Thanksgiving Trip

I missed an entry last week because we were on our way back from Toquerville.  Last week the kids did not have school all week.  We did a couple playdates but then Wednesday afternoon we went to Toquerville for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We decided to go because Aunt Janice's kids were visiting from Florida and Ben and Cassie having just moved to Utah would be able to come too.  We stayed in an inexpensive hotel in Hurricane.  Joe and Tai stayed there too right next door to us.  Which we loved.  The kids were able to play with Jaxon a little that way.  The requirement of a hotel for the kids is that it have a pool.  The hotel did have a small indoor pool and hot tub.  But the whole time we were there the chlorine levels were so high.  We went in the pool one night and after a while the kids were just really coughing.  All the windows were open to help with it.  After that we were not allowed in the pool anymore.  We could sit in the hot tub which was ok, but not the same as being able to play in the pool.  Ben and Cassie stayed at a Hilton in St. George.  Cassie's mom, Julie, was here visiting.  They were going to bring their RV but it was being repaired.  Mom and Dad were going to stay at a hotel in Cedar City, but then one of CJ's friends offered her home as she and her family would be gone.  It was a beautiful home.  Mom and Dad stayed two nights.  They came Wednesday evening and then left Friday morning.

Wednesday night when we arrived we went right to Grandma Jeppson's.  CJ's girls were all staying there.  Everyone was visiting and making food.  That was fun.  Eric and Rubie got right in with the kids and really enjoyed them.  Thursday morning Joe and I went for a 10 mile run out toward Sand Hollow.  We all met up at the Church for a breakfast at 9.  There was a breakfast because some of Janice's kids wouldn't be coming to the dinner.  Lacey had put together a bunch of minute-to-win-it type games to get us all talking and having fun together.  We had a blast with that.  I really enjoyed reconnecting with my cousins and relatives that I have not seen for so long.  Jeremy was the only one missing from CJ's kids.  Of course we missed Jared and Chantel, and Jessica and Emmanuel.  From Janice's group Christina was missing, and for some reason Brittany did not come to the breakfast or dinner.  Carrie came from Joel's family.  I spent a few minutes at their table visiting.  She seems happy with life right now.  Grace her oldest plays volleyball and the little po-dunk Colorado school that is in the same conference as Snow College.  Her second daughter Lu Lu is a soccer and basketball star and they were headed to Vegas after Thanksgiving dinner for a soccer tournament.  Diane had 3 of her 4 boys there.  The oldest, Mick, is in New York.  Mark and Deann had Nikki and Carson, and Morgan and his wife there.

Friday everyone who was available met up at Zions Canyon for an easy hike.  The weather was beautiful.  Most of us were in shorts and T-shirts.  The easy trail we wanted to walk was closed so we did a little hike.  Sam did not want to be carried the whole time.  He wanted to walk and explore and throw rocks and sticks into the river.  So it was a little bit of a fight with him sometimes but eventually we made it to the top of the trail with everyone else.  Had a snack and took some pictures.  Then we went to the park in the canyon to eat lunch, let the kids play while the adults visited.  Then we went for ice-cream.

Friday Joe and Tai and Ben and Cassie and most of the others went home.  I called CJ to see if her kids were still around.  They were headed to Sand Mountain and invited us along.  What a blast!  All the kids and I piled into the back of Wan's pick up.  Jazzy, Chelsea and Jessie, and Scott drove 4 wheelers.  We headed out into the desert to a mountain that was red sand.  It was so much fun to climb it and roll around in it.  I skied moguls down it.  The kids had a blast.  I love being outside and just letting them be able to go and play.  The ran and climbed and it was great!

We came home Sunday and Scott had less then 2 hours at home and then left for Seattle and San Francisco for work.  He came home Thursday night.  Friday he went into work for just a couple hours.  Then he came home.  I knew as soon as Rubie told me that he was home that something was wrong.  He was laid off.  That was a total surprise to us.  It is hard to express my emotions about it.  I didn't shed a tear about it until I talked to my mom about it this afternoon.  Scott was home of course the rest of the day, the kids were out of school.  We tried to be positive about it and talk about what course of action we can take now.  We have seen so many friends and others we know go through this.  I am scared and apprehensive about it.  The one thing I know is that the Lord has always taken care of us.  What really hurts is that we were finally making progress financially.  We had plans to buy a home and a car.  The kids are in the best school and progressing in karate, and I have been training again.  Now, we get to re-evaluate things.  I am not ready to change our situation yet.  But I want to trust in the Lord and learn the lessons He has for us quickly.  I feel like the could impact the kids the most.  Amazingly I have Christmas for the kids pretty much all bought.  I just had left a few stocking stuff-errs.   I am a little worried about Eric's upcoming birthday and baptism.  That will be the hardest to pull off without some money.  I also DO NOT want to pull the kids from American Heritage School or karate.  But the school first.  This is humbling and scary.