Thanksgiving...and beyond!

We had a great Thanksgiving. I think it was one of our best, yet. I woke up and my voice was COMPLETELY gone! My whisper felt like I was yelling. I had no cold, that I knew of, except the night time drainage from having your window open and so there it was...no voice. It was pretty funny because I would talk to people (in a whisper, mind you) and they would talk back to me, but in a whisper. I would remind them that they didn't have to whisper...I just couldn't help it! It made me laugh. I shouldn't say it was the best ever, but it was good. I did feel bad that we, as a family, made the decision that Scott's dad wasn't invited to join us because of things that have happened in the past few months before Thanksgiving. It's still going on, so we'll see what Christmas brings...hopefully some mending, but I think this is something that has been coming for a long time and Ruth was always the go-between that isn't here anymore and she was the reason her children had any relationship with their father. Now, it's just a matter of them re-defining that relationship and working toward a new one.

We made our share of the food...a turkey, six or 7 pies (I can't remember), and I think that is it. When we got to the church, all I had to do was get the meat off the bones of the turkey and then we were pretty much ready to eat. Everyone was there on time, the food was all hot and ready, and I don't think that has ever happened to us. Usually we get there on time and then we eat 1 1/2 to 2 hours later because something didn't get cooked or whatever. Anyway, it was the best pot luck I have been to in a while! Lots of good food and it just seemed to go really smooth. We enjoyed each other's company and it was a good day. We had plenty of left overs to get us through Friday, too...which is usually the plan. I made a whole bunch of paper leaves and laminated them so that we could write what we were thankful for and put it on my tree branches. I was silly and didn't take a picture of it before it was taken down, but I am glad everyone participated on it. I hope they were able to reflect on the things they were grateful for.

Here are pictures of the kids eating the yummy food. I am so bad at taking pictures of Thanksgiving...I don't know why. Maybe I'm too busy stuffing my face and talking with adults!

We had a great time seeing and being with Derrek again. It was hard because I wanted our family to be just by ourselves and absorb Derrek, but it was Thanksgiving and I wanted to be with everyone, too. So, on Saturday we were able to hang out as a family. But, I will get to that in a second. I felt bad for Derrek because he felt kind of misplaced. It was us, but it wasn't "home" as he knew it. I am not totally sure, but I have a feeling that is part of the reason he doesn't want to come back for Christmas. I am bummed, but I understand. Scott just told me that I need to make friends with all my son's wives in order to see them often. Boys are so different than girls. I know Scott's family better than he does and he loves them a lot! It's just a weird period of life when they start leaving home.

All the girls went shopping starting at 10:00 pm Thanksgiving night and the last of them got home around 4:00 am. I had gone home and slept 10 hours instead! It was wonderful. It's nice not having any money, so there was no choice and I sure needed the sleep! We did head back up to the church around 10:30 and I went and had "breakfast" with the girls and they told of their shopping horror stories (2 hours in the purchasing line at Kohls!) and nightmare at Walmart. It was fun. Then we went shopping a little bit more. I needed to get pants for Alec and they had them for $18! That's a steal for pants for him. So we saw Charity working at JC Penny and bought the jeans there. Then back to the church for more socializing. The boys and kids were already there. Then David, Scott's brother, had free movie passes for all of us to a new movie theater that opened up where they served food and drinks. The people next to us had, I think, a chicken basket and fries and soda. We spontaneously left, not thinking about Jennie and Wes and Ada. It was not fair, and we felt bad that it happened so fast. I hope they will forgive us.

We all went and saw the Muppet Movie. We thought it was great, clean, fun. We were excited because we realized on a couple of songs that they had to be written by "Flight of the Conchords" and sure enough, there were at least 4 of the songs. We are still singing the songs!

Saturday, Scott and the older boys went and helped a couple older ladies in our ward put up their Christmas lights and trees. Then they were in the mood to do ours, too...so, we did! Derrek was here to help and it felt good to do it as a family. We even hung up lights outside! We went and got family pictures taken by the girl that plays the piano in Primary with me (I lead, she plays). I also visit teach her and she was so nice to come and do them for us. It wasn't until we were having her take them and the things that she was saying made me realize that she actually does this as a side business! I felt so bad because I never discussed prices with her. I asked her Sunday, and she said "Oh, yeah...I usually charge, but I wasn't going to charge you guys". I felt like a dunce, but I was very grateful that she would take time away from her family to do that for us. I can't wait to see how they turned out. She said she's not done with them...whatever that means. I'm sure they will be great! Sunday, Kent and Amy came to church with us so that they could pick up Derrek and drive him home to St. George with them. It was really nice that they would do that. We had a great meal (lasagna) after church was over and they were off to St. George. It felt like before when we had to leave Derrek. It is just really hard for me. I love my kids so much and I just want us all to be together, always! I just have to realize that we will be and I don't have to have them in my house to have a great relationship with them. Like I said before...it's just a weird transition.

This last week, Alec was asked to Winter Formal by a girl in our ward. She was really cute and asked if Alec had been asked and I said, "no" and she was glad. Then she came up later and asked "can he drive?" and I said "yes". Anyway, she set up a time when he would be out, to come over and decorate his room. This is what she and her friends did...(she's the one in the glasses)

There were balloons everywhere...on every wall, ceiling included. Then Alec came home, knowing that something was up. Come to find out later, he had stuck the video camera on before he left because he thought something was fishy. He recorded the whole thing. Pretty funny. Anyway, they got out their knives and also let the dog pop the balloons filled with confetti and papers. It was funny because they were half-way through popping them, and having a great time and then they looked around and realized that it was making a HUGE mess. He had to find the one that said who was asking him. She had called him from my phone and said "Alec, this is Hannah Gallo, from the the ward" and he said "Uh-huh" and she thought he said "huh?" and she thought he didn't know who she was and she left feeling bummed, which broke my heart because I know she was going out on a limb asking this new kid to a dance. Anyway, because he mumbles, she didn't understand him. So, I made sure he made her realize that he did know who she was. I texted her and told her and she realized that he did. Anyway, here is a picture of him looking through the papers and then finally the very last one, he found her name!

I have to wait to get pictures from a mom that took some. I thought she would have posted them, but not yet. Anyway, he said it was fun and went with a lot of kids from our Ward. They are a great group of youth and we feel very blessed that he is in a ward with so many his age. Oh, they went ice skating the night before. Alec said that was really fun, but he was hungry and sore when he got home. Definitely ready for bed...it wore him out!

Scott is finishing his classes up for the semester. I think he has two weeks left and basically it is all testing! He finished his Chemistry class with like a 99%. He said that out of all the tests for the semester, he only got 5 questions wrong...out of ALL the tests!!! That's crazy! He is doing well. He asked for a raise, because it's been 6 months and they said "no"...that it wouldn't be fair to those who work there who had been in his same position and are now in his same position. That was frustrating because we are just trying to figure out how to make things work. After that answer, we were wondering if we should continue with Bunker, and once again, the answer is "yes". We are grateful to them for the job and they are great to work for, but $10/hour is sometimes hard to stomach. But, the Lord keeps blessing us and we have been able to pay all our bills every month. Whether it was from someone or some money from Heaven, our bills have been met. It was another one of those months and we were coming up on the 1st and I actually had peace this time. I didn't worry...mostly because there wasn't anything I could do. I have done all I could do and I was willing to face whatever came our way. And again...the day before we needed to pay rent, the money came. We had Tithing Settlement with our Bishop today, and I just sat crying as he talked about Tithing and why we pay it (a symbol of our Faith) and the blessings from paying it and Fast Offerings and I knew we were proof of those blessings. There is NO other explanation of the things that have transpired in the last year. It definitely has been an even greater testimony builder for me. Scott wants me to write all the blessings that have happened in the last year. He is starting to forget them. I can't forget them. They are so amazing to me...every month! Anyway, we are just so grateful, even if he is only earning $10/hour right now. Even that is a blessing.

Derrek is doing good. He had a major canker sore in his mouth and I thought it looked like strep, but then Scott looked at the picture Derrek sent and it wasn't on his tonsils. Poor kid! It's huge. So, hopefully he will be able to get medicine for that tomorrow. We will get to see him again in a couple weeks when we go up to St. George for a visit. It will be short, but that way we can see him for Christmas vacation. He has plans to take Calvin and Alec sledding and stuff and I know the boys are really excited to see their friends and cousins.

Calvin and Alec are still looking for jobs. They are doing better on their grades. Alec has raised his math from a 35 to a 57! That's almost a D! I'm proud of him. It has taken a lot of discipline and willingness to keep trying, which is a hard lesson to learn and a defining characteristic that will take him far in life.

Ashton is participating in a school Spelling Bee this Tuesday. I had no idea that he liked to spell or that he was any good at it! He is completely Scott's child. I was reviewing the words with him and he would mess up, and I would spell it for him and then come back to it later and he would remember the correct spelling. I am excited to watch him do it on Tuesday. We'll let you know how it goes!

Dallen is doing okay. He has been real feisty lately. I don't know if it is just his age (almost 12...and this is where the drama starts) or what it is. He, I think, just wants to not be treated like the youngest and Ashton would just absorb it and Dallen fights back. Alec was about to POUND him today because he was being so mouthy. Does he not realize that he is taking on a 270 lb. beast?!? Crazy kid!

I have started up my classes again. I took a year off to get Scott going. I am home all day doing nothing, while I look for a job, and so I decided that since we qualify for Pell Grants and stuff, that I might as well take advantage of it. So, I am doing a Statistics class. I am really nervous because I have to be really disciplined to get it done in time and it is all on-line which I don't do as well with. Scott said that he would help me and Jenette, my sister, just took a class like this and she gave me a web-site that really helped her to pass her class. So, I think I will be ok. I just need to do it! Starting tomorrow, it is on! I am determined to graduate from BYU. It will happen :).

Scott and I went on a fun, free date. The Science center had a Gingerbread House auction and then a class on how science is used in cooking. That's right up my alley! So, they had a guy who owns Urban Cookies and Ollie Cakes. He was on "Cupcake Wars", and won!...one our family's favorite shows. So, he went through the different reactions of ingredients. I learned that for your cookies, it is better to use cake flour. That way they will be lighter and not brown either. Who knew? Anyway, it was fun and free and our gingerbread house is still the best :). (a reminder if you forgot!).