We were spoiled again this year thanks to my brother-in-law's hookups and generosity. We went up to the cabin east of Zion NP with Brandon's entire family (rare accomplishment). Four days of mountain air, hot tub, 4-wheeling, playing with cousins, card games, Christmas movies, eating great food and lounging. We are so blessed, not just because we are spoiled, but because we have great family and friends that get us through the hard times and celebrate with us through the good times. We have our health, each other, and a growing little boy that has brought us more joy and love than I knew possible, and we get to live in a beautiful part of the country, especially this time of year. Happy Thanksgiving!
He really is a happy kid
Wanting to drive
When he'd get tired he'd hug the 4-wheeler and stay there
Driving the Rhino...finally getting his hands on the wheel. So excited he squealed
Dinner buffet
Two card games, one table
more cards
Sharing lunch. Spreading the love, and the flu bugs
I took the trash out to the dumpster and heard something moving around in the cardboard boxes next to it. I tried to peak around the trash bin but wasn't interested in getting any closer to the cardboard pile in case it was a rat. I forgot about it until two days later when a meow started coming from the dark night. Later we saw it run across the parking lot and it got chased by an Academy dog. Two days later it ventured out of the bin and meowed at our door. I couldn't help myself. I did what all people who don't want an animal should never do, I fed it. I put some tuna by the trash bin. B suggested I add a bowl of milk, which was strange coming from a man who has said "we will NEVER own a cat". This happened for 2 days until the kitty trusted us. He came out of the bin and started playing with Griff. Then he followed Griff into the house. And with that, we had ourselves a kitty. He didn't go out again. He was the sweetest cat. Super friendly, maybe too much so. He purred a lot and didn't mind when Griff couldn't figure out how to play gentle.
I grew up with cats. I like cats. Especially Siamese and this one appeared to have some Siamese or Rag Doll in him. He was beautiful. Griffin loved the cat. He even started meowing when it would meow. Brandon, not a cat liker, but he did think this cat was alright, and that's saying a lot. He even said we could keep it if we wanted to, but it's just not a good time for an animal of any kind so we posted it on KSL and asked everyone if they wanted a cat. Unfortunately we couldn't find it a home so after a week we took it to the shelter. I bawled when I left. Have you ever been in one of those? Not a good place and the smell would make any pregnant lady puke (no, I'm not pregnant, I'm just saying). But, at least it was out of the cold and I was hoping it would find a family that would love it as much as it gave love...seriously, the cat just gave and gave and gave love. I'd have to push it off me and I'd feel bad.
Fortunately, the next day, a family called me wanting the cat. I went back to the shelter, picked up the cat and made arrangements to get it to them. They live 3 hours away and couldn't meet up until the weekend so we had it another week. And the family....they were perfect! I met up with them in Beaver, a bit of a drive for me, but it was worth it. Three kids and a cowboy dad that still had a picture of their old cat on his flip phone that he had to show me. Our kitty looked similar and sounded to have a similar temperament. Kitty got a great home. After two weeks of kitty in our family and having seen the shelter, there was nothmini-van that looked like a Dolphin (1997 Previa in a two toned metallic blue. They called it a dolphin)
AND Griffin's first word was "Kihee Cad" (Kitty Cat), followed by his meow sound.
Immediately made himself at home
and got in the way whenever possible
rare sighting
In the parking lot of the shelter trying to snuggle up with Griff who wasn't having it
Back at our house after a night in the shelter
Heading to meet his new family
Crawling through the steering wheel to the dash while I was driving
I know I'm a little slow on this post considering we just had Thanksgiving. Oh well. Griff's first Halloween was pretty uneventful last year. He was only a month old and I was in Colorado with him. This year we had 3 days of Halloween parties and trunk-or-treating, but didn't actually go out on Halloween night since trick-or-treating with a 1 year old who could care less seemed...unnecessary. Instead we hung out at Brandon's grandma's house and then roasted marshmallows in Jaime's backyard. Much better.
A note about "Trunk-or-Treat". I have to mention this because we never had this growing up. It's probably risen out of the changes in society making door to door candy collecting less safe, but I'm not really a fan. And I'm not sure if it's just in Utah or across the nation, but I know it's affecting my son's future Halloween experiences. For those who don't know what it is, groups of people (in this case local church congregations) will gather together on or before Halloween to have all the kids collect candy from a line up of cars in the parking lot. They just go from trunk to trunk. It takes 5 minutes and requires very little effort. On an up note, our ward also had a kid's carnival that the teens put together. It was really fun: cake walk, donut game, shoe toss game, three legged races, face painting. I have to say, as an adult, it was fun to socialize with all the other adults while this was going on. But after the kids ran through the parking lot, it was over. Several kids tried to double shop our car, as if we didn't notice, and some of them even tried for a third visit...greedy little monsters. Maybe I'm old fashion, but I prefer door-to-door. And I prefer the kids to have to work for their candy. Where I come from (the Midwest), we had to tell a joke for candy, not just say "trick-or-treat". And to make matters more complicated, some wards held their trunk-or-treat on Halloween night which makes for getting out on the appropriate date, but it pulls otherwise eligible home off the trick-or-treating grid since they are all in a parking lot somewhere instead of anxiously waiting for the doorbell to ring. But the kids like it, so I guess that's good. And after all this discussion on it, I didn't even get any pictures of it.
Trying on before buying
One of the Academy staff made this lion beanie for him
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Thrown together last minute. Better in theory than functional at a party
Dixie State Homecoming parade and Carnival (couldn't find the bottom half of his costume so we improvised
loved his hood
with Gram
Party at Ally's
Griff's pumpkin had the coolest stalk (is that what it's called??)
My pumpkin!
Brandon and Blake on the patio using manly carving tools
