Tremendous Thanksgiving Trip

This was a Goodman Family year to celebrate Thanksgiving with our children.  Having an obligation to share our married children with their in-laws for the holidays, we alternate turns spending either Thanksgiving or Christmas with them.  So far, this arrangement has worked out fairly well with the three other families.  (I have to apologize in advance for the poor quality of photos taken this trip!  I think I had my settings wrong the majority of the time.)

Arriving in Salt Lake on November 22, 2013, Bob and I enjoyed our first night with Linley, Max and Elynor, while their parents were away celebrating the marriage of Jill's sister and husband.  Chelsea and Thomas arrived from Texas early Saturday morning at about the time of Bobby and Jill's return, and Stephanie, Ben, Emma and Paige drove in later that afternoon.  The party began with an ice skating adventure that afternoon, followed by a "Ladies' Night Out" to dinner and a play in Park City (while the guys, though outnumbered, managed the kiddos).

 

In what seems to be usual fashion, I got sick shortly thereafter and spent the next couple of days in bed while the rest of the family pursued various avenues of entertainment and fun together.  The favorite activity seemed to be involving the kids in any kind of craft!

We rented a couple of places to stay up in Park City in order to relieve over crowding at Bobby and Jill's home.  One morning, we divided into two teams and set out on a "Moose Hunt" down Historic Main Street.  The idea was that the team who could take the most qualifying photos with one or more moose in them would win.  Each photo had to include at least one adult and one child with "moose antlers", and additional points were awarded for including total strangers who would pose appropriately adorned with us.  It was a fun way to see the town and create a few good laughs!  We celebrated our successes with a treat at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

One of our favorite activities was going snow tubing at a place called Gorgoza Park near Park City. With a conveyor belt that takes you half-way up the hill, and another lift that pulls you on your tube to the top of the hill, tubing is a whole lot more fun than it was when I was a kid!  It was unseasonably warm and the snow was all man-made.  I don't know who had more fun - Grandma and Grandpa or the grand kids?!  Of course, we hate to admit it, but our horsing around (Ben) led to some nasty ice burns and bruises on Chelsea, as well as a few imposed restrictions on the lanes that day.

 

Thanksgiving Day began bright and early for us as the whole gang headed out to participate in the "Human Race", a 5K fun run that would benefit the Utah County Food Bank.  We had been looking for some kind of service activity that we could participate in as a token of our grateful hearts, and this was such a great experience that it may be the beginning of a new family tradition. (Maybe the grand kids will even agree someday when they thaw out.  Yes, there are two kids in one of those strollers.)  The traditional feast was enjoyed later that afternoon as we gathered around the table at Bobby and Jill's home.  To them we express our THANKS!  Crafting a huge Thanksgiving banner to send to Michael was the after dinner entertainment.

Black Friday shopping now begins on Thursday, so while the rest took off to go shopping, Linley, Emma, and Max, headed back up to Park City for an overnight adventure with Grandma, Grandpa, Chelsea and Thomas (THANKS Chelsea and Thomas!)  That evening we decorated giant gingerbread men and let the kids play hide-and-seek until bedtime.  The next day we took the kids to Monkey Mountain play place to expend a little extra energy.

Friday evening we had a mini-Christmas celebration, made ornament crafts, and opened a few of our Christmas gifts to each other.  Then the girls entertained us with impromptu song and dance renditions.  We've got some of granddaughters who love the limelight just like their mommy and daddy used to!

For our final day all together, we decided that another form of giving thanks was desired.  We left the kids with a sitter and attended a session together at the West Jordan Temple.  It was the perfect way to transition from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season.  That afternoon I headed to spend a few days in Wyoming with Stephanie's family (THANKS Steph and Ben), and on Sunday evening Dad departed on business to Oklahoma and Chelsea and Thomas flew back to San Antonio.  Stephanie, her girls and I returned to Utah during the next week for appointments, and I was able to spend an enjoyable night out with my brothers and their wives.  (THANKS, Brothers!)  I finished out my visit to Utah by attending the First Presidency Christmas Devotional with Bobby and getting a quick frosty look at the festive lights on Temple Square.  Bob was stranded in Dallas for a couple of days on his way back home as the result of a massive winter storm system that blanketed most of the U.S.  Although our hearts remained with the kids, we didn't really mind leaving the cold and snow behind us as we returned to mild temperatures in Seoul.

 

 THANKS for making this all possible, Bob!