Thanksgiving 2017

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, although the older I get the more I appreciate all of  them. So, I say "thank you" to whoever made them all up! (Although sometimes I think we should celebrate Christmas every OTHER year..... but that would be horrible, so never mind).

We continue to have frequent visits from robins. This proud guy struck a pose just long enough for me to grab my camera and take his picture next to my little robin statue.

Even Dennis acknowledged that it was beyond "interesting" to observe the flood of robins hanging out around our house ever since Wyatt passed away. A very real and tender way for Wyatt to let us know he is connected with us.

We had "PEOPLE" come visit us for Thanksgiving! Elise Julia, cool coed came for a visit, taking the long bus ride from Rexburg to the Salt Lake.

She sleeps in the "red room." 

Glamor shots down by the Jordan River.

It's interesting to look at this photo and realize how much further along Dennis has come with his recovery from his bypass surgery even in the short time since Thanksgiving.

Here is Elise watching "The Sound of Music" while putting napkins into the homemade napkin rings the grandkids made a few years ago. I keep them in a silver box that has a magnet catch on the lid and I love it. They're made out of construction paper and I treat them like jewels. Watching "The Sound of Music" on Thanksgiving is a cherished tradition that began when Elise was a little girl and she watched it for the first time with me at Thanksgiving. I'll never forget watching her react at the end of the movie when the Von Trapp family is called from the back stage wings to receive their trophy .....but they don't come out...........................and they don't come out..........(because they're ESCAPING!). Elise was probably nine years old, and was purely perplexed about why they weren't appearing, and then to her astonishment she realized they were escaping! The look of surprise and glee that spread across her face was priceless!

Another tradition is that any spare granddaughters help me peel potatoes. I even have four potato peelers for those times I have multiple potato-peeling granddaughters on hand!

And happy day -  Amy,Dave, Jack, Macy and Carly traveled to Utah from Colorado for Thanksgiving! And Tony and all nine of our Springville Sweats joined us too! Hip Hip Hooray! Amy's family ate "first" Thanksgiving dinner with the Huish side, and Tony's family ate "first" Thanksgiving dinner with the Bohman side, and we had "second" Thanksgiving dinner at our house at 4:00 in the afternoon.  

Elise brought her guitar, and Reagan brought hers when the Springville Sweats arrived, and those girls make beautiful music together!
These three little girls (Vivian, Macy and Carly) are watching "The Sound of Music" - learning the customs and ways of the older generation so they can carry on the tradition!

My sister Julie and her husband Tom were also in town for Thanksgiving. They stayed with my sister Denise, and also came to visit mom and dad and help out with their care. They live in Vancouver, Washington. Julie tries to come down at least twice a year (often over Conference weekend). Tom remembers when Vivi was a little girl and we spent an afternoon with them on the Oregon Coast.

Julie brought this framed stitchery piece when they drove up from Vancouver. It was made by Grandpa Hiatt's mother Julia Roundy Hiatt probably 70 years ago. I always loved looking at it when it hung in my childhood home and Julie mentioned she had it stored at her home and would be happy to bring it to me. Oh I love having it in our bedroom!

Thanksgiving 2017 will always be remembered for springlike weather! We all took a walk to the ponds and Carly got to see her favorite thing - DUCKS! Jack, Macy, Carly, Vivi and Calvin had a good time walking, talking and scootering together.

What a crop! Macy Claire, Truman George, Jack David, Vivian Mae, Calvin J and Carly June!

Calvin highly miffed because of something or other. His body language is IDENTICAL to his daddy's when he was a little boy. We have a picture of Tony from 40 years ago at Mirror Lake that mirrors this one to a "T"!

My Mousemas with Tru-Tru!

And with Car-Car!

Dennis and I decided to treat everyone to an afternoon at a fun indoor play palace. It was a great place and we had a blast. It wasn't very busy and there was lots and lots to do. I had a dream of everyone lining up these go-carts along the back and then doing, like, synchonized swimming drills together. I never could get it off the ground though.

Reagan playing Piano tiles. I loved watching everyone do this. I was surprisingly inept. I thought I would crush this game since I can still type 135 wpm on a 1-minute type test which I do randomly every six months or so just to make sure I'm still on my game or when I'm reaaalllly bored. I guess my reflexes know they're on Medicare.

And oh my gosh, it was hilarious watching Elise and Lauren play this simulated Jeep Safari! I did it too and it was seriously exhilerating! Almost like the Disneyland ride, what's it called? Soarin' over California!!

Great-Grandpa Hiatt turned 93 years old on November 28th and we celebrated a couple of days early while everyone was still here. Emma looks so grown up in this photo! I think it's an optical illusion that she looks so much taller than Eli and Jack because she and Eli are the same age! Elise and I went to Zurcher's and bought some party stuff. I've never been at a party where people put up the fun moustaches and lips and it was pretty cute!

We had the party in a group room at Sagewood, the assisted living center where where grandma and grandpa live.

Grandpa's t-shirt says "Straight OUTTA 1924! And a couple of those red helium balloons stayed afloat in the basement of my house for over a month! 

The Hiatts: Barbie Goochers Nan Hiatt Sweat, age 65; Julie Jewel Box Anne Hiatt Higgins, age 63; Denise Denies Geritol Influence Ellen Hiatt Haynie age 58. Shirley Anderson Hiatt, age 88; Richard Gordon Hiatt age 93!

Some great-grandchild love! Great-Grandpa is smitten by Carly's big brown eyes.

Yup, it was a wild party! We had a movie theme since that's grandpa's passion.

Julie and Tom and Denny came to the conference center and I took one of my favorite shots that I like to take of families - the artsy silhouette.

And to close out this Thanksgiving post, here's a segue into Christmas. It's so fun to serve at the conference center during Christmas because the lights on Temple Square come on at 5:00 p.m. which is quittin' time for me and my shift of part-time missionaries, and it's such a beautiful way to walk to the TRAX station.