Skanksgiving

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at my (Jes) parents' house. Even though we live about 20 min away, we decided to spend the nights there so we could have the real experience of a holiday. We are poor law school students, so any form of vacation is much appreciated! :)

Food was amazing (thanks to my mom and Jen). I contributed incredibly delicious gourmet jello that my mom gave me the recipe for and watched me make it so I wouldn't burn the house down in the process. I hate cooking for several reasons. One MORE reason was that when they say things like "chop" in a recipe... they don't specify the size. They need to be specific for people with analytical brains. i.e... "use an apple slicer from pampered chef to slice the apple, then chop each slice in conic sections making roughly 1/2 inch cubed pieces. it doesn't matter if the skin is in each piece, or if it is in any piece at all." That gives you a rough idea of what goes through my head when I cook.

Other than the feast, we also enjoyed Madi's show choir performances at the Phoenix Zoo Lights, and the Foothills Festival of Lights. She's the cutest 2nd alto ever! "RUDY... the red-nosed reindeer!"... "EMMA... the red-haired baby!"

Christmas at my parents' house is not complete without a little house with their amazing decorations. My mom goes completely overboard... but it makes the holiday so much more fun! The house is adorned inside and out. Complete with a light show to music in the backyard. Emma is a big fan of lights! She LOVED the Zoo Lights and the lights at the Mesa Temple. It's so fun to watch her get so excited. So sweet! Picture below is of the temples lights... not my parents' house! :) jk

Holidays also aren't complete at our house without an annual trip to the Phoenix Roadrunners hockey game (minor league). The game was awesome! We lost terribly, but there was a fight, our family was welcomed on the big screen, and I was chosen randomly to get a beautiful dozen rose bouquet. I have never won anything in my entire (almost) 24-year existence. I was completely oblivious to the fact that the Roadrunner mascot was walking down delivering flowers to Section 113 Row 9 until he was standing in front of me with a gorgeous bouquet offering it to me. I asked him what this was for, and the "cheerleaders" told me that they were for me. I looked at Ammon and he gave me a look of "who the crap is giving you flowers?". He was no help. I looked like an idiot as I took the flowers and waved to the camera like a pageant princess. Madi was just excited that our family was FINALLY on the big screen. :) This was obviously just an advertisement for a local flower shop, but THANK YOU Phoenix Flower Shops... you made my night!!

We also had a family photo shoot for our Christmas cards. We can't decide which one to pick, but here's a preview. Emma is wearing her gorgeous Christmas dress... thanks Grandma Brown!

Autumn Scenes

On Sunday, we took Emma for a walk in search of some fall leaves. Not an easy task when everything is evergreen (See "This is why we live in Arizona" supra). About a mile out, we found this spot by the roadside--a grassy knoll with a handful of dead leaves.

Sunday stroll in the stroller.

Autumn shots: no red leaves, no frozen grass. Just some shadowed lawns, some waving palms.

Last week, Mom came down to visit Emma-bean. What a joy that was. Never once did she complain about babysitting:) Thanks Mom.

During her stay, we packed up the car and drove the entire two blocks to the wildlife preserve. I guess a preserve is like a reserve. It's a beautiful park, equipped for fishing and birdwatching. And now that it's cooler, there's actually wildlife there.

Emma watching the duckies.

Mom and Jes blazing their way back to civilization. Off-road strolling.

A belated Halloween pic. Little Bo Peep and her sheep (lamb).

This is why we live in Arizona.

The sweltering heat in the summer subsides to chilly nights in late autumn—the second planting season. It's time for walks and picnics during the day. Time to watch your neighbors emerge from their insulated homes, awakening from summer hibernation. Time to crack the windows open and let the now-cooler-desert breeze cleanse the stale air in the house that's been washed around from fan to fan. Time to plant the iceberg lettuce and roma tomatoes and watch the garden turn from pastel to dark green. Time for grass that feels more like carpet than pineapple stems. So, remove the shades, remove the sunglasses. Let the sun come in the windows and roll down the car windows. Dust the bike seat off, pump up the tires, sandpaper the rust, and break in those knees. Because it's time to walk to church and watch the rye grass tremble in its infancy. It's time for socks during the day, sweatpants during the night (keep that winter coat in storage). It's time for a gentler sun—one that won't sting your face or bite your feet. Time to longboard around the lake without sweating through your shirt. Time to sit on the back porch with a bowl of cereal and a Newsweek. Time to dine outside. And it's almost time to pick the drooping tangelos. Almost time to wear a jacket, and turn down the sprinklers. And it's almost time to carve the turkey and give thanks for Arizona winters.

Posted by Ammon.