A Season of Gratitude

Thanksgiving was quiet for us this year. Our local kids had other plans - Kyle's family headed to San Jose & Rochelle was hosting the Petersens at her house, but invited us & Nicole to join them. It felt weird not to cook, but I was kinda glad I didn't have to! It was a nice break.

Lindsay's boyfriend brought oysters to grill. They did not look appetizing to me at all, but Paul said they were delicious. I was NOT convinced enough to try them, but a couple of da boyz did!

I was happy to hold out for the more traditional Thanksgiving foods. This bird was beautiful AND delicious!

It was nice to be surrounded by family & friends & take in what it means to be grateful for all we have...

A season of gratitude is a season of giving thanks...gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, & a vision for tomorrow. Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

"Rick Bassett, you are an IRONMAN!"

I have to admit, it was pretty emotional to be at the end of this event as the contestants crossed the finish line & reached this amazing goal! There were men & women of all ages & walks of life - professionals & amateurs. Such an impressive physical accomplishment - a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, ending in a 26.22 mile run...a full marathon at the end of all that swimming & cycling!!! That just sounds brutal to me - but Rick did it with a smile on his face the whole day - seriously, every time we saw him!

The night before the race...

Ready at 0 dark:30am to begin the race with the 2.4 mile swim...

Taking off on the 112 mile bike ride...

Starting the marathon - a 26.22 mile run!

Rick's biggest fans...

The kids were so excited waiting for Rick to run by them on his first 13+ mile lap - here he is 1/2 way through his marathon. When they saw him they erupted into cheers that turned everyone's heads! It was so fun! Paul must have grabbed my camera for these shots...

I got this one on my cell phone - look at Rick's smile & the proud look on Leah's face!

A stranger across the street took these because he thought our little cheering section was so cool...
after Rick ran by, he came up & asked for my email to send them to me. I love nice people!

I wish this next pic was more clear, but I love it anyway! This is Rick crossing the finish line! As tears are streaming down our faces, the announcer belts out, "Rick Bassett, from Lehi, Utah - 33 year old father of four -  you are an IRONMAN!"

Such a very long & rewarding day! Great job Rick - it was an honor to be there to support you!

T.S. Elliot said, "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

Cousins in the Desert

We headed to the Desert early in November to visit the Midgets...

...an added bonus - we got to meat Luke Bailey & the Bailey Boys!

...even more bonus - the Bassetts were in town for Uncle Ricks Ironman Competition! They rented a house close to the event & we got to spend some family time together while the cousins bonded...we played games, went swimming, saw a movie, & played in a water feature...we all had a great time just hanging out & playing!

Baby Paige couldn't be bothered...she didn't let the racket keep her from napping!

Hotel Holyoak 2015

The Holyoak Critters like to set up a "hotel" experience when we come to stay. They have signs directing us, they take our luggage & show us to our rooms, they have room #'s on our door, & they have a chocolate on our pillow. It's pretty cute & they have so much fun doing it. Macy is checking us in at the front desk & clearly, she is expecting her payment...

Jill had a fun day planned for us. She let the kids skip school & we went to see the Peanut Movie. Selfies with G'ma are always fun! (Will they still want to do this when they get older?)

After the movies, we met Kiff & went to the Seattle Temple. Next to the temple they have a new Family History Center & they were offering tours by appointment. Kiff had scheduled their visit so that we could go, too! It was super fun & the hands on exhibits were entertaining, but we also learned a lot!

One of the new features they have is a "recording" booth where you can record a voice message for your family. Jill & I recorded a message for their family. Soon they will allow your to upload videos, too! I'm super excited about this feature!

We grabbed some Chinese food on the way home...

The next davit rained super hard & Macy had a soccer game. Soccer is played in the rain most of the time in the PNW. We got soaked & it was still super fun!

Spent our last afternoon playing games...

...we had such a great stay at the Holyoak Family Hotel!