Thanksgiving 2016

When Grandma Brownie (Gilliland-Henkel) died mid-November, our plans for Thanksgiving turned a sharp corner. We decided to load everyone up and haul ourselves home for the funeral and the holiday. Lori and Brad kindly lent us all a room in their Flagstaff cabin. It was the perfect gathering spot for a good, old-fashioned turkey dinner. I loved being with my siblings once again (so grateful for all the together time we've had this year). We also spent a day with the Gordons in Camp Verde. Mostly just helped Grandma G put her tree up, but also hit a movie and McDonalds with Mike and Janae and Laura and Phillip and cousins. Then down in the Valley...Grandma's funeral was a wonderful gathering and reunion. Fun to see all the Gilliland family and some of our most loyal and true Shaw Butte Ward friends. It all went by in a whirlwind and then we were headed back home to Kansas.

Getting Ready...

This is kind of a Christmassy post, though we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet. But we spent the whole day decorating - first, putting up lights at Lemon Park and then putting up our own tree before we leave town to spend Thanksgiving in Arizona. Mae got to have her first tumble in the leaves and we all went to the Lemon Park Lights festival together, where Hanna played Christmas music on her recorder and Reedy got to meet Santa Clause. And since we had such a Christmassy day, we had to have hot chocolate and sugar cookies to top it off!

Cool Kids

Here's what my cool kids have been doing lately...
Nolan, Colby and Hanna took an art class that I taught through the Filley. Their drawings were really spectacular, and we all got to show off at the Art Showcase at the museum. I love spending time with them doing something that we all love...just the best!

Also, Reedy decorated his undercover Thanksgiving turkey for Preschool, and Nolan completed a Veteran's Day project about his Grandpa Gordon in Vietnam - both fantastic. Hanna has been learning to play the recorder and participated in a concert for veterans, at which she played superbly. Mae has been exercising her facial expressions and is becoming a pro. She's super sassy.