Thanksgiving Memories

We enjoyed a delightful Thanksgiving meal with my Mom, Dad, Kim, Jacob, and my family. It was good to have my Dad and Mom with us as Dad has not been able to get out of the house much as he recovers from surgery and various other health issues that have weakened his body. The grandchildren enjoyed being with their grandparents and we were all put into a food coma by the consumption of turkey, potatoes, gravy, yams, stuffing, rolls and pumpkin pie. My sister Chris, Kat, and Paul connected with us via FACETIME on our iPads and it was the next best things as being there.

I received this picture of Elder Bishop from the family whom he spent Thanksgiving with while serving in Provo, Utah on his mission. He reported to us that it was one of three meals he consumed that day. I was delighted to receive this picture in my inbox!!!

Jessie and I entertained ourselves by having a snowball fight with TOILET PAPER! Carson joined in the fun after he was jealous and Hunter could not bring himself to be involved in such juvenile entertainment! He did manage to enjoy some "social" time with his peers and even bought the handsome purple shirt he is wearing in the pictures.

Brad had several nights shifts to work during the five-day holiday. We spent time with several friends, playing games and had a small gathering at our house which motivated me to get Christmas decor up.

Jess and I woke up on Saturday while the teenagers slept and worked together to make our house festive for the holidays!

You are NEVER alone when you have good friends!!!

Jess, Carson, Hunter, Brad and I have been participating in the ward choir the last three months! Tana Lloyd, our church choir director, challenges us with music not nearly sung enough! Our small group of adults and children manage to generate quite a sound considering our talent load.

 It has brought me great joy to see Jessie singing in the same choir with her brothers and Dad! Brad has taken the 3 boys for years and now Jess is mature enough to sing herself! She LOVES it and can carry a tune quite well! I on the other hand am TONE death, but am still going to enjoy the experience seeing my children sing together!

Carson, Dylan and Alexis Bailey.

Sara and Kami Wheeler, Alexis Bailey and Eli Staggs

Maleah and Kai Deshler, Kauliua Brown and Jessica Bishop appear in this photo all dressed up in their Sunday best. The friends gathered to celebrate a baptism.

2nd Grade Projects for Jessica Bishop

Carson at CMH

For almost a year, Carson has participated in a study for medicines for attention deficit. Twice a year, I take him to Children's Mercy Hospital and he spends about 6 hours there. He goes without food for 8 hours. After a pediatrician gives him a complete physical (a life-altering event for him), he is given a medicine. He waits for one hour and then consumes all the food he can eat. 

He then has to provide urine samples over the next 6 hours. The study tests the absorption of the medicine in one's system. Overall, he has enjoyed the experience and is even earning little money!

Boy Scouts of America and the American Flag

Check out this link which shows pictures of the Boy Scouts of our Troop setting up over 1,000 flags in two areas of the city to honor Veterans. Both Carson and Hunter helped with this project.

Election 2012: First Mormon ALMOST elected President

The Republican Party is a "Mad Men" party in a "Modern Family" America"------ interesting quote from a commentator!

Our beloved Republican candidate and presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, lost tonight to second-term president, Barrack Obama.

I visited Jessie and her classmate, Brinkley Burress, for lunch at their elementary school on Tuesday, November 6---ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA!

They were proud to wear their "I Voted" stickers as they got to participate in a MOCK election. The winner was THEIR FAVORITE TEACHER!

While watching the election results on television throughout the night, we snacked on RED, WHITE, and BLUE SNACKS. It was a very disappointing night indeed and even red, white, and blue snacks could not relieve us of the funk we were in while observing Mitt lose.

I came across this post on FB, written by Leslie Huntsman Jamieson, my sister's sister-in-law married to a resident in training, and it mimics so much of my feelings perfectly:

2 days post election and I am still so deflated. I can't stay quiet. How could America let Romney slip through their fingers? What an opportunity lost. So who cares about the economy anyway...they say the social issues are what got Obama in. I am pro-choice too. When you CHOOSE to have sex with someone and CHOOSE to potentionally create life, that's where the choice ends my friends. Sexual sin is 

still a serious sin. May I include adultery, pornography, and pre-marital sex in there with homosexuality, even though those have long been WIDELY accepted. I read a magazine article the other day where Michelle Obama touted her husbands support of women being the breadwinners. I am sorry, but who is raising our children? I am a educated, talented, strong woman and I have made this choice to raise my children and give them the best at great personal sacrifice. Where am I getting my validation or 'pats on the back', well not from the world, that's for sure. And for those who will or are making over 250K. Well that will be us. Yes, they are people you know. My husband is a FIRST generation college graduate, who has worked his tail off for ten years in school and training, worked Saturdays and evenings to pay for our children's clothes we buy from 'once upon a child', and the possible happy meal trip once a week, oh and heaven forbid, dance lessons for our oldest. We could cut back there. Only to come out of this long journey next year having to not only repay our $250,000 in school debt but to have to pay over %40 in taxes. Oh yes, we will still have enough money left over to live, and and we will and have always planned to be generous, but this is NOT the answer for our economy. I am worried for our nation and my children's future. We are becoming a selfish, God-less nation. I will pull myself together and support and pray for our countries leaders, but will not change my standards or look to them or the media for social guidance. I will look to God and live.