THANKSGIVING

We went to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving this year after facing a difficult decision (we are still hoping for forgiveness from a certain party).  In wake of that, the flight was really rough and practically everyone got sick on the flight out.  However, on a layover in San Francisco we bough Ghiradelli chocolates and a fellow family of passengers gave us some magazines they had read after we struck up a conversation about Disneyland and travel.  Consequently, we finished a crossword puzzel on the way down.
In Vegas the weather was beautiful and balmy.  We watched Bugsy Malone (Julia's first time).  We tried to clean out some my old files and possessions from growing up.  We ate out at Roberto's Taco Shop and Baja Fresh.  We also had some fun watching several Studio C clips and trying to fix the paintball guns.
Thanksgiving was at my parent's home.  Julia (and I) made two of her AMAZING apple pies (Aunt Jackie even called them "earthy looking") and helped out with a few other things. The dinner was fantastic including a bevy of delicious pies, turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes/turnips, beets and beeted carrots, green beans, stuffing, pomegranate juice, Marco's rolls, soups, etc.  There were new babies there including niece E and D & A Reynolds' baby girl A.  The settings were lovely and the company was spectacular.  We also enjoyed having friends Katya (from Russia) and Aswin (from India) present.
Later, we reconvened at the church to play a game of Yoga Ball, knock-out, and then basketball.
Over the week we went to see Wreck It Ralph (most of the family liked) and Lincoln (everybody loved).
Later still, the Meservys got together for a smaller round of Christmas poems.
Dad took the boys golfing on Friday.  On the first tee-off one of the brothers accidentally threw his club easily 200 feet.  There were a handful of par holes had and plenty of disappointing bouts but it was still fun.  And, afterward we went to get wings before coming home to a baby shower being thrown by the women for sister E's best friend B.  The shower looked great and the chicken sandwiches were excellent.
Sunday we took some family photos and then did the traditional BLTs with the priesthood.

David Archuleta & The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Julia and I attended this live when we were dating.  Thank you for the free tickets Grandma Behra.  The dancing and singing was very impressive.  This was, indeed, a very classy performance.  I recommend it and now you can watch it.

Lincoln

The best Abraham Lincoln film around is the new Spielberg film.  It is very well researched, quotes from his life extensively, and a great film.  It also focused on Lincoln's role in the passing of the 13th Amendment (outlawing slavery as the first constitutional mention of slavery) and his family life.

Some quotes:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing."

"Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong."

"We begin with equality, it’s the origin, isn’t it? That’s justice. See, we’ve shown that if people can endure awful sacrifice and yet cohere."

Another terrific reference--
Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years by Carl Sandberg
The book was a Pulitzer Prize winner and Sandberg interviewed people who knew Lincoln personally in compiling his account.

A Gem Amongst the Suburbia

A few weeks ago I found this on my walk:

Nestled among the many houses and apartments, this little gem seemed calm and serene. It's always nice to find a little patch of countryside close to our home.

Trick-Or-Treat

This Halloween we had "secret plans and clever tricks," to quote the Roald Dahl book we read recently at Barnes & Noble about a mastermind crocodile who wants to eat " nice, juicy" children. We planned for Joe to be Jonah from the Bible story and for me to be the rainbow fish from the children's book (much thanks to Elise for the idea). We were going to make our car into the whale with big white teeth in the trunk and a tail in the front so that Joe could sit inside while we passed out candy to the kiddos at the ward trunk-or-treat. However, the weather was rather bleak and rainy that day and we ran late so it didn't quite work out the way we planned.
Joe did dress up as Jonah though and I threw together a rainbow fish costume the night before so we were Jonah and the fish or as one girl guessed the old man and the sea. After the ward trunk-or-treat and chili cook off we went to a fun Halloween Party where we got to chat with some friends.

Joe said, "We look like rockstars!" I think by that he means he looks like a rockstar. I look like a fish. haha - Joe got tired of wearing most of his Jonah costume pretty quick.

On Halloween night we had no plans. We had gotten some candy and hoped some little ghouls would stop by trick-or-treating. Joe wanted to get a movie so we stopped off at Hastings where we ran into two couples from our ward! Joe invited one of them over for games at our place and they accepted! After pizza, jenga, and lots of fun they left and Joe and I were excited to have just had our first guests over to our apartment (besides family). Alas, there were no trick-or-treaters to be found, but that didn't stop me and Joe from eating all the candy in the house. Happy Halloween!

Miss Atomic Bomb

My wife is the real Miss Atomic Bomb...unfortunately, she also dropped a bomb on me and left to the Relief Society social tonight...I'll forgive and make up...

Thank you Brother Flowers and company for the poetic synthesis.

Joe's Favorite Halloween Movies

Signs (2002)
What Lies Beneath (2000)
Arachnophobia (1990)
Vertigo (1958)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

**Although I have yet to see it I have heard good things about The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)**