Thanksgiving

As planned, Shonna and Blake and family came to spend Thanksgiving with us, despite Shonna's injury.  Just a couple of weeks before, Shonna was outside in her yard.  They were putting in a fence and the company had dug post holes for the fence before they left for the evening.  It was dusk.  The neighbor's dog got out.  Shonna was helping them capture the dog and didn't see one of the post holes and stepped in it.  She broke the bone, severed one ligament and damaged others.  It required surgery.  I was having daily radiation treatments, so couldn't go, but Ken drove to Logan for dental work and to tend the kids on surgery day.  

After getting it cast on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, she asked the doctor if she could go to St. George.  He said, "Sure, as long as you keep it elevated in the car."  "How am I supposed to do that?"  "Get creative" was his only answer.  So Blake did.  He put her knee scooter in front of the middle back seat in their van, and put several pillows on it.  Shonna propped it up on there and rode to St. George like that.  She had Lily on one side and Caleb on the other, with Hannah and Gabe in the middle seats.  They came on Wednesday.

Shonna keeps a positive attitude through her trials.  The kids love when mom is down because she reads and reads and reads to them.

Ken got this shot early one morning.  I am seriously amazed that Shonna is reading a book OTHER than a Care Bear book.  We have a couple of Care Bear books that were our kids'.  The kids want us to read them over and over and over again.  And there's no skipping.  They know every word!  Those books are in tatters and torn.  They are well-loved!  I should have got a picture of us reading those Care Bear books!  Oh wait!  The one above this one is a Care Bear book.

With me not being 100%, we were a bit concerned about pulling off the feast.  But Blake and Ken helped a lot and it was delicious.  I took two naps before our lunchtime dinner that day.  I was not feeling great.  I got up from one to find Shonna in a kitchen chair, coaching Blake in rolling out the rolls (I made the dough before I took my nap)  Blake also made the stuffing, potatoes, and gravy.  Everything was delicious!

Lily made the place cards.  We missed Shonna, though.  Shonna ALWAYS sets the Thanksgiving table.  She loves to make everything beautiful, fold the napkins fancy, etc.  This year Grandma was a poor substitute.

When my children were little, I made these care bear plates.  Now my grandkids absolutely love them.  It is a highlight of coming to Grandmas- eating on the Care Bear plates.

Time to "return thanks" as Grandma Peterson would say.

Uno cards were flying after dinner

When not entertaining a child, Shonna and I visited or she was studying the Book of Mormon

A kind neighbor and good friend, Kurtis Larson sent me this adorable turkey flower arrangement.  Gabe spent the entire weekend determined to eat his beak!

The kids love to play dress up when they come to Grandmas.  We have two big bins of dress up clothes.  This is my Princess Saturday costume that I wore in 1972, I think, when in a stake play in Nampa, Idaho.  I made the now-collapsed princess hat for Michelle one Halloween when she in grade school.

One evening, Lily was just fascinated with my matrushka dolls that I have in the living room.  I got them out of the glass case for her.  She was delighted to discover a teensy tiny doll inside the smallest one I had displayed.  Can you see it?

This is the biggest one in the set.

Hands Down was the other favorite game of the weekend.  Lily especially LOVED playing it.

With a shower chair, plastic garbage bag to cover her leg, and a handheld shower head, Shonna was able to get a shower.  Yea!

I was texting with my sister, Joan and Hannah insisted I take a picture of her and send it Joan.  "She'll want to see my pretty hair."

"Now the back."  Joan and Whitney visited Shonna and kids in Logan a couple of months ago and Hannah  remembered her.

More UNO

Shonna's leg and foot got really hot, so she had to hook up to an ice machine regularly and to a leg squeezer machine.  She looked a bit bionic.

The Camerons left on Sunday morning.  Ken went to Vegas that morning to pick up Kristen, Audrey, and Sammy from the airport.  They came to spend a week with us. They got back in time to go to our 1:00pm church with us.

That evening, Michelle and Brian and family came through on their way home from SLC where they spent Thanksgiving with Brian's family.  We had another delicious feast of Sunday meat (meatloaf) and the trimmings.

Family dinners are the best

It was amazing to see all three of our daughters in the same day!!!  Red letter day for sure!!!!
The following pictures are out of order, but I'm too lazy to fix it.  A favorite activity when the grandkids come is to take them to the all-abilities park here in St. George.  It is an amazing park and is free, except for the train ride which costs a much - worth-it dollar.

The electricity got Lily's beautiful hair.

One afternoon, Grandpa and Caleb hiked Webb hill near our home.

 They had a great time together.

Some beautiful autumn shots Ken took on his early morning walk.  Autumn in St. George is absolutely gorgeous.

We had a most Happy Thanksgiving!