Thanksgiving in Utah

The holidays are about family, and that's why I love flying home to Utah for Thanksgiving. Spending time with the family is always a blast, and I can't imagine a better way to spend the week. Pie Night
As family traditions go, this is right up near the favorites. We've been hosting them for upwards of 15 years now, and Pie Night is sweeping across the nation, slowly but surely. We had a pretty good turnout this year, and plenty of pie to go around and fill our bellies. I think I had around 6 small slices. Personal favorite: banana cream. Football
One of Adam's buddies organized some turkey day football, so Adam, Pete, and I went to play. Early on, Pete and I were putting on a show with interceptions and catching long passes. The opposing team started focusing on us, so we couldn't get as many big plays, but that opened things up for some of our teammates. We were playing tackle, and I started to get reminders that my body in high school may have been a football body, but now I've got a runner/cyclist body. Hits started to take a toll, and I was hurting by the second game, but it was still fun. Adam started to tear it up in the second game, and he was finding the holes in the defense for some big gains and touchdown catches. By the end, I think we were all pretty tired and somewhat beat up, but it was a great way to start the day.Thanksgiving
Some of the Cravens came over and we all enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast of Smythical proportions. Wow, I really like that word. Smythical. You may see it more in the future on my blog, though I'll try not to abuse it. Anyway, back to the task at hand. Between the Smyths and Cravens, I don't hesitate that my family can make some mighty fine vittles. My mom made the bird. Aunt Elaine made the mashed potatoes. My cousin Emily made creamy veggies. And I don't know exactly who made all the rest, but my tummy thanks all who were involved.Fantastic Mr. Fox
In the afternoon, some of us decided to go see a movie. This is a pretty standard event for us on Thanksgiving, and we try to pick a good one. Megan, Dave, and I joined the Cravens in seeing the modern adaptation of one of our beloved childhood books, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" by Roald Dahl. It's one of those that mom read to us in bed, so being reminded of the story gave me warm fuzzies (which is curious, since it's really not a very happy-go-lucky storyline). We all agreed that the stop-motion work was fantastic and showed real craftsmanship. As is typical of Wes Anderson movies, there was a great focus on the relationships between oddball characters, and the soundtrack was excellent, too. I loved it.Family Pictures
With the twin girls growing more every day, and Peter and I living on the East coast but home for the weekend, Grammy (my mom) scheduled a timeslot at JayLynn Studios to have some family pictures taken. First we have pics taken of all of us together, then some of Adam & Lindsey's family, then Peter & Jordyn, and finally some of my Mom & Dad. I'm just gonna go ahead and say what everyone's thinking: I have got an incredibly attractive family :) Family Fun Time
When it's cold outside and we can't really play trampoline games or run around playing sports, we turn to fun indoor activities. This time, we played Guitar Hero Metallica, went to Fat Catz for bowling, played Cranium, and watched the movie "Up!" Of course, during all of these we were talking and laughing and having a good time. Which really highlights what I'm most grateful for during the holidays, my family and getting to spend time with them. I love each of my family members and can't wait to see them again at Christmas!