Thanksgiving Feast

We started our Thanksgiving week by visiting our very dear friends in Sacramento, the Wiederhold family.  We love them so much.  My friend Amy and I didn't stop talking till the minute I had to drive back home the next day.  She is the sister I never had.  We even share a bed when we go there, just like sisters do.  Mary and Gillian get along so perfectly with each other that it's so hard seeing them say goodbye at the end of our visit. Jefferson and Caleb talk about books, play wii together, and act as big kids.  Hilarious!  James and Zoe are inseparable; I fear for James's heart.  That Zoe is so pretty, flirtatious, and sought after by every boy that lays eyes on her, that I'm afraid he might not have a very strong hold on her heart.  Nevertheless, Amy and I keep taking pictures of them together and keep records of their pure love story so we can use them when they get married, just in case they do :)  As for Charlton and Joshua, they are still figuring out their place in this sea of love and friendships.

While there, the kids had a wonderful time biking, strolling, dancing, telling stories to each other, staying too late sharing secrets, and making each other happy.  As always, our visit was too short; it would be so fun to live nearby again.  Life is so interesting: the minute you figure out what you want from it and what friends work for each of us, it throws us into a totally different challenge.  Making new friends is always fun, and keeping the old ones is so hard in our very busy lives, but they are both worth it.

Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, we rested from running around, and later in the day I cooked some of my dishes.  Elijah cooked the turkey this year, and it was the most tender and juiciest turkey I've ever tasted.  We had invited three different families over for dinner; all in all we had 9 adults and 10 kids.  The weather was beautiful on Thanksgiving day, so we never saw the kids, they played outside the whole time.  That made dinner so much more enjoyable; we talked, we ate, we played games, and we laughed.  It was just perfect.  I made the usual dishes, but no dessert.  Our Australian friends made a delicious Aussie treat, and that added to the perfection of the feast.

Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, we took some friends with us, and went to visit the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley.  It was very relaxing, and much needed after a full week of activities.  The plants and flowers, ponds and waterfalls, the noises of the insects flying around, and the sheer calmness that a garden has to offer were such a welcomed change for my senses.

Nearby the garden, there is one gorgeous grove of redwoods where the kids had the most fun.  They sang songs in the amphitheater stage, ran around and through the woods, and just enjoyed the impeccable beauty of God's creation.

After the woods, we took the kids to a park in Berkeley, where kids could go down a cement slide that was steep and very much a fun thing to do for all ages.  To me, it looked scary and dangerous, and my heart would skip a beat every time my kids would go down, but they loved it.  Even my cautious child, Charlton.  He went on his own first, and then his best buddy and favorite sibling for the day, Jefferson, took him on rides with him.  Afterward, for their bravery, and because they were hot, they were rewarded with some delicious ice cream.

On Saturday, I had two photo shoots for two different families squeezed between my kids' ice skating class.  It was hectic, but I'm glad I was able to use my time and talents to help others.  As for my kids' ice skating, between their previous practice with rollerblades and high expectations lessons at home, both boys were able to advance from beginner to level 2.  Jefferson just got moved to level 3 this week.  Amazing!  I'm glad they love what they do and they give it all.  I know if they apply that to all things that makes this life worth it, then they will succeed in what matters, and then some.

 

Next post: Disneyland visit, Melita's birthday, and many more...

Thanksgiving Week

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week.  Elijah took the whole week off, and we played board games, cooked delicious food, stayed inside talking, and went outside exploring.  In one of those days, I took the family to San Francisco.  I had packed a lot of fun activities and we positively had a good time being with each other.

First, we went to visit the Legion of Honor Museum of Art.  Gillian and I had wanted to see the exhibition from the Louvre of the Royal Treasures, and so we took the whole family to see it.   As we were about to enter, the family surprised me by posing with the Thinker, lovingly mocking my passion for taking pictures.

The collection of these decorative arts was dazzling and included treasures of the the French monarchs from Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette.  They had never before been taken out of the Louvre so this was a fun experience.  The vases, cups, bowls, frames, snuff boxes, and many other household or personal items were each decorated with precious gems and crafted in perfection. We were not able to take any pictures, but here is one I was able to find on line:

 Elijah enjoyed the craftsmanship of the pieces and the beautiful art work, but he couldn't identify with the desire of these royals to decorate their everyday objects with such lavish riches.  He said it made him feel sick to see all that money used to demonstrate your power and authority.  Ah, that husband of mine, so righteous and sweet.  Truth be told, neither of us, not having being raised that way, would feel comfortable with such an excessive lifestyle.  Although I do understand the reasons and the evolution of art into various branches, (and royal treasures are a magnificent art!), I also feel that each of us have our own little "treasures" we would like to collect and perhaps do collect in various degrees.  Mine is books, Elijah's is old cars, and yours might be exquisite china.  The great blessing for our family is that even if we had the money (and I'm sure we would be tempted to spend excessively), we have the gospel as our guidepost.  In fact, we had just read to our kids Jesus' admonition to all of us to have pure desires in our hearts, desires that will make us truly happy and guide us to eternal life with Heavenly Father:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where ^amoth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

 20 But lay up for yourselves ^atreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 22 The ^alight of the body is the ^beye; if, therefore, thine eye be ^csingle, thy whole body shall be full of light.

(3Nephi 13:19-22; see also Matthew 6:19-22)

After the Royal treasures were fully explored, we took the kids to see some more works of art that we could truly appreciate.  I always enjoy looking at the superiority of Rodin's work, and without a doubt the Kiss is my favorite.  The story behind it is sad, but the portrayal of the feelings expressed in this sculpture are undeniably the work of a genius.  I saw a bigger version of this work in Paris, in the sculpture collection of the Tuileries Garden.

We enjoyed the rest of the museum, and I was impressed at my children's interest in these great expressions of human soul.

Observing Charlton trying to find a comfortable seat to lay down was a clue for us to get out of there, and although I could have stayed there all day, it was time for me to continue with my itinerary.

We stopped at the fountain in front of the museum to throw some coins and express wishes.

Then as I was driving toward Fort Point to get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge at night, we were greeted by this wonderful sunset at Baker's Beach.

The view of the bridge from Fort Point didn't disappoint.  The kids stayed in the car, however, since it was getting dark.  I forget how fast the night falls nowadays.

We drove toward Pier 39, found a close-by parking, and took the kids for a stroll.

We stopped at Boudin's for much needed nourishment, and then treated the kids to some ice-cream.  The day had been a success, and we had loved being with each other.  You can tell though that these are truly my kids, because even after we had visited and explored this much, they were sad to go home.  They wanted more!   Not Elijah though; he was ready for some hot chocolate by the fire.  We all thought that sounded good, so we headed home pleased and happy.

We spent Thanksgiving day at home cooking, laughing, and yes playing some Christmas music.  I just couldn't resist!  This year it was just us, and I thought the kids wouldn't be so interested in a full menu, but they all helped and we cooked everything.  I'm so glad I did, because these kids are growing and eating well.  The kids set the table beautifully, I laid down the food, Elijah said the prayer, and the kids gave me the gift of happiness when they said they were so grateful for their parents.

I'm grateful for my health, energy, and love for life.  I'm grateful for my family -  my patient and kind husband and my sweet and obedient children.  I'm grateful for Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ, and for their love for me.  This year I most grateful for this life that God has given us to grow, have experiences and develop our talents.  I'm happy to be alive.