Family, Food, Fun and a Freaking Big Tree!

Our month of November started off great with a family trip to the Temple. We asked everyone in our family to come to the Temple with us so we could pray and think about those wonderful birth mothers out there. Also, we were praying as a family to get the right child whenever the Lord sees fit for us. Unfortunately, not everyone could make it, but we still had a pretty good turn out. Those that could not make it said that they were there in spirit. Jerry and Virginia (Steve's mom and dad), Larry and Claire (Amanda's mom and step dad) and Steve's Aunt Jo Lynne were all able to make it, though. It was a great night together. We went out to Chili's before hand and made sure our tummy's were happy as well.

Okay, enough of the fun and feel good stories, I have to share a truly crappy one. On my day off I (Steve) went to the bathroom as normal, but when I flushed nothing was going down. So I plunged and plunged and nothing happened. So what else would I do besides flushing it again right? So I flushed again but there was no stopping the poo water from overflowing the toilet and water falling onto the bathroom floor. So my first thought was to take off my socks because it was going to get wet and messy(hahaha). Then I stood on a short stool so my feet wouldn't be in the crappy water. Eventually there was about 1.5 inches of poo water on the floor and soaking into the carpet, then I finally shut the water off. I tried to do it as fast as I could, but it was overflowing like nothing I had seen before. Long story short, the maintenance guy came over and sucked up the poo water with his shop vac (gross). Then the carpet guy came over and took care of the carpet (awkward).

One of the best dates I have been on with Amanda Kate was when we recently went to Shrek, The Musical. We went out to eat at Tokyo Joe's before hand and enjoyed some good Asian cuisine. The Japanese soda machine spelled Pepsi backwards though. Its okay because we are in America and .001% of people can read Japanese. I could read it though, it was pretty funny. It reads (sipep). Too funny.

Then we took the light rail for the first time to downtown Denver where the musical was. This musical was my favorite one ever! Okay, it was also the first professional musical I have ever been to as well, but that is beside the point. It was funnier and better than the movie, and the movie was pretty good. Lord Farkwad and Donkey were hysterical, Shrek and Fiona were pretty good as well. Anyways, I could write about this date forever but all in all it was definitely a night to remember with my beautiful wife Amanda Kate. One of the 3 little pigs read us a story as well. Oh boy, what a treat!


Then last night after a hard day's work of preparing for Black Friday I came home to the biggest freaking tree I have ever seen in an apartment. Wow is all I got to say. Look at the size of that thing.... How did it get there? Amanda Kate!!!!!!

Halloween, Turkey, Snow, Japanese Food and Grandparents

Another busy and eventful few weeks. Steve and I were talking the other day and we decided that life is just fun. We can always look at life as hard and full of trials, but we have been blessed for the last few months to see our lives as the glass half full. Of course our hearts are still set on adding to our family and adopting children, but we really do not have much to complain about. Steve has a great job, I have the opportunity to go back to school, we have the gospel, and we have an OUTSTANDING family. What more can one ask for! We are greatly blessed.

We celebrated Uncle C's (Steve's uncle) birthday which falls right before Halloween. Everyone that lives within a few hours was there. Jon and Benja with their three kids, Josh and Amanda (who is pregnant!!!), Virgina and Jerry, Curt and Betti, Aunt Jo and Uncle C, Steve and I, and a few other friends of Aunt Jo and Uncle C. We had fun stuffing our faces with fantastic food and watching Uncle C open his many many gifts. I think he has enough superman items to last the rest of our grand kid's life times. Betti always seems to pick a theme which makes the party, superman was this years theme. Most of us were in costumes so on top of our already unique family we had two bikers, a referee, a witch, a Hispanic banana, a beautiful cow girl, a transformer, Cleopatra and her husband, two people from he early 1900's, and of course SUPERMAN. After eating we all played games. The biggest hit was painting each others faces. Aunt Jo bought a whole bunch of face paints and we got to paint our partner's face and then they had to guess what was painted on their face. I think all of our sides hurt by the time we were done laughing. Some were very creative and well done, and others...well let's just say others were very...'colorful'. Steve was nice when he did mine. I was a Hawaiian football player (He had to tell me, I couldn't guess it). I pick to make Steve's head into a Jack-O-Lantern because it was the only thing I could think of that would allow me to cover his whole face in paint.


Steve's mom, Virgina, also was able to come and visit us for an evening while Jerry was out of town. It was fun to have time with just her and eat. After eating and talking she showed us how to make sopapillas. They were so good!


And if our last few days had not been adventure enough Jon, Benja, Brayton, Steve, and I all went out to an authentic Japanese restaurant. It was an interesting experience. The company was great, and the food was good...until it came to the three random side dishes. Each meal came with three country side dishes. Not wanting to eat anything that I didn't know what it was, we asked our waiter-in-training what the sides were. He replied, "They are random". Needless to say, our random side dishes were hardly touched, even by Steve. We enjoyed eating outside, it was a beautiful day. Who would have thought that we would be eating outside in November, in Colorado.




Steve and I topped off the rest of the day, continuing the Japanese theme, and toured and shopped in Sakura Square near downtown Denver. Steve even bought a Japanese children's book that explains all of the celebrations and holidays they celebrate in Japan. Steve wants to teach our kids some Japanese and a few of the traditions. He loved serving his mission in Japan and he misses the people he served.


The second week of November we usually celebrate Thanksgiving with my grandparents. They live in South Dakota during the summer months and then during the winter they live in south Texas. They have never been a fan of the cold. It was fun to all get together...and what a surprise, eat more food! My dad, Judy (his wife), and Micah all flew. Meghan, Steve, Eli, and I all drove together. The almost 8 hour trip was long but we had fun. Anytime I get sister time, Eli time, and I get Steve in the car for longer than 30 minutes you know that it is going to be fun...well at least memorable.

Gram (my grandmother), is a wonderful cook. Although she has one tradition that not everyone is a fan of, but it is tradition so there is not a lot we can do. Gram likes to make giblet gravy. So we always tease each other about the giblet gravy. Thinking back on it now, even though we all hate giblet gravy the first Thanksgiving after my grandmother passes will be a sad one; and I know we all will be missing her giblet gravy.

Here is gram cutting up the giblets to put in the gravy.


Here is my dad holding Eli and playing high five!


Here is Micah (my brother) and my Uncle Mike. We think that they look like twins!


Here is my dad carving the turkey and Meghan, Micah, and I are all hovered over it to eat and fight over the turkey skin. You could call us the three poultry vultures. We know that turkey skin is not healthy but it is tradition to eat it while it is being carved.



I think my favorite thing to do with my grandparents is to play cards. My fondest memories with them are the many hours we spend playing Gin. I have so many bonding memories playing cards with my dad, Gram, and Poppa Dale (my grandfather).


It was a fun trip! I am glad that we got to go! I love my grandparents very much and I treasure every moment that I have with them.




Here is a picture from our porch of our first snow! Winter is coming ready or not!