Hi Mom!!! Hi Dad!!!

I think it is normal that when I visit at home, I never like to leave.  At the same time, the thought of living with my parents all the time isn't appealing.  It's funny how it works out like that.
Here's a video of Katelyn having a good talk with Grandma.  She's just too cute so I am putting the whole video up.

I love that we live close enough to visit, and this visit was great too.  I was able to sneak away a bit early to catch my sister and her husband, and their beastly dog Gus.  It's been too long since I've seen them!  They know so many card games. . . endless possibilities with them and card games, no joke. 
I was able to make it in time to watch Luke's football game.  He did awesome!  He is one of the linemen and you have to try so hard to focus on him to see him play because he isn't ever the one with the ball running or catching.  He sets up blocks and protects the quarterback.  He's so stinkin' strong and he "pancaked" a couple of guys. . . meaning he knocked them over flat on their backs!  He's not the usual chubby linemen, but he's one of the strongest and definitely the fastest, so the coaches like him up there on the line.  Apparently the coaches have told him not to touch the ball as he has "stone hands" so he just knocks people out of the way instead :)  Their team is doing really well and is two games away from the state champoinship game.  Football is ok to watch, but when there is somebody you know, it is so much more fun and he plays almost the whole game too!

A boy in the ward here is doing a service project to collect food for people in need.  He made up a list of what a family would need for a good Christmas dinner and then handed those out to those that wanted to help and fill a box.  So we decided to do two boxes and we went out all together to the store.  Dad turned it into a competition as we parked and he and Luke jumped out of the car and took off running into the store saying, "You snooze you lose!"  or something to that effect.  Us ladies were not about to be beat.  We are the real shoppers and we wouldn't go without a fight.  We got going and we had found so much of the list on the entrance aisle since it is the holiday season.  Dad and Luke didn't notice that aisle and they were walking in and out of all the aisles frantically because our cart had more in it so quick.  I know that some people would have a hard time believing this, but mom really does have a fast shopping mode!  Though some may have already guessed, the ladies creamed the men.  They had no chance.  Dad tried to make excuses, but they really didn't have a chance, even though they ran off and got a head start.

We finished off the night with brownie "surprise" and icecream.  Mom and Abby got a nasty surprise in theirs and nobody knows how it got inthere. . . I'm guessing the men had something to do with it. .. .sore losers ;)
I had pictures taken of Katelyn in her blessing dress.  I was pretty dissappointed how they turned out.  This dress has amazing little details and I think the lighting was too bright or something with the camera, but the dress was completely washed out.  It looks like she's wearing a plain white dress.  But the dress has beads and hand woven ribbon and little bows and they are all whited out!  Katelyn's face is cute of course, but there were even cuter faces that were caught.  The cuter faced shots didn't show the whole dress, so I chose the one that showed the whole thing to be printed, but it came out as a white blob.  I am bummed about it, but I will just have to do more pictures somewhere else or on my own.  I will post pictures of it once I get some good ones that do it justice.
The last time I went home I was going to take the dress with me since mom was finished with it.  Dad packed my car up and David unpacked the car and I never really thought about the dress.  When I came back, I mentioned that I hadn't seen the dress and we all got kind of nervous that it got lost.  I had David look around our apartment, and I looked all over the house.  I was backtracking in my head to the last time I saw it . . .. ta-daaaa!!!  I found it!  I was so relieved.  Before I found it I was joking around with Dad and we decided that Mom probably had it framed down in her craft room with spotlights shining on her beautiful work and she was pretending she didn't know where it was.  I better double check to make sure I still have it :)
I am too lucky to be so close to family.  I know my parents don't mind it one bit either.