Thanksgiving with my parents

This trip turned out to be the trip from HELL (sorry for the profanity but there is no other word but that one to describe it). We have traveled to my parents before many times during Thanksgiving and Christmas and have NEVER had traffic like we did this trip. It took us 9 hours to get there when it normally takes us 6.5 or 7 hours at most.

We had a great time with my parents. The girls loved having the huge house to themselves and being able to do what they wanted. Most of my parents things are packed since they will be moving soon so the house was EMPTY which made it easy for the girls to roam and play. We got there Wednesday night late and talked to my parents to let the girls run around since they had been in the car forever. Then when we woke up I made pumpkin pies (yummy!) and we ate lunch/dinner at my sister Dori's that lives next door to my parents.

They have 2 little dogs and the girls loved them. That is all they are getting since Brett and I do not like dogs :)

We ate with Dori's family and some of her friends and my parents. I thought I got a picture of all of us at the table but apparently not.



While at my parents both of the girls allergies were TERRIBLE. Brett got a terrible sore throat which turned into laryngitis and then once we got home we both got Bronchitis. Apparently Utah in the winter does not agree with us.

We did have fun and the girls loved being with my parents. This is what everyone did:

Gwen & Grandma Helen (aka my mom) did crafts. They made Grandma (aka Bretts mom) a birthday card since we would be driving home on her birthday.



The card in progress. Gwen loved the glue and glitter and that my Mom had her wear an apron. She just loves all that crafty stuff.



Then Grandma Helen found playdoh that she had made and some toys and Gwen was in heaven.



Penelope pushed her stroller around since there was a ton of open space in the house. She had a ball. Can you tell from this picture how awful her face looks? It is all red and broken out from her terrible allergies. Poor thing.



Papa Helen played, wait sorry, worked on his computer. He is addicted.



Watched movies on the ipad.



Played cards. My family is huge on playing cards and always has been.



Braved the snow. It was one of the coldest winters Cedar had seen -10 degrees one day.



Gwen loved the snow and took every opportunity to play and jump around in it.



Then on our trip home we had the scariest thing ever happen to us. We left my parents house at 5:30am so we would miss the traffic. Once we hit this place in Cedar City on your way to St. George called the "Black Ridge" it is one of the worst places with the most accidents in Utah. Well it turned into one scary time for us. We were going slow since it was snowing and the roads were not the best and we got on some ice and totally lost control of the car and did 2 360's which made us go into the embankment between the road and the mountain. We felt like we were going to flip over but then we hit the mountain and it stopped us from flipping (well that and we were blessed). Brett then got the car in reverse and drive really fast to try to get us out of the embankment. One awesome good Samaritan pulled over and helped us push the car out and jumped on the side rail to help give the wheels some traction so we could make it out of there. We did as you can see from the picture below. We are on the side of the rode were we stopped to look at the car and found out we had a ruined tire and had a dent in the bumper.





What made it even worse was that we had to wait 3 hours for the tow truck/AAA to come and help us. We did have a little bit of excitement when no one was passing us for almost 45 minutes and we knew there had been an accident before us so no one, now, could get to us. After another hour, making it 3 hours we had waited, a fire truck and an ambulance pulled over to check on us. Gwen liked talking to the fireman. They just wanted to make sure we were warm and had help coming but they were not allowed to help us with the tire or anything. Which did suck since we had been waiting forever but oh well. Finally the AAA people came and fixed the car for us so we could be on the way. Well now it was way late and we had not even got to St. George yet! Traffic was horrible, oh course, and finally in Jean, Nevada we were done and got a room for the night. We rested and let the girls run around for a couple of hours and ate but then decided to just leave and get on the rode since Brett had to be in court first thing in the morning.

So all in all we left my parents house at 5:30am and didn't get home until midnight. Worst trip ever. We may never go to Utah again. Snow is the devil.

My parents house - vacation part 1

To start off our vacation we went to my parents house for 5 days. It was really great to have the girls around my parents since it never happens!

Every morning Gwenie would say, " Where's my Papa?" I would tell her where he was, which was always in his office on his computer. She would run to him and cuddle.



The girls played so great together, as they always do , and received tons of love from my parents.



I love my girls.



My sister Dori lives next door with her family and we hung out with them alot. Gwen just loved being around all of her cousins.



Brett has alot of fun with our nephews. They were playing Rock Band alot when I would get over there from my parents to find Brett. Most of the time I would see Gwenie with the microphone being the singer of their band. She loves to sing.



Dori has a trampoline in the backyard which Gwenie had never been on before. She loved it, all she wanted to do was jump. She liked it best when we would sit there and she could jump alone.





I brought along Gwenie's Dr. kit so that she could be Dr. Gwenie and boy did she. My poor dad went through all the tests. He couldn't stop laughing at what Gwenie would do with everything, she sometimes doesn't use the instrument they way it is supposed to! LOL.





Penelope just loved everyone and smiled and waved to anyone that was around.



We realized while we were there it was the first time that Brett feed Penelope! Poor guy has been so busy working long hours, this was the first time that Brett had taken a 2 week vacation since we have been married!



I got to sew with my Mom which was amazing!!!! She taught me how to sew clothes. Check out all that we made on Stitches and Scissors.



Penelope is getting ready to be a sewer. I got this picture since I have one of Gwenie almost just like it.



We were sad to leave. It was so nice being around my parents especially for the girls to get to be with them. Plus I just love that my Mom and I can sew together now. But we had a plane to catch to go to Erin's.

5th day = Thanksgiving Point

Tuesday on our trip was Erin's usual playgroup day and it also happened to be her Birthday!!!! Her friends new I was going to be there for it so they planned a special outting to a place called Thanksgiving Point. There was alot of fun things for the kids to do and run around and look at.

Gwenie of course goes straight for the sand....



In that little light house in the above picture.....Gwenie and Mason peeking out of the window.



I titled this picture Buddies. Erin and I just loved the red door on the light house.



In a worm.......a worm slide that is.



They had this really gorgeous huge lily pond.



As you walk by they had windows so the kids could see in where there was fish. I think the fish must love people because they came right up to the window, Gwenie LOVED them.



My favorite picture of the day. Gwenie was being so cute with smelling all the flowers.



My parents were able to come up for a day and the only time we were able to see them was that night, Erin's birthday. I was a little sad not to hang out with Erin that night but we were able to go to dinner with my 2 brothers and their wives along with my parents. This is the only picture I took that night and I could kick myself. I was to busy talking to everyone and eating to remember to take pictures. I wish this picture was better since it was the only one I took.

Our last couple of days

We went to the Spectrum and went on the Carousel:

Went to lunch with my MIL or Nana. While we waited for her Gwenie drove the car while we were parked (she still has not out grown this).



Took Gwenie to her first movie, UP. She did great! (The popcorn didn't hurt.)



We are getting excited for our vacation. We are going to go and stay with these guys:



My parents are even going to come and visit:



Should be a fun month!

Dad.

I always talk about my mom on the blog and so I thought I would talk some about my Dad. I would like to say thanks to him for:

1. Being nice over these last couple of weeks when I would call 20 times a day asking my mom questions about sewing. He always seemed to be the one who answered the phone, sorry Dad I love talking to you to.

2. Being funny.

3. Giving me his talents: Photography for one.

4. Being a romantic. ( I get it from him)

5. Always tickling my moms neck with kisses, I still have fond memories of walking in the kitchen with my moms laughter.

Love Ya.

Nervous & Excited.

Early in the morning we will be leaving. I am nervous because it WILL be Thanksgiving day even though we plan to leave around 5am, I know there will be traffic and that will not bode well with a 20 month old in the car. I am also nervous because as alot of you know I like schedules, I always get nervous having Gwenie off of her schedule. As we plan to leave early that means that I will have to get Gwenie out of bed and put her in her carseat without waking her up. Ya right! I know that that won't happen. So I am nervous that she will not sleep and it will throw her off of her schedule. It is just not me that likes a schedule, she does to, she doesn't do well with being out of it. Oh well, right? I want to go and see my parents and I am really excited to have them hang with Gwenie since that does not happen a whole lot. Gwenie's schedule is not going to make me not go, but it does make me nervous and anxious.

We will get to hang out with these people or as Gwenie says: "Ganma & Papa"

Also we will get to see these people since they are living with my parents.



Also my sister Dori and her family of 5 kids, but one is away in Samoa for another year. Way to go Chandler!!!! I realized that I do not have a picture of Dori's family on the computer and I will remedy that when I get there.

Wish us luck!

Thanks Mom.

I finally tried on the "Tinkerbell" costume that my MIL bought Gwenie last year on sale to wear this year for Halloween and it is to small. So I thought I would take advantage of having my mom here on Saturday to see if she could help me make Gwenie a costume. (They were staying with us for a night before they headed back to Utah) We went to the fabric store and poured through the patterns. My mom came across one that had us both laughing and we knew that would be the one.

I also bought some velvet (expensive stuff) so that my mom could take it home and sew Gweniveve a cape with a hood for Christmas. She had made my niece, Whitney, a cape with hood out of velvet one year and I thought it was awesome. I am so excited for Gwenie to open it on Christmas and wear it as a coat.

Then we went out to dinner at Fuddrucker's. As I have mentioned before my Dad is a huge lover of a good hamburger. We got a corner booth so Gwenie had tons of room and was in heaven.



The last thing my mom did was to give Gwenie her 1st EVER haircut. My mom told me that it would grow faster and thicker if it was trimmed and I am all for that.



Gwenie just wanted to drink out of the sink, which made it a little hard for my mom to cut her hair, but it went great.



It was so amazing to see my parents, I just love when they are around. Apparently so does Gwenie. The whole time they were here she would run up to my mom or dad for them to hold her hand or to give them hug & kisses. She even said grandpa for the first time, it was great.