Crafts, a quiet Thanksgiving and birthday!

 
So one day I was watching a local channel called "Studio 5" and saw them creating these little Thanksgivng turkey out of chocolate nuggets. I thought they were so cute and simple that I just knew I had to do them with the kids. So, here they are and the kids loved doing them. I love the place card lollipops! We actually just made them for some of our neighbors and didn't use them as place cards. It was fun!

 
We didn't use them as place cards because we decided to just have a quiet Thanksgiving this year. We had just gotten back from California 3 weeks earlier and were leaving for Cali again in 4 weeks so we didn't want to go any where. I usually call around and ask friends and neighbors without family around to come over but felt a little selfish this year and just wanted a quiet day with the family. At one point we were even going to go out to eat instead of make dinner but then Dave said he wanted to just have a dinner at home, "nothing fancy. Really quick and easy". Well, it turned out really nice and relaxing but I don't think it was simple. Turkey, homemade rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, cracker with cranberry salsa (one of my favorite holiday foods) and bbqed asparagus (also one of my favorites). I was in my pj's most of the day (heehee) and the girls decided they wanted to give me a pedicure so I was a little spoiled too.
Our family tradtion is to set up and decorate the tree the Monday after Thanksgiving so in keeping with that tradition the kids went to town. It's the same every year; mom passes out the ornaments and the kids get to decorate with the ones they have made over the years. Aunt Marge always give the kids an ornamnent every year with the year and their individual names on them. It is really fun for them to put their ornaments she has given them on the tree. Now when they leave home they will have at least 18 ornaments to hang on their Christmas trees. What a cute idea! Thanks Aunt Marge. I'm stilling that idea for my Grandies ;-).

 
Ryan turned 12 on December 8th and since he plays guitar I thought it would be neat to make him a cake shaped like a guitar. I found it on Family Fun nearly a year before and knew that that is what I wanted to do for his 12th b-day. When I was growing up my parents always let us decided whether we wanted to have a party with friends or go out to eat and to dinner with just mom and/or dad. Well, most of the time I chose the latter because my parents hardly EVER took us out to eat anywhere. We take the kids out though and so I thought he would choose a party with friends but he didn't. I have to say, that makes us feel good. Don't know how long that will last since he is approaching the teenage, "I'm to cool for you, Mom and Dad" stage.
Anyway, he wanted to try and blow it out with his "air gun" but after two tries he decided he wanted to burn it our between his fingers.
Becoming 12 years old in the church is a big deal. They enter what is called the "Young Mens" program and they also recieve the Aaronic Priesthood and can begin doing baptisms in the Temple. Ryan, for a month before his birthday, kept saying, "and you know what I want for my b-day, Mom. It is so cool!" but whenever I asked him he wouldn't tell me. He just kept saying I should know. "An electric guitar?", "A rip stick?", "A nintedo DSi?", "a new Wii game?"....I guessed and guesses but was wrong. Finally I told Ryan that if he wanted what he wanted for his B-day that he'd better tell me because I didn't know. FINALLY about 2 weeks before he told me; "I want to go to the Temple and do baptisms". What a specail mommy moment that was for me. He has always been so sweet and spiritual and I pray that he continues on the path that he has choosed so far throughout his life. Nothing better than to see that my children "walk in righteousness". Nothing!

 

Ryan started taking Breakdance lessons in September and in December he had his first recital. He was nervous but did really well. The battery on my camera was going dead so the pictures weren't snapping as fast as I wanted them too but we got some good ones. Grandma and Grandpa Boden had just flown in from California that day to be here for Ryan's Priesthood ordination so they got to come to the recital. We SO appreciate the fact that Grandma and Grandpa always make it a point to be at their grandchildrens special moments. They never missed one until this year when Carolyn had pnemonia at Christmas and missed cousin Andrews baptism. It was hard for them to miss but flying to South Carolina was just not an option. I understand how they feel because I have missed alot of my nieces and nephews baptisms, blessing and such. It is very hard to live so far away from family.