Thanksgiving and Drew's 4th Birthday

On Dec. 6th my little boy turned 4 years old! In some ways, it has gone by quickly, and in others, it seems like he has been with us forever. I suppose both of those are true. He had a great day by waking up to the customary surprise bunch of balloons in his room, and then I took the kids to Krispy Kreme in their jammies (hmm, starting to become a birthday tradition around here...not that I mind...) It's awesome because you can watch through the big window how the donuts are raised, cooked, and glazed all on a conveyor belt in a matter of minutes. The kids always love that.

Then we went home and opened presents. (No reason to prolong the torture (begging) for all parties involved, right?) He got his much wished-for Stanley the Train (yes, of course, that is Thomas' friend) and another cool train from Nana. Grandma and Grandpa Chamberlain sent him some money (they are still serving a mission in Texas) and of course, we got him the dreaded customary practical gift:

...a nice thick winter coat. I tried to play it up by talking about how much fun he will have playing in the snow in it, but all I got was a courtesy smile (better than nothing, right?) as he cast it aside, looking for a more exciting present. To be expected.

Allie and daddy. She was super jealous of the balloons.

Latest obsession that I am loving: jigsaw puzzles. He discovered these at a friend's house and hasn't been able to leave them alone since. I love how much he enjoys doing these. Although now, he has the shapes all memorized, so I am going to have to get him some harder ones. I used to love doing puzzles too. It keeps him occupied and quiet.

The beloved Stanley.

Cupcake face.

We took Drew and some friends and cousins to "Old McDonald's," as it is referred to around our house. We never take the kids there, so it still has the novelty factor going for it. It was low-key and simple. We had chocolate cupcakes and Happy Meals and of course, the PlayPlace covered with kid-glaze. Everyone had a good time.

Tiny loves her some fries!

Why, oh, why, do I ever tell Drew to "smile!"? You would think I would know better by now...!

Drew got some fun presents, including a gun that shoots foam balls (thank you very much, Uncle Darren, for picking out the most annoying present ever! ha ha Obviously that toy has been fully taken over by my 6'5 child, who has taken every opportunity to shoot me with it whenever he gets the chance. I have already threatened to flush the balls and otherwise incapacitate the gun if the ambushing doesn't stop. I don't think he believes me how much even toy guns freak me out. (Really, I am just being melodramatic. The toy was obviously a hit, and my boys are loving using me for target practice.)

Marshall's sister brought her kids too- it is so fun to live near cousins.

Now, to switch gears a bit..

We had a nice Dial family Thanksgiving, just like olden days. As a kid, we would go to St. George every year for T-day; my grandpa (Dad's dad) lives in Bloomington, and that's where all of my Thanksgiving memories took place. Grandpa is now 91, and still kickin' (he still chops wood and stuff, for pete's sake! ) It's insane how well he is doing for his age. Mentally and physically. We had the actual dinner at my dad's brother's house, and I got to get re-acquainted with lots of crazy Dials I hadn't seen in a long time. My dad's side of the family is so hilarious. A good way to describe what a meal with them is like is to imagine yourself in a room with many various wild animals, and then someone comes and puts you all into a large canvas bag and ties the top shut. That's the best way to describe it. ha ha Seriously though, they are awesome and very interesting, talented people. I had a wonderful time picking my aunts' brains, asking them questions about my grandmother (who I am named after), who died a year before I was born. I have always wanted to know her, and my aunts were just teenagers when she died of breast cancer in her early fifties. They were able to provide me with some interesting stories about her.

Idiot that I am, I didn't take any pictures on Thanksgiving day, but here are a few random ones from the week I was visiting my family in Cedar City:

We have started good old fashioned Dial family tradition for the day after Thanksgiving. Each year, we forgo the shopping (all they have in Cedar is Wal-Mart anyway! lame-o!!) and head up towards this area near Yankee Meadow to cut down Christmas trees.

Nana self-portrait.

It was beautiful but deceivingly freezing that day. We made a homemade toddler Bjorn out of Marshall's coat. She was nice and toasty, while the rest of us froze. Good thing we brought hot chocolate!

Rachel (my brother's lovely wife), Ella (my niece) and of course, me and my family.

My dad is so awesome. He has his garage all set up as his own personal den. He has a huge flat screen plasma tv out there (I kid you not) and he and his dog hang out there all day watching tv and movies (and occasionally tinkering around with a project or two.) My dad has such a huge heart. He has so many great qualities and is so incredibly talented in so many different things. He's a great dad and I am so grateful for him.

Nana and Allie hanging out in grandpa's garage watching movies with him. My mom is a good sport to go out there and have fun hanging out in a garage, surrounded by tools.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the lot: my mom got Rachel and I tickets to go see Twilight. We had such a great time being together, with no interruptions from kids, and nothing else to do but enjoy each other's company for an entire afternoon. (The movie was okay, of course, never as good as the book, but what else can you expect?) This picture cracks me up because look at the lady behind us in the center of the picture. She came in wearing oxygen, and I am still wondering if maybe she needed to turn it up a liter or two? She totally fell asleep before the movie even started. She must have been really excited to see it.

We had a great Thanksgiving full of family and full of love. I personally have very much to be grateful for; my list could go on and on. Just to name a few- my beautiful family, our health, our home, and the gospel. We are truly a blessed people, and I am particularly fortunate to be surrounded with so many amazing people who show me incredible examples of faith, patience, long-suffering, and unconditional love. Hope you and yours had a great holiday as well.