Abe's Family Ski Utah Trip; Laurie and Logan Visit

We had some happy cousin bonding time at Sunday dinner when Abe's family (minus Abe) came to town. 

The next day was President's Day so the children were all out of school. They all came to spend the day with their cousins. Of course it had to start off with a French toast meal.

As I was having a hard time remembering why the grandchildren were begging for hot chocolate, I asked the girls to remind me.

Rebecca's response: We forced the kids to go outside and play in 15-degree weather. 

Klarissa's sister Jen and her five children also came to town for the big ski Utah trip. They arrived the next day.

Abe then arrived after everyone was here. It worked out well that we were able to pick him up at the airport and take him out for a nice dinner at Mandarin. 

Klarissa, Jen, and their respective nine children were busy attending a Jackson family dinner at Golden Corral. 

Then it was time to get serious about the ski part of everyone's vacation. The ski rental equipment was secured.

The warm ski clothes for every person were laid out. After going to all this work, Klarissa said this is why she is a beach girl--because all you need to grab is a swim suit.

Ben joined up with Newland, Abe, and the rest of the ski group for both ski days. It was beautiful, blue-sky weather for them on the slopes. It was also very, very cold as we were experiencing a deep freeze for weeks.

It was Magnus's first time to ski. He attended ski school. Monty spent the two ski days with Grandma Jackson since she was in town and those days were the only two days we were busy and could not watch him. 

Adelaide, Augie, and Newland.

Klarissa, Magnus and Newland.

Adelaide, Wynne, and Clara. 

It was sad that Jen had to stay home the second ski day with a feverish Maggie. She kept Peter with her as well. Not as much fun to be on vacation and all cooped up inside the house with sickness.

A treat for the newest skier on the slopes.

After working our shift at the temple, we came home to a pizza party. The skiers had invited Rebecca's and Sarah's families over for pizza and more cousin bonding time.

This is the scene that was happening upstairs in our bedroom. A big group of boys all huddled around the TV playing/watching video games. 

They were unable to hang out in the basement as usual because of Jen down there trying to keep Maggie's illness from spreading to anyone else.

The next day Maggie was feeling much better and was able to go with the group up to the Eaglewood Golf Course and go tubing. A company had set up some great slides and let the group go down in whatever configuration they wanted. 

The best part was there was a conveyor belt that hauled the tubes and the people back up the hill after each run.

As the older kids and adults were getting ready for their evening out going to dinner and to see a play, we picked up a sushi order to feed the little ones left in our care. 

Maggie had eaten leftover pizza (that would have been my choice) and was already in the basement waiting for the three boys to join her to watch a movie before going to bed. 

Newland had so kindly moved out of one of the bedrooms to make room for yet more visitors. Laurie and Logan arrived in town very late that evening. Abe was excited to see Logan in the morning and wanted to take a photo to send to Jacob.

The hello only lasted a few minutes as it was the day Abe's family was heading out to the airport. Jen's family had left earlier that same morning. 

So long, farewell. Until we get together again Abe, Klarissa, Newland, Wynne, Magnus and Monty!!

Laurie and Logan were on their way to Provo for the day. They came to town so Logan and Emma could spend their shared January 25th birthday together. Natalie joined them for dinner and a late BYU basketball game. 

But first, Logan was insisting he is now taller than his mother. 

Glen even pulled out his construction level to see if the bubble proved Logan right.

Laurie and Logan got home very, very late that night. We had gone to bed and had gotten up early to go to the prison on Sunday morning, so we didn't see them until after we all got home from our respective Sunday services. 

Because of their late night, Laurie and Logan wanted to go to a later sacrament meeting at our church building. Turns out it was our ward meeting at 10:30. And turns out the couple who were speaking had recently moved into our ward after moving out of Dallas and Rebecca's ward.

The husband, Mike, told a story about a very Christlike Relief Society President from their previous ward (Rebecca Golden--daughter of Glen and Kim Thomas who live in this ward) who so lovingly took care of the needs of the people in their ward. 

An example he used was when she helped a sister in the ward deal with her bedbug situation. He was the Elders Quorum President and remembered how Rebecca had presented him and everyone else with a hazmat suit so they could help with the situation in this woman's home. 

Afterward, Rebecca continued to befriend this woman by sitting with her at church and being a good friend to her. 

Laurie came home from church so excited to tell us about the talk and to express her thrill about actually knowing the person Mike was talking about. Fun for us to hear good stuff about our daughter. 

Natalie and Emma came up from Provo for our Sunday family dinner. 

We needed all three of our family members who share the same January 25th birthday to come together for a birthday celebration. 

I like to call these specific family birthday people the triplets. 

We not only had Logan, Emma and Sarah blow out birthday candles, but also included the other two January family birthdays--Lincoln and Dallas.

After the other family members went home, Logan pulled out a new game he had just gotten for his birthday. Their family loves to watch Survivor--which Glen and I have never watched. But, we had fun playing the Survivor game with them.  

The next morning we took Laurie and Logan to the airport to catch their plane home to Omaha. It was a short trip for them, but they felt like it was very worth it so the birthday sharers could spend their day together. And Laurie always loves having Thomas family gatherings. We were so glad they came. 

Our train-loving Lincoln received a special gift for his birthday.

We heard all about Wesley, Emma's new boyfriend, over the birthday weekend. Glen was excited to meet Wesley when he invited Emma to bring whomever she wanted with her to a BYU pre-game dinner at Outback.

Emma chose to bring her roommate Olivia and Wesley. Laurie and Logan had been able to meet Wesley when they were in town.

Kenny also got to meet Wesley and apparently really enjoyed talking to Olivia. He was the one going to the game with Glen and I was glad he was there so he could take this photo.

I had to laugh at the two photos Glen sent (per my request) when he, Randy, and Kenny went to the BYU/Utah basketball game together earlier in the month. 

Then I really got a chuckle when that same evening I received this text from one of our missionaries.