Happy Holidays, Part 1

We interrupt our regularly scheduled December programming to bring you:Our Thanksgiving Trip to Ohio.

(It’s true. I could have posted about this trip earlier. I actually have a pretty valid excuse for the delay, but I don't feel the need to justify myself.   Judge at will.  I'm not ashamed.)

Question:  What do you get when you pile four adults and one two year old into a small sedan and commence a cross country drive? 

Answer: A heaping harvest of laughter!

Lucy:  

“I need to watch Marry Poppins!"

"Shu we watch Mary Pops?”

“Mom, can you draw Marry Poppins?” (This last request was followed by mom's sincere attempt to comply and then by Lucy's tearful, “No mom! Draw her nicely! Make her beautiful!” So much for my career as an artist!) 

Needless to say, Marry Poppins was love at first watch.  

And the dried Mangos we packed, love at first taste.

Lucy: "I wannanother Mango!"

Daddy: "OK, honey, just a minute and I'll get it."

Lucy:  "No.  I jus wannit faster!" 

Lucy also loved the Midwestern farmland we drove through for days. 

(“Do you see the silo, grampa? Do you see the silo?” Repeated 100 times.) 

And she loved the homemade sewing cards and the construction paper turkey feathers and all the Thanksgiving books that occupied so much of our traveling time.
My favorite Thanksgiving book this year:...but even after all the reading and talking we did about Pilgrims and Indians, ships, farms, and feasting, Lucy still answered my question, “what will we do on Thanksgiving?” with a resounding, “I will be a turkey.” (We must have done Halloween really well. It’s infiltrating all other holidays.)

The Backyardigans were also an en-route hit.  But if anyone dares to sing the theme song in my presence…

All-in-all, it was a wonderful drive. Lucy did great! We were so proud of her! (And we had a good laugh on Thanksgiving day when one relative was kind enough to make conversation with Lucy and asked her, “Where do you live?” Lucy’s unhesitating response was, “In the car.”)

Our initial stop in Ohio was Kirtland.
We had cold hands and cheeks as we walked among Kirtland's homes, stores, fields, and temple, all of which were dressed up in their feathery autumn finery. We had warm hearts as we huddled in the rooms, hallways, and stairwells that were the backdrop of so many Restoration miracles, visions, and revelations. The stories and sights we took in combined into a hearty harvest of testimony. Next on the travel itinerary: visits to Lucy’s Packer cousins, Ryan, Haley, Justin, Eli, Tiana, Jaren, Alyssa, Pounce, Princess, and Lucky. Those last three being cats, you will believe me when I tell you that Lucy would be content to live out her days at Uncle Rog’s “kitty house!!” and the adjoining 8 acres.What a harvest of memories! Lucy’s morning trips to the barn (pajama clad and sleepy eyed) to feed the cats, beautiful walks and beautiful talks in the quiet Ohio countryside, tons of cousin play dates, a “grown-ups-only” restaurant outing (it still gives me a special little feeling inside to be included in those!), of course a holiday movie (Mr. Magorium's Magic Emporium: Lucy's first, conscious theater experience.)Ah, what else to say?? We played games and listened to impromptu talent shows. We ate delicious food. It was a traditional Thanksgiving celebration in every way, probably not very different from yours. But it was a personal soul-feast. My very own harvest of love.

Lucy waiting to 'be the turkey' at our Thanksgiving table...

And I could have eaten her right up.