My Christmas Decortions

This is my Christmas decorations this year I love my tree it makes me very happy, the tree itself is new I bought a skinny tree so it would fit in the Louisville house but it looks great here also. It is not one of those fancy trees that are themes or color coated on my tree is my past all have been given to me or hand made I love it as I look at the tree I see were I have been and the people that have touched me . I love lights and sitting in the front room at night,

Lights

So we helped put up the lights at Holly's and Steve's house granted there are no lights up at my house but it was fun me and Holly put the garland around the door mean while Gary put all the lights around the front of the house needless to say we had some technical difficulties so we were a little slow but we got it done

post- Thanksgiving

For post Thanksgiving we went to Gray sisters house we left my parents house I was going to put up there Christmas tree for them but my dad had some issues with that Idea but that is another story we got there on Friday Know Cheryl and Ralph are quite the good cooks and like to do different thing for Friday night they made Steak and Guinness pie, now this dish has the obvious Steak, beer and Irish Cheddar which is very sharp in my opinion but Gary and Ralph and Cheryl all loved it. I could only eat so much of it. Well the next day me and Cheryl did a few paper projects Like Christmas cards and neighbor gifts she is amazing . the boys worked on dinner which was
Tur-duckin I had never seen this this before So I had to take some pictures of that first they de-boned the chicken duck and the turkey except the legs and but some kind of stuffing in betewn the layers then sowed it up Gary was the surgen and Ralph was the nurse this meal was very good I loved the duck.we had alot of fun and lucey had fun with Riley and Aunt Cheryl.

on Sunday we went down to temple Square in Salt Lake I had not been there for over 10 years or so I had forgotten how beautiful it is and how peaceful it was fun to see all the people there looking some were taking picture like my Gary,some just sitting quietly and other were talking with Missionaries it was very peaceful until I realized that we were almost out of time and I started to panic we were not going to see it all and Gary was taking forever with the picture which I am know grateful for Know .

Robin??

My sister in-law Robin had a little issue with the picture I put up of her on the Thanksgiving post so do you think this is better ? It was the only other picture I had of her and I thought you were over powered by Pete and I knew you would not like that

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving we went to McCamon and had dinner with my family. My sister Tami was the host for two reasons 1 she has the biggest house and Second she is the oldest and likes to be in control. these first picture are us waiting for for dinner.



The meal was fabulous as always Tami made turkey,ham, crab dip and all pies and cheesecake, Robin made rolls Mom made a salad and I am sure did more and I am sure mom did more and I just can't remember there was the kid table the Grownups and then Pete we don't know how to classified him he does not play well with others so he sat on the floor I think the Highlight of the meal was Plates and utensils they look real but there not got to love Cosco.





After dinner we played games, talked Laughed and some even napped It was one of the first time I remember no one fought no one yelled at each other it was amazing.If you know my family at all we are all pretty loud and most of us have opinions know we did play catch phase and my little brother did get after me fo being to load image that all in all fun fun day

Hymms of Thanksgiving

Here is My Gary before the Concert started, ( I Couldn't Take picture during the performance) there is about 250 singers and a full Orchestra. This is a city wide thing they have been doing this sense 2003. The Governor and first lady Of the great State of Idaho Butch Otter did some narration. They sang 12 song and it was fabulous it was at the Quest Arena which is the Ice Hooky rink, we were lucky enough to be on the floor so it was nice and cool down there some folks I know were up top and it got warm up there.those Casos's can be a little rowdy.
Holly and Grandma were sitting Quietly

Pre-Thanksgiving

So the Sunday before Thanksgiving my mom and dad came two visit I got them up here by telling them they could listen to Gary sing a solo in church and that night he was singing in a Thanksgiving concert that night when they came Mom asked if she brought a Turkey up if Gary would smoke it.So we did it was so good we made all the normal stuff like mashed potatoes gravy, stuffing and rolls and The apple pie mentioned before we also invited Gary's mom it was a great teaser for Thanksgiving.I forgotten to mention after they asked Gary to sing in church then the week before they asked both of us to talk so it was the Gardner family sacrament Gary did mention he wish we had a bigger Family.

Pie Making

when my mom came to visit I had her make a Apple pie The Recipe was from
my grandma Melba Packer she once owned a cafe with her first husband I remember her coming to our house and with my mom teaching me to make pie so I wanted to get picture of my mom making pie which she does all the time. When I was younger I remember her making an easy 10 pies and giving half away. the first picture is of when I was going to take a picture and she got all excited because she didn't have her lipstick on and I who did not get that habit at all thought it to be way funny! she first made the pie filling since Dad is Diabetic has gone
to a sugar free filling which is Granny smith apples and Apple jucie and Cornstarch. Mom heats it up on the stove till it starts to thicken.
pie crust recipe
3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups shorting
1tsp Salt
6TBSP cool water
1TBSP vinegar
1Egg
you mix dry ingredients ,then mix wet and poor into
dry Ingredients will make 3 pie crusts mom likes to make sugar pies with the 3rd pie yummy. this is the finished product:

my door mat

This is my front door to the averege veiw they would say nothing. they might say oh whats this picture for? or nice door .or even you need some color. out of all these my Dad said I don't think I can come visit with that door mat they were comeing down for the weekend and it just so happened that Utah State was playing BYU of which my dad is a huge BYU fan so I didsome fast thinking.


So the night before they were going to come I took a Blue pillow case to Holly's to make a door mat slip cover and because I have terrible hand writing I let Kristina do the words then her and Capri and me painted the rest and this was the fished product my dad loved it