Monday in between trying to disinfect our house I got to attend Robyn's 1st Grade Thanksgiving feast.  They happily ate a bunch of turkey and pumpkin pie in their pilgrim hats and read to us a poem.  Simple, cute and over way too fast.  For the rest of the day kids were helping me find lots of lost treasures - socks, toys, half eaten food.  I think I should clean behind and under things more often.
And then Monday night...my brother David and my brother Daniel and their families arrived.  The holidays officially started.  We had 6 extra kids to play with, 2 extra dogs to give Rocky some entertainment and cause our cat to practice his sprints, and 4 family members to sit and visit with.  It was a week of perfection, noise and chaos and we had a great time.  The week seemed to end way too early.

Tuesday while I dealt with Spencer and his retainer and some grocery shopping my brothers' toured BYU.  My nephew Lathan told me that he is going to go to BYU now.  David even checked out Tucanos to see if his boys could eat their weight.  Since his 10 year old son, David and Griselda had spent the morning running 7 miles straight up the mountain they had definitely earned their meal.  David, Griselda and Daniel seemed to be running every day they were here, just happily climbing the hills I puff and pant my way up.  A good healthy dose for me of humility and inspiration.  Kids all brought their swim suits and remembered that at night it was hot tub time.
Wednesday David's family with Allison happily joining them (Allison and her cousin Lathan are long lost friends who stick together like glue when they can) went up to Salt Lake to tour U of U and temple square etc.  Mimi and I made a bunch of pies and kids hung out for the day.  Then that night we went up to Salt Lake with all the big kids to go out to dinner at the Garden Room on top of the Joseph Smith Building and then to see Savior of the World, a musical about the Savior's birth and death.  It was an awesome evening.  Before dinner Mimi introduced me to Anthropolgie and I now know where all my dishes will come from if I strike it rich some day and don't care that we break a plate a week around here.

Thursday, we cooked, we ate, we 'played' football, we went on a hike and then we ate again.  Griselda brought a craft for all the kids' to make turkey name cards.  Mimi brought some gorgeous flowers.  David and Griselda slaved away on a turkey.  Mimi introduced us to her dad's mashed potatoes - its better not to know the calorie count of those things and her aunt's cloud 9 salad.  It was just a great day.  And then while I lazily crashed on a couch with a movie my sister-in-laws attacked the black Friday sales, getting back Friday morning at 6 am.  Mimi is 6 months pregnant.  I can't do that non-pregnant and am definitely in a different league of shoppers than those two.
Friday I left at 10 am with them to check out a few more sales.  10 am seems so much more reasonable to me!  Then we went up to tour This is the Place park.  A cool place but can't compare to how neat it is in the summer when everything is open.

Then we went to Temple Square where they turned the Christmas lights on and we were able to walk around along with the hundreds of other people.  The nativity story on the big grass field there tears me up every time as I remember watching it with my grandpa, then Jeremy before we were married and our kids ever since.
Saturday we decided to test out Kneader's all you can eat French Toast and then hung out at a park.  Everyone was just happy to have one more day together.  We sang an early Happy birthday to Jeremy and Claire showed her mom how she had learned to ride a bike without training wheels.  And then at night we braved the madness to attend a BYU basketball game.  Robyn was more interested in her cousins and the cheerleaders and the dunk team.  It was a good, close game though that we all enjoyed.  They were handing out t-shirts at the game to encourage a high school senior who was there on a recruiting trip to choose BYU so we were all showing our spirit.

This morning everyone left when we went to church.  On the way home Robyn asked me quite folornly, "what are we going to do at home now?  everyone is gone".  I missed the family who couldn't be here and loved those who were here.  It was way too short.  Now our house just seems empty and quiet.  And reminders are popping up on my computer of laundry to do and bathrooms to clean.  Reality is hitting.  Good thing there is one slice of pumpkin pie left!