Thanksgiving

 Todd and Savannah's family arrived late the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We celebrated Rachel and Ben's birthdays on Sunday, and enjoyed having cousins around again for Sunday dinner. Our Sunday dinners are always a lot quieter without them around. 

Monday Megan stayed home from school to hang out with them. Savannah, Todd, and Eloise came over to help make the t-shirts for the turkey trot. We had 23 shirts to make. While I took Rachel to her driving test they stayed and finished them off for me.

Tuesday Megan, Annie, and Ryan stayed home from school to hang with the cousins. That night Andrew and his family arrived pretty late. Wednesday no one had school so we decided to go to the mall to use the giving machines and do a mall scavenger hunt. The kids had lots of fun running around the mall for a half our finding as many things as they could on the list. 

Cari and Sharon arrived while we were at the mall (they flew in to Phoenix, then borrowed a car from Uncle Galen). When we got back we grabbed Eegees sandwiches and Eegees and went to Grandma Knight's house to eat in the back yard.

After lunch we had our annual ugly sweater cookie decorating contest.

There were some beautiful ugly sweaters.

We had 7-layer salad for dinner Wednesday, and everyone was enjoying having cousins around.

Thursday we headed to the Julian Wash Trail for our 5th annual Turkey Trot. The shirts say "will run for pie," though I should have changed mine to say will bike for pie, because I rode the bike back and forth keeping track of the kids along the route. 

Ryan came in first and Ben got second place. Matthew won the "most effort" prize.

After the race, it was Turkey Time. 

And of course after Thanksgiving dinner it was time for the tradition of watching Donald Duck. 

Rachel gave Bevy a little drawing lesson with some drawing tips since they both are good artists.

Games were played, cousin time was enjoyed, and the kids especially enjoyed teaching Marvin how to do fist bumps. 

Friday everyone had to leave, first Andrew's family, then a few hours later Todd's family, and a few hours later Cari and Sharon. We were glad they could all come visit, but wished they could have stayed for longer. 

I got down the Christmas decorations from the garage and we put up the Christmas tree. Later, while Jacob and I went to the temple and out to eat to celebrate our anniversary, the kids pulled out a few decorations and hung their ornaments on the tree. That turned out to be about as much decorating as we got done this year, but it was enough.