Thanksgiving 2015

A few months back my oldest brother Steve, texted Darrell and I to see if we could all go up to Flagstaff and have Thanksgiving together.  The entire family- kids, grand kids and my Dad.  Darrell and I were skeptical about this.  As my dad has gotten older, and he has gotten crankier, he is very irritable and does not handle crowds well at all. On the other hand each year I worry about my Dad being lonely etc on the Holidays, although most years he just has Thanksgiving with Steven and his family at a restaurant. We also know he won't be around forever and the entire family has never been all together.

Steven said he knew of a nice restaurant in Flagstaff that wasn't too crowded, noisy etc.  That could accommodate all of  us and would make everyone happy.  Steven even talked to my Dad about this before hand he seemed happy about it.  When I talked to my dad a few days before he also seemed to be looking forward to seeing everyone.

The day before Thanksgiving about an hour before we were planning on leaving town, I get an email from my dad saying he is sick and not to come up.  I was so frustrated.  He actually pulls this "illness" every year.  For several years after my mom died I invited my dad to come down and join us for Thanksgiving.  We would wait and wait, he would never show up.  Then I would call him and he would tell me he is "sick". I think he just doesn't like the crowds and the thought of all of us overwhelms him.    After being frustrated for a minute (truly 60 seconds), I thought about it, then I was then relieved.  I didn't have to go pile the family into the car and drive 3 hours to Flagstaff  for a meal, then come home the next day.   I didn't have to put up with the Chaos of the entire family with kids of all ages being together in a restaurant with my cranky Dad.  I wouldn't have to deal the the family drama of my brother Darrell being mad at Curtis for the last 11 years for reasons we can't even remember. I wouldn't have to go be in the cold.   It was actually a very good thing. 

Since it was late Wednesday afternoon and I hadn't planned on doing Thanksgiving dinner, I really didn't want to start planning now.  The stores would already be crazy busy and it just felt good to not to have to do anything.  I think Curtis was very happy to come home from work and for once he got to do "nothing".  We just decided we would find a resturant near us and have Thanksgiving there. 

We decided on Rawhide Western town.  We had never been there, the prices were reasonable and it sounded like they had a pretty good  traditional Thanksgiving menu + a few extra's like prime rib, and it was kid friendly. 

Rawhide was an absolute winner.  We loved the food, everyone had a great time and for the cost it was for us to all go eat out was about the same I would have paid to go buy it and slave away in the kitchen all day, then have to clean it all up, and find a place to stash the leftovers in my already crowded fridge.  We stuffed ourselves  (all but Trey, he decided to be healthy today.  All he ate was a bit of lettuce, cheese and a little dessert.  He wouldn't even try his favorite Mac and cheese).  They also had a nice band playing.  It was well done with a little western flare. 

After we were so stuffed we could barley move, we walked around the western town and the kids had a great time.  Dax and Derek pulled their money together and bought a fake gun.  Because we don't have any of those laying around every corner of the house here (haha).

Arrested for eating salad instead of a Thanksgiving feast

The kids actually loved the cowboy name thing in the back of this picture.  You look at your initials and it gives you a cowboy name.  The kids thought this was hilarious.
Our cowboy names:

Curtis=Billy "The Terrible" Gold-Digger
Marilyn= Shorty Gold-Digger
Dax=Smiley "The Fearsome" Gold-Digger
Derk= Smiley "The Wanted" Gold-Digger
Trey= Buck "The Ruthless" Gold- Digger

They thought these were pretty funny especially since our last name was "Gold-Digger"  Dax always refers to our dog "Oreo" as Gold-Digger because she only goes to the kids when they have food that she wants.

We loved our Thanksgiving, and Rawhide may just be our new Thanksgiving Tradition.  The only thing we would do different is have the dessert/ pie at home after the food settles a bit.

Happy Birthday Trey J

#7

Trey is 7 and I can't believe it.  I know I say that every birthday, but I really can't believe it.

Yesterday was Veterans Day.  First thing in the morning, I dropped Derek off to go be in the Veterans Day Parade.  For the Citizen in the community Merit Badge Derek had to do a bit of service so him and his troop went to be in the Veterans Day Parade.   Derek's leaders told me he did great. He went up to all the Veterans, shook their hands and saluted them.  He went out of his way to the veterans  that were in wheel chairs.  The leaders were very proud of him, and said he was awesome.

Since the kids were not in school we decided to go see the Movie Goosebumps for Trey's birthday.  Trey had been asking to see this movie for several months, but he actually called it "Jack Black"  I guess the previews didn't do a good job of getting the movie's name out, just the  actor's name for one of the characters.

The movie was decent, but it was probably a little old for Trey.  He got scared and Curtis had to take him out for a bit.  We told him he could leave, but he put his brave on and finished the movie and actually liked it.  
Now onto the actual Birthday ...
Trey wanted  Skylanders Superchargers.  It is a video game, that I don't know much about.  I've heard of Skylanders and that is about all.  I do know that Trey and his friend Jeremy have been in cahoots about this for a long time.  Jeremy introduced Trey to Skylanders and for months they have had this scheme that Trey would give Jeremy something or other Skylanders for Jeremy's birthday in October and Jeremy would give Trey the rest of the  Skylanders and then they would have it all.  Or something like that.  These were pretty expenseive so I really wasn't willing to give Jeremy this $60 birthday gift, and we were not planning on having a party for Trey this year (planning on Disnelyland instead) so Mom and Dad just gave Trey what he asked for and Jeremy got a  $15 Target gift card.

Happy Birthday cute 7 year old

Should be thumps up. Book #10 for Diary of a Wimpy kid that he had been asking for

WAHOO!! Skylanders Superchargers

Jurassic World Cake,  I had a #7 sparkler instead of candles. Can't find those pics

Talking Stick Basketball

Curtis was invited to be a part of a Real Estate panel East vs West.  They had a few agents from both sides of town sit on a panel, then they would play basket ball against each other where the Phoenix Sun's play on their court.  Curtis was not excited about the Real Estate Panel, but the basketball was calling his name.  The teams were supposed to be coached for NBA players, their names were announced as they came in, and they had NBA refs.  It was a cool idea.

It was put on by a mortgage company and it wasn't publicized very well.  It was supposed to be a fundraiser for Veterans Day, but the only people that came were pretty much the people on the panel, a few of their families and office staff.  A total bust if they were trying to get a crowd.  The event was actually pretty cool, just not executed as well as it could have been.  Curtis did great on the panel and had fun in the game (East Side)  Maybe if they were lucky they raised $100.  $10 a ticket/participants didn't have to pay.

They gave Curtis  a "locker" with his name on it

The Gorilla and I meet again

East side RE Panel

Me with Tom Chambers former Suns player

hustle on the court

Group Photo, west side won

Curtis with his Coach, Tom Chambers

Fun times on the NBA court

October 31, 2015 Welcome to the future Marty McFly- Halloween

Several Months ago (like July)  Derek asked if he could be Mary McFly from the Back to the Future Movies for Halloween.  I thought it was a great idea.  A classic movie with a fairly easy costume, and fitting since it was the year (Oct, 21 2015) that Doc and Marty traveled into the Future  Sure- No Problem.  As we were talking about this we decided it would be funny if Dax went as Doc Brown, since Dax already is a bit of a mad scientist himself, it was kind of fitting.

Time went on, the kids were talking about the movies and odd trivia they had read about it.  Trey hadn't seen the movies and kept asking questions so we rented the first movie and watched it together.  It really is a great movie and I forgot how good, funny, well done it was.  After the movie Trey said he wanted to be the "DeLorean Time Machine" for Halloween,  I thought it was pretty clever of him to come up with that, it was a great idea.  I thought about it and I decided that I thought I knew of a way that I could create that costume.  It was August about this time, and I didn't want to get to involved in these costumes in case they changed their minds by Halloween.  I looked around, did some DeLorean research and felt I could make one (crossing my fingers it would turn out).

I had a plan, the first week in Oct I started working on the DeLoren.  There were some bumps, a few design flaws etc.  I kept plugging away.  I knew this would take some time, but I admit it took a whole lot more time that I had anticipated.  I wasn't even sure if it would come together.  I kept telling Trey the back up plan was he would have to be "Biff" from the movie instead of the car.  Curtis just said "just make it work" along with "you are spending an awful lot of time on this"  There were some times it looked like a big hunk of junk.  I didn't even take pictures of the process along the way because I didn't know if it was even worth documenting.  One Mom gave me the idea of Paper Mache' which was what saved the project.  The Paper Mache made it all come together so it would work. It took me nearly the entire month of Oct (off and on) to get this done.  This simple Marty McFly Halloween costume had grown into a monster.  I think I spent more time on this DeLorean then every Halloween costume put together over the last 15 years.  I'm glad I started this when I did and didn't wait until the last minute

The Finished DeLorean Flux Capacitor and all

Doc and  his invention

George McFly, Lorraine Baines McFly, Doc Brown, Marty McFly, and the DeLorean

Curtis and I never dress up for Halloween, but this year we joined the fun. We went as Marty McFly's Parents.    We really had a great time.  On Friday night we went to Trunk or Treat at the Church, then Saturday we went Trick-or Treating in the neighborhood.    Everyone loved the DeLorean.  Several of my friends told me our family was their favorite costumes of the night.  The next night Trey, Dax and Derek and I went dressed up to go Trick or Treating in the neighborhood, while Curtis stayed back and passed out candy.  Dax and Derek got separated from the DeLorean, but they had a great time.  When they knocked on doors they would do the "Back to the Future" routine and ask the people what year it was, yada yada.  Most people went along with it and thought it was great.  When Trey and I showed up to the same doors, they all told us they had already seen Doc and Marty. Some neighbors a few streets over had a big block party for everyone, which added to the fun.  Some of those neighbors (The Durans)  I had actually run into at the thrift store as I was trying to put these costumes together.  They loved seeing the finished product as they gave me tips where to get the Marty McFly vest.   Derek and Dax said it was the best Halloween ever, they actually went through the entire neighborhood.  They usually do a few houses get tired and head home (Trunk or Treat totally spoils them, with so much candy so fast).  Great family fun, the DeLorean is what made it so clever, fun and unique.  The kids came up with this idea all on their own.

I have to say I love Mom's at Halloween, I love the network of moms coming together to get costumes for their kids.  Mom's are frantically scrounging around for  accessories,  fake glasses, blue wigs, Harry Potter Robes etc and we all come together, give ideas, help create,  loan costumes just for this crazy day where you put on a costume on your kid , they knock on doors and people give them candy. 

The Marty McFly vest (life preserver) has been one of the best costume investments.  Derek now wears it daily as a staple in his Phoenix winter wardrobe. Now we endearingly refer to the vest as "Marty". Instead of "Derek go get your jacket on", it's "Derek go get Marty"