Forgotten Thanksgiving

Kelly's year for Thanksgiving but they all said "we can't be around each other that long"  so we celebrated the acutal dinner Saturday.  Thrusday we headed to Arco anyway and ate dinner with the Nefs.  Really the Jensens and Crooks as the rest of the Nef siblings were at Alberta's for Payton's Wedding. Katana made fast friends with Jessie Mae and Ryann. 

Us Girls left the boys' bad attidutles and the babies home and had a night out.  Dinner and The Forgotten Carols.  It's like my 6th or 8th time and I still love it. Such a good story. Message, Music. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.  The boys broke out the farming game while we were gone which suprised us all. 

  
 The weekend had a few wobbles but for the most part we just enjoyed getting together. Katana needed a cousin fix.  The kids got to ride, and run, get wieghed and measured.  Bath and bed.  We ended our week by singing "Count your many Blessings"  in church.  Yes all 18 of us. We put on quite a show. 

Phase 1

Preston says a house won't feel like home without a few studs showing.  So shortly after moving in he started planing the remodel.  A 5 phase -- 10 year project.  and after a year phase one is all but complete. Here is a recap of the progression. 

Demolition is a family affair. And the funniest by far.  We put a board up to keep them out of our way when it was dangerous.  Hide and Seek, a Jumper, and magic markers kept them entertained. Awesome. "Look Mom it's my family" 

I was the official nail puller and attic insulation mover. Katana thinks the attic and crawl space are the coolest places ever. Of course she also loves red lights....soooooo.   

  Phase one was: Make the hallway straight. Which meant knocking down the bedroom closet and building a new wall.   Moving the dinning room wall back 3 feet to create a new closet.  Rearranging the display cases on new wall. And paint.   Paint is purchased but the final coats will have to wait until after the holidays. Thanks to Brenden for the Awesome colors on my Chevron wall.  and Thanks Preston who took 2 days to tape it for me.  

Trip to MOMS

Mom is the new secretary at Grand View Elementray.  While she enjoys staying busy-- the politics, parents and paperwork gets stressful and she was in great need of a grandkid fix.  I followed Syringa up for the weekend.   Denali and Katana played and played and played together.  Wrestling Papa, food, games....oh what fun.