Some people call it Thanksgiving.....

My family calls it "Turkey Bowl/Movie Weekend"
Bright and early Thursday morning the boys from my hometown neighborhood get together to play football. I couldn't believe how cold it was just standing there - which is why there are not many pictures past the point of the game starting.
My brother Ben is an NFL player at heart. He came out just to show the young ones that age doesn't have to matter when you play the "greatest game EVER" according to him.
I don't know the official number of how many guys came to play, I would guess about 25 or more. This pic was taken as they were starting and several more showed up after my fingers were almost frozen off and picture taking had stopped.

This is known as "THE Field"

Run, Alex, RUN!!

Right to Left: Alex, brother Jacob, brother Ben, .... I can't tell who else

After football, we enjoyed a nice hot shower and then it was off to dinner at the Martin's. DELISH!!! It was so much fun to eat and play games. Ryan and Jenny (Alex's brother and his wife) left their girls for us to play with. I have never had so much fun doing shrinky-dinks. I actually didn't know what they were..... Oh and their daughter Dru and I played an inside game of soccer with a GIANT workout ball and we could only use our knees. It was such a fun Thanksgiving!!!

Now my family's tradition is NOT to stand in line on "black Friday" but to go to a movie. This year was a struggle because we had 8 people to decide on a movie we ALL wanted to sit through. Would you ever guess what the GUYS picked?.....

That's right!! They all were excited... ok more like willing and interested in seeing New Moon. Us girls were ok with that, and they all actually had a good time. It was said to "have an actual plot." Rachel and her boyfriend Jason came to the movie as well as my parents and Jacob and Elaina, but had to go back to work after. The rest of us carried our tradition to lunch :)
(See - they're holding their movie tickets with such excitement)

Alex was not happy when I asked if we could go to JoAnn's after lunch for ornament hooks.... but what a good sport, he went anyway.

The rest of the weekend was full of putting up Christmas decorations and more movies. We rented 7 Pounds because we had a coupon, and we wouldn't recomend it to anyone who actually pays attention to movies.... Hello, what kind of story line was that?
Saturday I went to a dollar movie with my mom and Elaina. Julie and Julia. Ironic that in a true story, she writes her experiences on a blog - life imitating art, imitating life?
I would recomend this movie to any cooking fan. I used to watch Julia Child with my mom on Saturday mornings and although I like to challenge myself with cooking SOMETIMES I'm not anywhere near Julie from the movie. (although if you do see it, plug your ears when the husband comforts his wife on the couch - trust me) We finished off the evening with a trip to Spoons 'n Spice - only fitting. It's like the Bed, Bath and Beyond for cooking. I LOVE IT!!!

Sunday Alex and I had to speak in Sacrament meeting, so of course I didn't pay attention to the menu calendar when it said "pizza" Umm... we don't have any cheese. So we asked Jacob and Elaina if they had any to save us this week (they saved us last week with refried beans for enchiladas) but they didn't have any either. In fact they didn't know what they were going to have for dinner either because all they had scheduled was a side salad.... hmmm

So our evening turned into figuring out what we had the ingredients for? TOMATO SOUP with TORTELLINI!! I LOVE this meal and it didn't let me down. It was so hot, it fogged up my lens. Since we wanted to have some kind of bread to go along with it I decided to whip out my cookbooks... apparently there really should be time and thought put into making a bread of any kind. We didn't have time. So I found ONE recipe for biscuits that didn't call for any time to raise (no yeast) and ..... well there's a reason they're not pictured. They were ok, but very dry.

As we conclude our Thanksgiving weekend, we realize how grateful we are for.... POPCORN!

And that is how we choose to end our evening. Saying good bye to one holiday while we sit next to the lit Christmas tree and pine scented Salt City Candle (the best) already thinking about the next holiday so we can eat and spend time with family :)

I have so much to be thankful for: amazing family - Martins and Hoffmanns, Randalls etc., great friends, AWESOME sisters and two moms who are so generous it's kind of ridiculous. We truly are blessed and I'm glad we have a time of year to remind us of that and to spend time with them all.

It's tradition again....

I didn't think to bring my camera today.... I know right, what was I thinking? But I guess it's best not to take pics in a theatre. That's right, it's that time of year when a new "Twilight Saga" movie has come out. New Moon
Seven of us young ladies all went to see the movie together, just like last year. Although we switched out a few of the girls it was just as much fun.

The movie was..... I'll keep my opinoin to myself and let you decide when you see it, cause you know you will. But it's fun to get out and get together with the girls regardless. Thanks mom for picking up the tickets almost a month ago and to Taunya for coming all the way over to watch it with us!
There were definitely memories we'll never forget.
On a side note, I'd like to mention customer service and quote from my mother-in-law, Taunya. When something goes wrong, "Don't say you have good customer service, show me."
I think she's completely right. You deserve good service, that's what you're paying for. So when a situation occurs when you should stand up and get what you're asking for, DO IT and get others around to help you. It's what we're for, and it works. You eventually get what you're asking for, and what you deserved to get in the first place.

Accidents happen.....

Two weeks ago I got a phone call from Alex on his way home from school. The words, "I need you to come get me, I've been in an accident" were unlike any I want to hear ever again. I had to remember that if he was calling, he was ok but that also meant his car wasn't. I've been the passenger in accidents before but have never been in the driver seat (knock on wood) and I can't imagine what he was going through. So I drove to Lehi to find my husband and his car :(

I felt so bad as I'm sure he did. He'd tagged someone from behind. Thank goodness the other driver was in a bigger jeep and did nothing to his car. Poor little Scion.Alex had to take my car during the day because he still needed to go down to school. So 2 weeks later after Alex having to get up "too early" to take me to work, rides home from co-workers, and borrowing my parents van in desperation, we got our baby back!!!
Alex couldn't have been more excited that his car looked "just as perfect as when I bought it." Although I don't recomend this as a way to get your car back to perfection ;)

We had the car taken to a shop in Midvale because a co-worker of mine has a brother-in-law that works there and swore by his work.

Everything turned out ok and thanks to insurance we didn't have to pay the $5,800 bill!! Who would have known there were so many things packed in the front of that tiny little car to cost that much? Thanks to Mac at Unique autobody you guys are the best.

Halloween, NUF said

Halloween pumpkin carving is taken so seriously in our family that it actually begins the day before Halloween.

Alex worked so hard to scrape out our pumpkins. Kind enough to clean mine out as well.

Like I said, pumpkin carving is taken seriously. The tools are representitve of how intense it is.

Halloween morning was our girls breakfast, so of course we dressed up. Elaina and I both made our witch hats. It was so much fun. Rachel was sick... we'll see you next time.

TRADITION! Anyone who knows the Hoffmann hosuehold, knows that donuts are always made for Halloween for as long as we can remember. We wouldn't have it any other way.

This is not actually my dad's costume. He reffed football games all day and we asked him to keep it on for a little longer and pretend he'd dressed up. Later on his t-shirt read "I am the Treat" ha ha that was even better.

Again, traditional Halloween dinner. Chili and cornbread. Just warm enough to keep us going during trick-or-treating.

Ben's girlfriend dressed her little boy up like a vampire. His binki just happened to go along with his costume ;)

PorSha was a seniorita and Lexus was Tinkerbell. Her skirt lit up and everything!

I was a witch brewing, but left my couldron on the table, my mom was a .... t-shirt and my sister was a witch of sorts.

BOO!

The pumpkin carving skills were definitely enhanced with dad Jim's dremel. We had so much fun. Jacob's always been a fan of Pluto and he did a really good job with this one.

I OF COURSE I would choose a peanut m&m..... they melt in your mouth not in your hand. I actually really liked carving this one.

Jacob again, pulled off a fantastic Mater from "Cars." It looked better in person as did many of them. It's hard to take a picture of such a delight in the dark.

This one was even darker, but Elaina put so much effort into her Boo from "Monster's Inc." It turned out fantastic.... guess you had to be there.

And again, the dremel proved useful for Jacob when creating..... well you can see. Spaghetti anyone? Jacob also did a Tinkerbell, he's so ambitious and talented.

Alex was posing for GQ.... do they do "skater version?" He wanted to dress as "himself" at work FINALLY hahahah

My BFFAE was Champ carebear, her neice made the costume (she's ten) I made mine, including the apron, but I'm a bit older than ten.

Yes we have a self portrait with donuts. It's what we do.

My family are movie buffs. So what other way to end the day than with a Halloween movie. This year it was....

Alex and I and our pumpkins. His 31 stood for Halloween, 31st. But his didn't show so well on the camer so we had to get an aftershot.

We had a good time this Halloween. Even better, sister Rayne came into town and brought her usual positive attitude and smiling face. We love being able to spend time with her and miss her, Tom, Aderienne and J & Bee so much! I just wish I hadn't forgotten my camera.