A Quarantined Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was definitely different!  Instead of having 25 people, like usual, we set a table for two.  They had advised us to only eat Thanksgiving dinner with those in your own home this year.

Since Josh and Merijane are both nurses, and can't really miss work at this crazy time, they did the same thing and only had their little family, they had Chicken Cordon Bleu.  YUM!

Krista and Jordan's family have both been quarantining pretty well, so they felt comfortable being together.  Lani has been quarantining with Krista's family, so she came too..

Jordan's family stopped by on their way home from Krista's to bring us a piece of Jamie's Delicious Salted Caramel Apple Pecan pie, and one of her amazing Chocolate Cream Pie.  Yum!!!

Savannah was fascinated with my Christmas Decorations! 

Jamie's family decided to take a little mini vacation, and went to Salt Lake and stayed at

 Little America Hotel for a couple of nights.  They had Thanksgiving Dinner at Rodizio Grill. 

They had fun goofing around downtown.

With Covid in full swing, we just bought Cheez-Its to deliver to our Primary kids and 

I made Chex Muddy Buddies for our delivery to our Family.  

Here's hoping that next Thanksgiving we can all be TOGETHER!!!

A wedding, a shower, cheeseball turkeys, #givethanks

Nov. 19th was the day Charlie and Jen had planned for their wedding in the Sacramento Temple.  Just a week before that day, they found out the temple would be closing due to the Coronavirus.  Luckily, they were able to schedule the Oakland Temple, about 2 hours away, for Nov. 20th.  On the evening of the 16th, they found out that Oakland Temple would be closing on the 17th, but they had an appointment open at 7:30 that night. (17th) They rearranged plans, and were able to make it work.

   

Luckily, Robynn and Dick had left a few days earlier from Dallas, and planned to be to Sacramento on the 17th to help them move into their new house.  Tatia was able to make arrangements to be their too,  (she lives about 5 1/2 hours away) but the rest of the siblings lived too far away to change plans and make it in time.  It was a beautiful wedding, and again, it's good to know that important things still happen even with the stupid Coronavirus!

A few months ago, I found out that this cute gal in our ward was having a baby boy.  Her family just moved into our ward before the Coronavirus hit, so no one got to know them very well.  Our ward is so good to do showers for new babies, (we don't have very many since we are an older ward). I tried to think how we could do one, since we can't gather together for one.  I thought it would be fun to do a shower in a box.  I sent an invitation via email to the sisters in our ward, inviting them to join in if they would like.  I think we had 15 ladies bring by a gift that we added to the box.  I asked Robynn to help me with a poem to put on the box, and as usual, she came up with something just perfect! 

I got cups, plates napkins and a little matching centerpiece, brownies, cookies, ice cream and 2 friends who helped me, added the balloons and sparkling cider.  We dropped it on their doorstep and rang the doorbell.  Before we could make our getaway, they caught us.  

 

Mikayla sent me this sweet note to share with everyone who helped make it such a fun time.

Thank You!!!  We sure appreciate all the effort it took to organize this.  We are so grateful for everything we received.  It was so fitting to watch President Nelson's message today, and to receive this today made it extra special!  We are so grateful to all the ladies who contributed, especially those we don't personally know.  I wish we could have had a party and could give hugs to all to see how grateful we are for all they've done and given to us.  #givethanks Mikayla

 I loved listening to President Nelson's message of hope and healing.  He encouraged us to do two things.  1. Flood Social Media with messages of gratitude and put #givethanks                                                     2. Be more earnest in our prayers  It's been soooo fun to see what everyone is grateful for.

A few weeks ago, I saw a picture of a turkey cheeseball on facebook and took a screenshot of it. 

 I thought it was so cute and would be fun to do for my ministering families. 

 I think mine turned out just about as cute as the original.

  I thought it would be fun to make "kits" and take them to my grandkids so they could make them.  

 

I had just finished making them when it was time to pick Jamie up from the airport.  I gave him the kit to take to his kids, and forgot to ask him to take a picture, so no picture of his kids, and Hailey was eating dinner when the girls made theirs. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day yesterday, so we could make them outside with Josh and Jordan's family!  It's hard to believe how big this little gal is getting.  She LOVES to stand up and does it all the time from the middle of the floor.  

She doesn't have to pull herself up to anything. She's pretty amazing!

 

I need a little Christmas, right this very minute!

Last summer, Matt finished a room in their basement for Hailey.  This meant all the girls had their own rooms.  Krista thought it would be fun to put a Christmas tree in their rooms.  She and Lani took the girls shopping and let them get a tree and ornaments to put on it.  When I saw how cute they were, I wanted one for my room.  (I LOVE everything Krista does, and like to copy her) 

Mine isn't as fancy as theirs, I just put lights on mine, but I love it!

Yesterday morning, I was laying in bed enjoying my tree, when Lani called.  Krista was coming to decorate her house for her.  We video chatted, and I got to watch Krista do her magic with Lani's beautiful decorations.  Her house looked Gorgeous!  I had really been enjoying my Thanksgiving decorations, but all of the sudden, they didn't look as fun as Christmas decorations.  I needed a little Christmas, right  that very minute!!!  Krista said when she was done at Lani's house, she would be happy to come and decorate my tree.  I jumped out of bed, and started taking down my Thanksgiving decorations.  By the time I got all my Christmas boxes upstairs and my tree set up, Krista was done at Lani's.  I ran to pick her up, since Matt was working on her car.  I stopped at Walmart and found this fun tree collar for the bottom of my tree.  

She did a beautiful job on my tree too!  I love that I can see it from my kitchen. 

 Krista wrote this sweet post of her Instagram account and posted a picture of my tree.  

Who says a beautiful tree can't be sentimental?  I've heard it plenty of times, either it's beautiful, or it's sentimental.  Well, here's a tree that's both.  This is my parent's tree, I helped my mom decorate it on Saturday, and as we pulled out each set of ornaments, there was a memory or story that went  with it.  We had such a fun afternoon taking a stroll down memory lane.  If you want your tree to be beautiful, but can't give up the sentimentality of Christmas, here's my advice to you.  Buy ornaments that remind you of something.  The year each of my grandparents passed away, my mom added special ornaments to remember them by, hearts for one and angels for the other.  The year she retired from teaching

 Home Ec she added wooden button ornaments.  She's the only one that knows the meaning, but it fills her with joy, and that's what Christmas is all about!

I'm so happy that I inherited Mom's Precious Moments Nativity. I LOVE it!

The internet is so amazing!  I had this fun paper to wrap my presents in, but didn't have any gift tags. 

 I googled red/black buffalo checked Christmas gift tags and wala! I was able to print them off.

I have NEVER put up Christmas this early, but this year I really needed a little Christmas!

Piano Makeover

About 6 years ago, we gave Krista's family this used, piano for Christmas.   It had a beautiful finish on it, but she was ready for a change of color, so she decided to spray paint it.

She did it all in one day, and it turned out incredible!!!  

When I saw it, I knew that I wanted to do the same thing to mine.  I had been wanting to do it for years, but was never brave enough.  We got our piano VERY USED, about 30 years ago.  Mike did a fabulous job of painting it, but it's 30 years later, and was looking pretty sad.   It took me 3 days, but was so worth it, I LOVE how it turned out!

 

  I took mine apart and Mike helped me make a paint booth in my living room so we didn't have to take the piano out to the garage.

I took the other pieces out to the garage and painted them there.

I love how spray paint can make a 100 year old piano look new again!