Conkey Thanksgiving

Throughout November, I furiously prepared for the Family Housing Thanksgiving Dinner - a full blown feast that is free for all residents. We lost our venue that we've used in the years past (it was condemned because of asbestos. Yikes!) so we had to get creative as to where we could feed 200ish people. 

We decided to use the beautiful old dining hall in Sewall hall, the oldest dorms on campus. I worked with the catering staff to organize the event and then had to figure out how to get our residents up the hill. Eventually, I convinced my boss to allow me to rent a bus to shuttle people up there. I was also worried about people not showing up to the event because it was somewhere new and further away. I spent hours making a map and fliers that were then distributed door to door.

Instead of having far fewer people show up, my advertising actually worked and instead of 200 people showing up like anticipated, we had nearly 400 people come. I don't know how much extra food the dining staff actually prepared but it was like the miracle of the loaves and fishes. We actually had just enough to feed every last person. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough seating and that was our main problem. People were standing waiting for seats at the tables while other people just sat and hung out for hours rather than eating and leaving. We always want people to enjoy each other's company, but in this case, it was stressful.

We showed the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie in the lobby where people were waiting and the kids did trivia pages and colored. It was a hugely successful event and I was really pleased with how it turned out. Next year, though, we'll have to prepare for a larger crowd. 

I didn't take one picture during the event because I was running from place to place stressing about where people could sit and when we'd run out of food. Just imagine a beautiful wood paneled room with plasterwork ceilings completely packed with people from all over the world eating tons of turkey and you've got the basic idea. I love that it was many of our international residents' first traditional Thanksgiving feast. That is always my favorite part of these events - introducing our residents to wonderful American traditions.

We spent Thanksgiving with Don's family this year and as always, had such a blast.

We kicked off the fun with a visit to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Sam was as fascinated as ever with the space exhibit.

He loves to watch the crater simulator. He would have watched it all day if we'd let him. 

Poor Grant threw up on the ride from Co. Springs so Don ran out and got him some clothes and then Isaac, Grant, Brian, April, Mom, Dad, Christine, Josh, and Garnet joined us. 

Sammy checking out the astronaut doing his space walk. He tells me often he is doing a space walk after we've lifted off in our imaginary space shuttle. Maybe Don's dad will finally have his dream fulfilled of having an astronaut in the family. Sam is fully obsessed.

Everyone together!

How tall are you compared to a T-rex?

Isaac didn't like the dinosaurs (too big and scary) but Sam was just enthralled by them. When we walked in the room with the dinosaur bones he whispered, "Biiiig dinosaurs!" in an awe-filled voice. I think it was the first time he recognized how big they are.

Chris and Josh with the enormous fish fossil. You can see that the fish died because he choked on another fish (visibly caught in his ribs and throat in the fossil). Fascinating!

Josh, Christine, and Garnet with the awesome wild boar panorama.

Watching the paleontologists work on the items from the dig near Snowmass. Very cool.

Sam sure loves his Poppy!

Lunch time!

Sam tripped just as I was taking this picture. It was so cute watching Isaac and Sam walking around holding hands with Poppy.

Gravity coin spin. The boys loved it (including Don and his dad - little boys at heart). 

Cutest little Garnet and Aunt April!

Don's mom had just had a cortisone shot in her knee so she rode around in a wheelchair for awhile at the end of our museum adventure. Sam loved riding with her.

Silly daddy with his deer ears. Amazing how much better you can hear with those things on.

The biggest pin push board I've ever seen. 

Sammy loves Isaac and as soon as we got home from the museum, they had a little snuggle on the couch before bed. 

Wendi, Ben, Don, me, Josh, Christine, and April and Brian went to the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center. They had some really interesting exhibits. The picture below is a conglomeration of tons of pieces of junk (screws, washers, etc.), all glued onto this canvas and painted.

Christine and I were excited to play our violins together, especially since it was time for Christmas music. We had both forgotten a music stand so we made due by tacking our music to a tree outside the front of the house and slowly shifting around the tree to read the next page... We got lots of strange looks from people driving by and some random applause from the neighbor. After we'd practiced up, we serenaded Don's mom with our Christmas medley (Christine's creation). It was very fun. 

Playing through some old Suzuki music from lessons long ago.

I made the Thanksgiving rolls this year. It was first attempt and they turned out pretty well. 

Don decided to try to throw a frisbee from the deck into the pond (just past the line of trees you can see)...

He was successful!

Cute, smiley Arvo. What cute kid!

Ben, Arvo, and Wendi. It is so fun to have all our kiddos so close in age.

Turkey time!

Dinner!

Wendi bought all the grandkids "Future Astronaut" shirts when they were on sale at Target since Don's dad is so obsessed with having an astronaut in the family. Sam refused to wear his and cried and cried about putting it on (when he sets his mind to or against something - watch out!) but finally, we got him in it and got a picture with all the grandkids. 

Garnet sporting the shirt...

And Grant

All the daddys and grandkids. Sam was not cooperative in any of these pictures. 

Grandpa with the kiddos. Sam finally smiled in this one. 

Happy that pictures were over. 

Sam and I had fun coloring.

And the kids got to watch one of Grammy's old film strips of the birth of Jesus before bed one night. They loved it.

Sammy missed his cousins once we got home but has been on a furious tower building kick since Thanksgiving. He calls these mega blocks his "Megan Blocks." If you are itching to build towers for hours on end, head on over to our house. :)