Thanksgiving 2010

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Utah with the Brown side of the family.  I skipped out early on some of my classes so that we could spend a couple extra days with Whitney and Kemp.  We had a fabulous time!  Here are some of the highlights:

• We watched Harry Potter 1-6 at home and then went and saw the seventh one on the mammoth screen.
• We made our Thanksgiving dinner from scratch and it was delicious!  Turkey (Whitney's creation), stuffing, corn, gravy, rolls (Kemp's deliciousness), green beans, mashed potatoes, and a scrumptious punch.

•  We also had apple pie, peach cobbler, cherry pie, better-than-anything cake, and pumpkin crumble.
• Black Friday was a busy day for the boys and the girls.  Dr. Brown took Whitney and I shopping until we could shop no more.  We were spoiled.  In the meantime, the boys built a wall in order to create a nursery for the arrival of Jacie Lynn Goodwin. (YES! They're having a girl!!)
• We all met up that evening and went to Tocano's, a Brazilian barbecue place.  It has an all-you-can-eat salad bar and then they bring around a wide selection of meats and you eat until your heart's (or stomach's) content.
• After dinner it was back to work! The boys finished up the wall while the girls wrapped all the purchases for Christmas the next day.

•  Tony and I were spoiled rotten, as usual.  On top of my maternity wardrobe I received a stethoscope, a sphygmomanometer, new tennis shoes, a wheat grinder, and puzzles.  Tony got a brand new fancy-pants Android phone (which he loves), new dress shirts, tennis shoes, and some of his favorite board games.  Baby got a new jogging stroller and car seat.

•  On Saturday afternoon we went out into the freezing snow and took family pictures.  We had a lot of fun doing that and I'm excited to see how they turned out!
• Sunday meant driving home and, lucky us, there was a snow storm.  The "Speed Limit 80" signs taunted us all the way from Lehi to St. George, where we stopped for the night.  We topped of the whole trip with Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

We really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with our family.  We really do take advantage of every chance we have since we're all so spread out.  It was probably the last time we'll have all six of us together before six becomes eight!

The Infamous Christmas Card

So I’ve been thinking…should I send Christmas cards out or no? Tons of people do it every year. Am I one of those people?

Reasons why not to send Christmas cards:

1. Most people have these cute little kids that they plaster on the front. I don’t have any cute little kids yet, just a baby in my belly. Does anyone really want to get a Christmas card that has a picture of just Husband and I on the front?

2. It’s time consuming… You have to pick the card. You have to pick the picture. You have to order them. You have to decide who to send them to. You have to address the envelopes. You have to lick-and-stick the envelopes. You have to stamp the envelopes. You have to take the envelopes to the post office.

3. Sending Christmas cards can get mighty pricey. Period.

Reasons to send Christmas cards:

1. We recently had pictures taken and they’re perfect for Christmas cards. There’s snow. Husband and I are freezing. At least if we look like we’re absolutely freezing but still trying to smile the picture will be entertaining. (There’s nothing better than family pictures in Utah.)

2. Shutterfly.com makes the time-consuming-ness of Christmas cards a million times easier. They have a large selection of fabulous cards so it doesn’t matter which one you pick. If you want, Shutterfly will even stamp and mail them for you!

3. If you shop on shutterfly.com, you can get great deals because they always have things on sale and run great promotions (such as free shipping).

I’ve bought books, calendars, and prints from Shutterfly and I’ve always been very impressed. I just might use them for my first ever Christmas photo cards as well!

Some of their choices!