For Thanksgiving this year we drove up to Idaho to visit Ryan’s aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma. The weather was perfect for driving with mild temperatures, no snow, and no rain (a miracle this time of year)! Ryan’s uncle Elray and aunt Laura held dinner at their home. Elray and Laura’s home is situated in a canyon up a little ways on a mountain. The front of their home overlooks a valley of picturesque rolling hills and farmland. The back of the home looks at untouched nature going up their mountain. They have a cute 120 lbs dog named Kia that is ½ wolf and would lick anyone in sight to death, of course unless you are a deer, then start running.
Ryan’s aunt Reeann and uncle Mike own a local grocery store where Mike spends a lot of time as a butcher. Needless to say when Mike cooked the ham and turkey it turned out fantastic! Ryan’s aunt Laura is also a terrific cook, she made wonderful homemade pies, yams, green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy (now I dislike gravy but hers was awesome)! Laura’s daughter Monique (I hope I spelled it correctly) made some yummy cheesecake. It was also Laura’s birthday so we celebrated with a cake and of course singing Happy Birthday!
We were thrilled that Ryan’s uncle Albert and his two boys Nicolas and Alex were able to come and we missed Ryan’s aunt Roxena (Albert’s wife) who recently passed on. Albert and his boys are doing remarkably well, it is a testimony to each of us that the spirit can comfort and the Lord allows loved ones to stay close.
I was happy to be able to meet Ryan’s cousin Jackie, her husband, and their 5 kiddos (okay 5 and a half – come on little one). I also got to meet Monique’s husband Kip (I think – I hope), he seemed like a lot of fun. Ryan’s cousin Cameron and his girlfriend were also there, he is a prankster I can tell, which means we will get along just fine.
Of course we also got to see Ryan’s grandma – yeah!! I love Ryan’s grandma because she reminds me of my grandmother whom I lost in May. She is so independent, has a great sense of humor, and just exudes relaxation and love.
We missed not being able to see the rest of our family this Thanksgiving but we were thankful to have some family close and to get to know them a little bit better. It always amazes me that families can be so welcoming and warm, even when they do not get to see each other very often. I do hope that while we are here in Utah that we get to know the family in Idaho better. Don’t worry AZ family, we still love you too!
In other news we put up our Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving, it was a blast! Ryan and I got out all the boxes, well really Ryan got out the boxes and I watched. Then we put up the tree and went into a decorating frenzy! Granted our townhome is kind of small so we had to move some things around to make room for it, we also are storing some of our drinks underneath because we have nowhere else to put them (yeah water and juice). We like having the decorations up in the house though, it really makes the house feel like we are celebrating the season, even though we will be celebrating elsewhere.
We are so thankful for our friends, family, opportunities, the gospel, our calling, and the many blessings we have received. Everyday is a blessing, even if it doesn’t feel like it at first!
We hope to see or talk with each of you soon, whether it be tomorrow or in a few weeks!
Ryan’s aunt Reeann and uncle Mike own a local grocery store where Mike spends a lot of time as a butcher. Needless to say when Mike cooked the ham and turkey it turned out fantastic! Ryan’s aunt Laura is also a terrific cook, she made wonderful homemade pies, yams, green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy (now I dislike gravy but hers was awesome)! Laura’s daughter Monique (I hope I spelled it correctly) made some yummy cheesecake. It was also Laura’s birthday so we celebrated with a cake and of course singing Happy Birthday!
We were thrilled that Ryan’s uncle Albert and his two boys Nicolas and Alex were able to come and we missed Ryan’s aunt Roxena (Albert’s wife) who recently passed on. Albert and his boys are doing remarkably well, it is a testimony to each of us that the spirit can comfort and the Lord allows loved ones to stay close.
I was happy to be able to meet Ryan’s cousin Jackie, her husband, and their 5 kiddos (okay 5 and a half – come on little one). I also got to meet Monique’s husband Kip (I think – I hope), he seemed like a lot of fun. Ryan’s cousin Cameron and his girlfriend were also there, he is a prankster I can tell, which means we will get along just fine.
Of course we also got to see Ryan’s grandma – yeah!! I love Ryan’s grandma because she reminds me of my grandmother whom I lost in May. She is so independent, has a great sense of humor, and just exudes relaxation and love.
We missed not being able to see the rest of our family this Thanksgiving but we were thankful to have some family close and to get to know them a little bit better. It always amazes me that families can be so welcoming and warm, even when they do not get to see each other very often. I do hope that while we are here in Utah that we get to know the family in Idaho better. Don’t worry AZ family, we still love you too!
In other news we put up our Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving, it was a blast! Ryan and I got out all the boxes, well really Ryan got out the boxes and I watched. Then we put up the tree and went into a decorating frenzy! Granted our townhome is kind of small so we had to move some things around to make room for it, we also are storing some of our drinks underneath because we have nowhere else to put them (yeah water and juice). We like having the decorations up in the house though, it really makes the house feel like we are celebrating the season, even though we will be celebrating elsewhere.
We are so thankful for our friends, family, opportunities, the gospel, our calling, and the many blessings we have received. Everyday is a blessing, even if it doesn’t feel like it at first!
We hope to see or talk with each of you soon, whether it be tomorrow or in a few weeks!
1 comment:
Hey Julia and Ryan- This is Chance's wife- you gave me your blog address on our wedding card! :) I just wanted to say hello! Cute blog!
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