Turturkeykey

The title is a reference to the sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. Mark and I have almost finished the first 6 seasons on Netflix. We love it - a lot. Anyway...on to Thanksgiving! We went to Utah for the Wheeler's first Thanksgiving in Midway. I drove back to LA from my Vegas girl's weekend on Sunday morning, gathered up all of our stuff and then did an about-face to head back up to Utah with Mark, Sylvi and Bennett. It was a long, long day. Mark couldn't get away from school and work until Tuesday, so we drove without him and picked him up from the airport Tuesday night.

A day away from hubby/daddy is never very fun for us, but at least we got to spend Monday evening hanging with my best friend Sarah and our dear friend Lillian! Lillian and Sarah were roommates freshman year in the room next to mine in DT (I set them up :D) and now, 2 missions, 2 bachelor's degrees and 7 years later, Sarah and Lillian are roommates again! Works out so well for me. :) After playing with Bennett (who took a serious liking to Lillian and always loves seeing Sarah) and putting him to bed, we sat around catching up giggling like we were all 18 again. The mark of a good friend is that you can go years without seeing them and still pick right back up where you left off.

old and new buddies

Tuesday night Mark Thomas, Chris and Jenn all flew into town, then Wednesday morning Dave arrived with the boys, so it was a full house in no time. We got halfway ready for Thanksgiving on Wednesday and Thursday put on one fabulous meal. No one is left without a job when there's a Wheeler caliber holiday meal to be prepared. Sylvi makes the grand master plan, Chris coordinates our efforts, Mark Thomas does pies, Jenn does ice cream, I chop and dice everything that's not nailed down, Mark Sr. engineered our ridiculously large round table with the help of a lot of plywood and Dave keeps the boys entertained and out from under our feet.

If you're wondering if one meal is really worth all this effort, it is! Bennett clearly agrees, just look at that messy face!

Sorry most of these pictures are taken with our phones, not a real camera. This is half the dinner party...
...The other half of the crew. Try not to look so excited, Trey.
Bennett has such an impish grin on his face because when I took him into the kitchen to clean up his previously pictured messy face, he managed to swipe a fifth dinner roll from a tray by the sink. He was so pleased with himself I didn't have the heart to deny him :)

Friday we had a big party with lots of extended family come out to visit. The many kids had lots of fun running through the fields around the house while the adults visited and ate paninis. I forgot to take many pictures this trip, this is the only one I have from that day of a few of the kids out in the front yard.

I just can't resist a picture of Bennett in his cute bomber jacket and boots. More Thanksgiving in the next entry!