And Lickety Split, We Hear Jingle Bells.

Thanksgiving this year was memorable because it was hectic and full of loved ones from both sides of the extended families.

The Camp family celebrated Thanksgiving at 1:00 pm with a lunchtime feast.  We ate amazingly well, as we much expected to do and did not hold back on seconds.  After our bellies were full and we got to converse with everyone, we loaded our little clan back into the car to drive to Tio Hector's house for another (yes, ANOTHER) full feast awaiting us there for dinner.

It was a difficult predicament we put ourselves into; the Juan and Stacia Chavez family are NOT ones to say no to a delicious morsel, and though our bellies were full, we eyed the Thanksgiving spread like we had been fasting all day.  I would have been pretty proud of my self-restraint at the buffet, but alas my taste buds were shouting and I could not hear the voice of reason in the background, luring back into sensibility.  I came home with a bit of a tummy ache after the party due to two teeny slices of pie I had eaten in haste before leaving.

Oh Thanksgiving, how you treat us well yet bring out the savages in us.

Speaking of Black Friday...

Juan is out and about right now because he loves the thrill of a sale and likes to be in the frenzy of crowds every once in a while.  As long as he gets his fill now, when prices are low, I'm all for it.

Here are a few pictures of our holiday:

Siena, posing as a pilgrim for Canyon Crest's Pilgrim's Day on Tuesday.

 I was asked to bring seven flower arrangements to the Chavez feast, and since I spaced out on Wednesday afternoon that the wholesaler was closing early, I was left to forage for most of the goods.  Luckily, with Tristan's help we were able to find most of the "fillings" around her yard, her neighbor's yard, and my yard.  To finish it up to look nice, I purchased a $9 pre-made bouquet at Smith's and divided the cut flowers amongst the containers.  It was awesome how it all came together.  I will try to do that every year, depending on the weather.

Crafting a turkey and a Thanksgiving tree at the kid table

 Three hours later...

 Bow for Qiana we made from Grandma Camp's lace stash

Tomorrow morning we'll be driving down to carry on the annual tradition of scouting out and chopping down a Christmas tree.  Hopefully the weather is as nice as it was today.

Thanksgiving Eve

It's the eve before Thanksgiving and I feel compelled to write my blessings and the true sentiments of my heart.  Who cares if it's cliche and if I ever read this post again, but it's a list that's long overdue to be written.

I'm thankful that I have a healthy family... every one of us.  Illness or physical limitation is something we don't have to live with day after day and I can't imagine how hard it must be for others with those trials.

We've been blessed with a good education, a good job, and a warm home.  I sometimes feel discouraged because we are in major student loan debt, Juan works long hours, and we're still renting.  I just yearn to put paint on a wall!  It's a ridiculous thing to aspire to, and I feel weak and susceptible to prioritizing those things over others that carry more importance.  However, I'm grateful for the moments that provide self-analysis like Thanksgiving and other holidays, taking the sacrament every Sunday, and even (dare I say it...) pretty rough trials that bring you to an awareness of what you really have/had.

I'm grateful for the skills I have been taught or have learned through experience.  Siena and Qiana think that we can fix almost anything simply because I've been able to sew, or hammer a nail into, or repurpose whatever was broken.  Those skills were not just taught by my parents (who really did put in the most effort in getting those teachings and experiences into my life) but were also taught through the generations.  That is quite a treasure, to know that your talents or skills come largely in part by a network of ancestors pooling in their labors to the education of their posterity.

Today, I feel especially grateful for the proximity of family, even for the random third cousins that I see once every four years or so.  I was looking at these pictures my brother scanned and my aunt sent to the extended relatives:

We're not sure on what occasions these were taken, but it's clear that we come from a close-knit group of people.  I'm also thankful for the feeling that I am cared and loved for by people beyond my living relatives.  Many of the people in the pictures have passed on, but I am grateful for their influence in my life and there have been times when I've felt their proximity.

My husband and our children are mine--today--tomorrow--and forever-- and I don't think you could get a better gift than that.  I don't have to worry about "losing" anything just because of death.  Life goes on.  Life really DOES go on.  It's kind of a cool thing to think that my dad will get to see and talk and be with his father again and that my great grandparents have a future together again.

I am grateful for the time and place I am living in this world.  I'm grateful for vaccines and medical breakthroughs, the speed of communication, worldwide accessibility, an huge library of the arts (music, lit., film, photo, art, etc.,) modern transportation, and most importantly, the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. It feels like we've all won the Roulette of eras.

Nothing really matters if you don't know know that you are a child of God who loves you and who created you individually for a specific purpose.  He has blessed me with that knowledge and a map for what I can do with that knowledge.  It's an enormous gift. You can't help but feel relieved and okay with the way this life turns its corners and does its loop de loops because as long as you are following the map you're given, why worry?  That's not to be confused with following blindly.  It should be a matter of personal, deep and intentional study. You have to put your faith in something.  Why not put it in God who does not make mistakes?  There can be a million things confusing me and trying to distract me from a real and concrete truth; but I'm grateful for the map to remind me that it doesn't have to make sense at the time but if I take the small and simple steps to seeing truths each day and attributing them to God, those confusions will be resolved.  That new clarity will open my view greater than it would have been if I had negated the will of God in my life.

(I knew I would be writing this)
THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS TO WRITE DOWN!  I've gotta call it a night, as it is 1:00 in the morning.

Happy (official) Thanksgiving!

October is...

Crazy Hair Day at school

We live in the most BEAUTIFUL place in the world!!

Juan and I went to our ward's annual Oktoberfest at the Aspen Grove Lodge.  Four words: bratwurst, rootbeer, pies, music (which was performed live, by the way.)

Our one and only arts and crafts project, due to a broken glass vessel and pompons with nowhere to go.  Adorning the playroom was the perfect solution.

Basking in the last warm rays of the day... through the bedroom window.

The christening of our [new] annual Camp Family trip to Rowley's Red Barn.

Two big cheeses,

two more...

...and two more.

"Train ride" through the orchard

Only one missing was Baby Leo, who was sleeping in his Mama's arms.

"Hello Mister Ape." (library window)

Qiana's Twinkle Toes dance classes are the highlight of her week.  I really don't mind waiting there either because Siena and Ezra are glued to the iPad during the whole class while I do whatever I want.  Yes, I give myself a little break twice a week for an hour and I'm PROUD OF IT!

See what I mean?  (iPad behind the big pumpkin.)

Trying to keep all the excitement inside.

Maybe I'll dress up for Halloween this year....

  

Reflections participation award!  Go Siena! (...and it was Pajama Day at school.)

Recap of Chavez Life this year...

2013…

·      January

o   Lived with Mom and Dad while looking for housing in Provo. Siena and Qiana started a gymnastics class and Ezra practiced crawling. Juan was optimistic about buying a practice in Orem, while he was simultaneously working there and two other places. Learned about service.

·      February

o   Ezra got bronchiolitis again. L We moved to Provo and Siena started her third round of a new Kindergarten class at Canyon Crest Elementary. Met our ward members and fell in love with the area.  Established a family Reading Nook time. Learned about gratitude.

·      March

o   Started seedlings for the garden and Siena practiced keeping a seed journal. Took an awesome 4-wheeling trip to the desert with Mom, Dad and Harp. Ezra turned 1! Stacia turned 29! Siena was accepted into the Spanish Immersion class. Kept Camp Family tradition of rolling Easter eggs. Learned about the Atonement.

·      April

o   Ezra started walking! Siena moved up to the next level in piano. Loved General Conference. Had a visitor from CA—Juan’s friend from his mission that recently got baptized. Played outside in the wonderful Spring weather almost daily; as a result bike riding skills improved. Every child caught the flu. Prepared the yard for the garden and eventually got around to planting it. Learned Self-sufficiency.

·      May

o   Wedding season started for Stacia! Digitally archived Dad’s elementary school scrapbook. Suffered through fights over piano practicing and screaming three year-olds. Nostalgic family bike ride to Utah Lake. Juan quit other dental jobs and signed on full-time with Platinum Dental. Family picnic in the canyon for Mother’s Day lunch. Watched the paragliders take off from Squaw Peak. Ran through sprinklers on hot days. Learned about Patience.

·      June

o   Swimming at Grandma Camp’s pool.  More weddings. No set schedule for anyone. Took a fun trip to the cabin with Mom and Dad.  Tried to stay busy while still keeping a clean house… unsuccessfully. Learned about prioritizing.

·      July

o   Fourth of July festivities with the Chavez family. Pink Martini concert date for Juan and me. Girls Camp for an entire week! Siena and Qiana had their first lemonade stand (…actually, it was limeade.) Grilled almost every day. Juan turned 30! Went on our first real immediate family campout past Rock Canyon Campground. Ez fell down the stairs and got 5 stitches in his noggin. Reaped the benefits of our garden! Got see a bunch of friends from Philadelphia. Learned about goals.

·      August

o   I got sick. Juan got sick. Grilled a lot of pizza. Siena turned 6! Took a fun Sparks family trip to Bear Lake for a day.  Siena started 1^st grade! Juan and I volunteered at a triathlon. Qiana helped me pick a lot of apricots and grapes and we cooked a lot together while Siena was at school and Ez was napping.  Learned about compassion.

·      September

o   Siena started another ballet class. Went to Brazil Day in SLC. Harvested a gazillion peaches and grapes. Kids got haircuts. Stacia took a trip to San Diego with Tristan, Sierra and Mom. Qiana turned 4! Went to the General Relief Society Conference in SLC with Tristan and Sierra.  Learned about baptismal covenants.

·      October

o   Built a bookshelf for the girls out of leftover bookshelves. J Watched and loved General Conference. Made Ezra a luchador costume for Halloween. New annual tradition of going to the Big Red Bard in Santaquin. Went to our ward Oktoberfest at Aspen Grove Lodge. Camp Family Reunion!  Learning about traditions.

July and August's Pictoral Recap

Share a Smile Triathlon Volunteering with Juan

We started the timing at the swimming portion

...and it was cold that day.

First pumpkin out of 12 from our garden!

Got creative with our home-grown produce.

Ladies Man Ez

Propagated a lot of coleus from cuttings off of one I bought at the nursery.

Siena started 1st Grade!

Took a Sparks Family trip to Bear Lake.  Too fun for words or pictures.

...but we did eat an obligatory Bear Lake Raspberry Shake.

Taught the missionaries how to toss pizzas...

...only after I learned how at a YW activity.

Siena's birthday was so fun.  I still can't believe she is 6 already!

Sierra and Tristan and I took them to Thanksgiving Point Gardens (Children's Garden first to play in the splash pad,) as per her request.

Ez still had a bandage to keep his scar from getting sunburned.

Getting her hair brushed by Tio Melvin.

Because of all the nearby fires, the sunsets were amazing this summer.

Didn't let a month go by without grilling pizza.

I can't get enough of the sky right before a rainstorm.

They can't get enough of it either.

Homegrown zinnias to help with the pollination of the garden.

We finally were able to take advantage of our Pass of All Passes to Seven Peaks this summer.  Cousins are the best.

The girls were so patient with Tia Sierra as I was in with Ez seeing the Urgent Care doc about his cut.

This 5-stitch-worthy gash was a result of a little too much confidence in Ezra by both him and me.  He fell down the steep set of uncarpeted stairs in the house.  Ugh!  Poor thing.

"We're Cheerleaders!"

All dressed up and nowhere to go.

Being crazy at 7am at the top of Slate Canyon.

Thinking of the hike we could have gone on that morning, if only we had packed the children's fever medicine.  Poor Ez got a terrible fever and we had to leave our campout to nurse him back to health.

Glow sticks make camping a million times more fun!

Camping?  More like Glamping with this cake, if I do say so myself.  #harharhar

Birthday Boy!

Baby Leo is such an angel!!!

Summer produce coming in full force.  The BEST food.

Little Ez can't get enough of being a boy outside in his element.

At my Grandpa Wood's 80th birthday party with his sister, Edith and brother, Allan.

Ez and his friend, Michael.

Little does the rest of the world know, but Ezra could LIVE on a four-wheeler.  It's probably what has brought him so close to his grandpa, my dad. They bond through the love of four-wheelers.

Playing Hide-and-Seek with Papi at the park.

The girls had their first limeade stand this summer.  It raked in quite the cash, too--$25 to be exact.  It was quite a nice supplement to their Disney trip fund jar.

Qiana's always looking for new tricks to perform.

At our "Philly Phamily Reunion", just soaking up a good water day.

They take a lot of ownership in what comes from the garden, since they were there from start to finish.

The "Adult Session" of our "Philly Phamily Reunion"

Cousins at Seven Peaks.

Every once in a blue moon we get a date night.  This one was a chart-topper.

Pink Martini at Red Butte Gardens

  

Which one, which one....?

Taking care of the tomatoes, which were starting to overcrowd themselves.

Baby Leo is soooooo tiny here, but he sure grew fast.

The quintessential Fourth of July: waiting for fireworks after the parade, while eating cotton candy on a picnic blanket.

What's more American than a Fourth of July piñata?

I was in charge of table decorations, so I took the easy route.

Baby Leo was only 1 day old, so we had to bring the fun of the Fourth of July to him.

Prime seating here, folks.

Hanging with Melvin.

Since his brother, Max was born on Flag Day, Baby Leo decided to be patriotic too.  He just couldn't wait one more day for the 4th of July.

I think the bow tie is rather large on you, Leo.

This is what I like to see....

"Hey Mommy, do you love me?"--is her go-to phrase when seeking approval of her fashion statements.

Project on the fly for soon-to-be Big Brother Max.

Showing off her homemade flower press.

Pressing flowers for Grandpa and Grandma's Christmas present.

The flowers were picked at the mountain property during the most wonderful time of the year there.

Trying out dessert at another date-night earlier this summer.

  

Sierra is my sister.  She also happens to be my go-to person when I'm in need of a second nurturing hand with the kids.  I love living near her.

Trying out Provo's new splash pad.

Kurt, Amber and Kate came to visit!!!

Siena's welcoming sign for the Adamsons.

Playdate at Siena's school playground in scorching summer heat with Kate.

Herbs-a-plenty