Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving was a roller coaster this year.
I had a nice quiet time shopping for the food all by myself at my wonderful Day's Market and I really only spent about $15 more than I might have at a crazy, dirty, busy supermarket.
I got all of my ingredients for our brine for the turkey and we even invested in a roaster because our oven is seriously small! But we were so pleased to get one for a great price at Macy's. I felt like such a grown-up with my white and black roasting pan on my counter! I think my Gramma may have had one like this.
Then I had some freaky melt down...I don't know, the pressure of actually having money to go Christmas shopping--whew! I don't know if I can handle it.
I was also thinking about my family which means my brother in Oregon and my brother in Indiana that I just left. My parents were on my mind as Turkey Day was one of my Dad's favorites (maybe even more than Christmas!) It just isn't the same without them. I heard a great line on Golden Girls: "No mater how old you are, when you lose both your parents you feel like you're six again".
I know, pitiful me, but I still feel like an orphan.
And most of all, Thanksgiving is always the time I think about Reagan the most because it was the day in2004 as we were finishing up our delicious meal that was brought over to us by our wonderful friends, that we got the excited call from her Dr saying that she had been taken off the oxygen and she was doing great and we could expect her home for Christmas. I got off the phone and sighed with relief and gratitude and marveled at what was truly a terrific Thanksgiving. Then she was taken from us 2 days later.
It is a tremendously hard time for me, but the kids really stepped up and it was the best dinner!
Vanessa took charge of the menu and kept the kitchen cleaned up as they went. Kenzie helped with the snacks and Calah even made the Sweet Potato Souffle. They were even able to keep Kian occupied while I had my moments.
I am SO grateful for my husband who listened and understood and my kids who knew what I needed and the day was so pleasant and happy!


I have no idea what is going on here--Kenzie


Or here--Calah and Kian

But apparently we were laughing so hard that Kian had to plug his ears. He does this whenever we get out of hand :0)
We did kind of deteriorate from this--
To this--
And even this--


Yes, that is a pie box--that is all I know.
We had FUN and that is what I love about my family.


I miss my brothers and Grandparents and aunts and cousins, but I am thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me with especially these last few months.

Leaving Indiana

Most of you may not be surprised to know that of all the things that are left in "storage" (AKA the Orcutt's garage :o) the thing I miss the most is not my bread maker, but a book.
But what surprised even me is how much I miss this book!



What may surprise you is the kind of book...it's my scriptures.
Sitting in Sunday school yesterday as Brother Farnsworth was naming the scriptures we were going to read and I felt sad. Crazy I know! I could easily share with Doug and while at home I have access to several copies of the Book of Mormon. But there is something intangible that I love about my own scriptures. My notes are there, my red pencil has highlighted important passages to me. At troubling times in my life I have gone there and found peace and answers. My friend Rich Warren helped me through a tough time with a scripture and it is noted there. When my brother Lee was having awful troubles and I felt helpless for him I found a scripture to comfort me and I hope at the time, him as well.


I have slips of paper from lessons that were particularly enlightening.
It took years, but finally all of the pages are loose and not still gilded together--even those sections that we don't often use thanks to a Bible Study that I did with my Sunblest friends a couple of years ago.
There are memories in my scriptures...kind of like a scrapbook. I miss that.
My family would probably rather have the bread machine since that is the only way I know how to "make and bake" a loaf of bread, but Grandma Sycamore does a great job with bread so my book is the better deal!

Henry V

Tonight it was finally time to see all of Mackenzie's hard work on stage in Henry V!
It was better than I expected for high school Shakespeare, but Henry V isn't really my cup of tea and I was lost for a lot of it. I knew a little of the background and so I got it OK and the parts of comedy were well-done, but Kenzie was by far the best actor up there.


She had depth to her emotions and her enunciation was fantastic and she made a fine looking Prince of France! She even died on stage--for real, well, you know what I mean.

After the show she was trying to keep us from taking pictures. The girls from her Mia Maid class came to share with her...it was really great of them because they don't even go to Provo High.

But we finally got her and her beard :0)

Getting a Paycheck!

Since MOST of my personal things are in Indiana still--
That's right, our bedroom boxes were the last to go on the truck and they just didn't fit. The only clothes I have are the ones I wore on the drive out here when it was August and hot.
My jeans, sweaters, winter shoes, journals, scriptures, church clothes, hoodies all in the Orcutt's garage. We are working on getting all of it sent out here, but it is a process requiring perfect timing and many phone calls and estimates and about $1000 so...

So I got a fabulous new dress for church today at Macy's!!!
Regularly $99 for $25!
When Mackenzie saw it she was gobsmacked because she said it is SO cute! But not too young for me :0)
I LOVE it when Doug gets a paycheck...what a great feeling!
Between Macy's and the DI I am not looking too shabby :-)

Invisible Cabbage

Today as we were driving, Kian says
"When I get bigger I am going to build a building that is so beautiful--when I am like 25 or something"
I say,"Really? OK that's a good idea".
"It's going to be big and I'm going to call it Invisible Cabbage".
"Oh..." A little stumped, I admit.
Then he clears it up for me,
"That means that you can buy like food and games for like zero dollars".
Sounds good to me!
Coming soon to a neighborhood near you--
Invisible Cabbage!!

Kindergarten...

Most days are great, but every now and then I get a glimpse into the heart-breaking world of being in Kindergarten.
Kian and I have been trying the "drop-off". This is where I pull into the front of the school and he gets out and goes into class all by himself. Many of the kids are doing this so he thought he could too.
Today as we pull in he says, "Mom can you come in with me?"
Right! The day I haven't showered and I have had 4 hours of sleep? What for??
"No, honey, you can do it all by yourself".
"But Mom, please?"
"What do you need me for?"
"So you can help me take off my backpack but not my coat".
"Sweetie, you can take off your coat too".
"But I don't want to, I want to leave it on".
"Why?"
"Because I can't put it on by myself when we go out to recess".
"Well, can't you ask one of y our friends for help?"
"no"...in such a small voice.
In that moment, he seemed SO little and I wondered h ow I could possibly be sending him out into a big world where you can't ask for help?!
I pray that he has a good day, but I will be worrying all day that he is somehow lost. I'm not sure he knows how to ask for help because he never has to at home. Someone is always too eager to help him...he's so cute :-)
But he is in the real world of kindergarten and he can show no weakness!
Poor baby...

Mystery Dinner Theatre

Also tonight Mackenzie went to the Mystery Dinner that was put on by the drama council at Provo High. It was set in the 1920's and since we could not find a flapper costume for less that $50 we got a couple of accessories and improvised the rest.
I think she looks beautiful!