Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I'm grateful for an amazing wife. Deborah's been training for months (waking up at six in the morning!) for the Turkey Trot 5K (3.2 mile) run. Everyone went this morning to cheer her on. Way to go Deb!

~Jesse

Presenting (drum roll)... the Andrew Sisters!

Deborah and I went back in time last night to "the Golden Age of Radio," a stake activity featuring Deborah as one of the Andrew sisters! I could tell you about how great, wonderful, and spectacular they sounded- but instead I'll let you play the video and hear for yourself:

Isn't she amazing?

~Jesse

Squaresville

Jesse (thank you, Rochelle) took us back in time. Both being nerds in high school (oh wait - I was the nerd, not Jes), we would have been "squares" in the 50s. Maybe we should go "back to the future."

NEWS FLASH

Today Marshall Elementary hosted The Storybook Character Parade. Julie make an appearance as Abraham Lincoln. She made her hat, carefully assembled her outfit, and boasted a bowtie made by Jesse. (Okay, Lincoln's not a fictional character, but he was featured in a book she read recently, and he inspired her.) David was invited by the kindergarden teachers to appear as one of the 101 Dalmations, so we put spots on a white church shirt, and Jesse used duct tape and construction paper to make him doggie ears.

"Quote Of the Week"

James had horrible bed-head this morning, so I wet it down and brushed it straight, just for a change. The kids were upstairs playing before school so they did not see me do this. When I finally called them down to get in the van to head to school, James went upstairs to meet them. I heard David exclaim, "Oh no, what happened?!" Julie replied, "It's okay. Now he looks like everyone else."

Would You Believe . . . ?

. . . that this tomato plant was ten inches tall when I brought it home from Georgia? We visited Jesse's sister Rochelle and her family over Mothers' Day weekend; the gift from the ward was a tomato vine starter. Jesse encouraged me to take one, although I was convinced it would not survive the trip home. Six months later it is as tall as our fence (sorry the glare cuts off the top of the photo) and is producing like crazy. The cooler weather (i.e., seventy-five degrees vs. ninety-plus degrees) and shorter amount of direct sunlight has slowed the ripening time, but my friend assures me I can ripen them on my counter.

The first of the ripened tomatoes:

NEWS FLASH

Bye-bye crib . . .

hello playroom!

We have turned the "baby room" into a playroom. The crib is gone; James is learning to sleep on a mattress. Jesse shortened our old kitchen table for the kids' use, which is great for building train tracks. Jesse added shelves to the closet, and I went hog-wild organizing the toys. We are all very pleased with the project: I love not having toys all over the family room, and the kids love having a room entirely dedicated to play.

Blue-State Blues

I love the color blue - it has been my favorite since I was a child. I just wish it didn't represent the Democrats on an election map - too much blue makes me sad on the Wednesday after Election Day.

Three cheers for President-elect Obama!!! He ran an incredible campaign; he is smart, personable, and for the next four years we will be priviliged to listen to the best orator our generation has seen. He will make a good president - I pray that he places good advisors around him and truly listens before he makes decisions.

My one consolation is that the Democrats didn't quite obtain the unconquerable majority they had hoped for. I pray that they will remember they represent the people of America and not go crazy passing far-left legislation.

I fell in love with the TV show West Wing a few years after the series ended. I thought the last season was eerily prophetic - maybe President-elect Obama will appoint Senator McCain as his Secretary of State. Yeah, as likely as a snowball in Hawaii! - but I am gratified that Sen. McCain will still be working his compromises in the Senate.

Three cheers for America!!! God bless her and her leaders!