to the temple Sydney (my cousin) was getting her endowments out. She is headed on her mission to Guatemala the beginning of January. There have been a handful of times that our family (20+ family members) has been able to go through together and the numbers continue to grow. I love to look around and see so many loved ones around. After we all went to Chinese together, MORE FOOD. But I was able to put it all away.

We went home after that and are now recovering from an exciting, exhausting week. I am SO TRULY grateful for family.