The moment I realized she was all grown up

I have seen Kylie dance so many times over the years and each time is beautiful and strikes a sense of pride deep within. Usually she is in a sea of other dancers but this time her high school company teacher chose her to do a duet and I loved seeing her hard work and talent put right in the spot light. I was amazed by her grace, beauty, flexibility and mostly that I was capable of producing a girl like that! When she was born she was a separate little body, but was still so connected to me. My heart beating outside my chest. As she grew a little older she was still so much a part of who I was and I was the same for her. When we were apart, whether for five minutes in the other room or an evening out, she always greeted me with the same expression, eyes wide, mouth open and a little squeal of excitement to be reunited. When she left for school she would me write notes and draw pictures on the back of her papers, letting me know that I still consumed a large portion of her thoughts and heart. I was the center of her universe, but gradually over time that universe of hers began to be filled with friends, boys, music, dance, school, snap chat and beef jerky. She started to form her own ideas and opinions about the world around her, gained confidence and found insecurities. Somewhere along the way she no longer shared my same heart beat, but found a beat of her own. I may not be the center of her universe, but I hope she knows I am her grounding force, a constant that will always be there for her. Watching her up there, I had a moment. So proud it hurts. I wish I could upload the whole dance but the file is too big, but here's a little clip.

She had several other dances, but that duet stole the show.

She has had such a great experience being on the school team, this is her cute teacher in the black dress. Good job girls, the whole show was amazing!

Zoo field trip

I spent the day with this cute ball of energy and his classmates at the zoo. I only lost track of one child for a minute, so all in all it was a success. It's fun to see Ryder interact with his friends, I admire his confidence and endless energy but mostly I admire that he is friends with anyone and everyone. Love this boy of mine. 

 

 

He asked to borrow my camera on the bus ride home and spent the entire 35 minute ride home taking pictures of everyone, it was very entertaining. I especially loved hearing him tell them how to pose, this kid was given specific instructions to do bunny ears just so. 

Thanskgiving

We don't normally travel for Thanksgiving since the kids only get a few days off, we prefer to have the party come to us. But when Margaret sent out an invitation that included the promise of crisp Fall air, pumpkins, cousins, quad rides and a cozy holiday I knew we couldn't miss it. We made the long drive up and it was so worth it. We even got a bonus since my grandparents hosted a Thanksgiving lunch where I got to see cousins that I hadn't seen in probably at least a decade. The Jolley family just keeps growing so the elementary school gym was required to fit such a large crowd. I didn't get too many pictures, I was too busy catching up with family, but wanted to at least one photo to document it.

We went back to Margaret's to start the dinner prep, when we pulled up her and Tyler had surprised the kids by renting a bounce house. You should have seen their faces! The kids spent the afternoon with static hair and smiles while the moms were cooking up a storm in the kitchen. 

Margaret is the hostess with the mostest, love every detail she put into the table settings. My favorite feature by far were the wood chargers cut and sanded by Tyler, it was a labor of love and totally rustic chic. And so I took about 20 pictures of them from various angles for all to appreciate.

Loved the "Thankful Tree" and seeing what everyone wrote. Maddox is thankful for sugar and mashed potatoes. He eats mashed potatoes for breakfast if ever he is lucky enough that there are leftovers.

The foosball table was also a big draw for the young and old alike. When the adults weren't busy playing Play Nine or making "Quasi" jokes, there were heated matches going on late in the night. We walked away with raw hands, sore elbows and even a burst blood vessel. But Jason and I dominated. Just saying.

Tyler smoked one of the turkeys and you know I'm borderline vegetarian, but even I thought it was irresistible.

We were holding out hope that there would be enough snow left on the ground from an earlier storm for sledding, we had no such luck but there was a definite festive vibe in the air and it made me really miss the seasons. Love Margaret's cozy and decorative home.

Saddest puppy dog eyes! Cub just sat and watched all the happy chaos inside, much to his excitement Maddox was always more than willing to go out and play with him.

I know gathering around the table and eating turkey is supposed to be the main highlight of Thanksgiving, but my favorite part comes before. A busy kitchen, the sound of beaters, spoons clanking, sisters laughing, pots boiling on the stove, the smell of turkey in the oven, pies lining the counter tops, dough rising, sneaking licks and tastes, comparing recipes, kids running under foot, teenagers lounging, the sounds of Christmas music and football games mingled in the back ground and a feeling of love, gratitude and holiday cheer so thick you could cut it with a knife and serve it up on a platter. This is my favorite part.

This little dream is responsible for any and all baby hungry moments experienced this weekend.

This little guy too

It just so happened to be my parent's 40th wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving day, and that is definitely something to give thanks for. Loved seeing the tender thoughts and efforts that my dad put into making the day special for my mom. Sam made them "bride" and "groom" shirts to wear that day, and while they were away we decorated their bedroom with rose petals, twinkle lights, chocolates and sparkling cider. When we were young we would sometimes surprise them with a candle light dinner (i.e. a can of corn, Hi-C punch and jello) and decorate their room with balloons and put a sign on their door "honeymoon sweet", so it was fun to recreate that. Love these two and the example they have set. They've been through a lot of ups and downs over the past 40 years but have proved that love always triumphs.

The day after Thanksgiving the boys took off for the mountains for a day of shooting and quad riding. The girls hit the streets of Mount Pleasant for some boutique shopping where I accidentally fell in love with the charming historical towns of Utah. I blame it on Fixer Upper, but I wanted to snatch up and renovate every beautiful old home. There's just something about these small towns, chatting with the store clerk who also happens to be in your church congregation, the slower pace of life, the freedom for kids to explore the outdoors, it feels like a step back in time and I loved it. And to top it all off we got to see my niece and nephew perform "A Christmas Carol" in the town's charming old dance hall. It was the perfect end to such a fun and memorable Thanksgiving!

We stayed with Grandpa Young and Suni on the way up and back and it was so nice to be able to spend time with them. They are such cute and thoughtful hosts, bending over backwards to make us feel welcome. They put on quite the spread for dinner one night with Korean hot pot, the kids had fun being adventurous and nervously giggling while they tried foreign foods. Maddox was determined to master chop sticks and he did pretty good. Family is what makes the holidays so special, so grateful we could spend it with so many loved ones!