November 2024 Highlights

Here's what we were up to November 2024 - another busy crazy awesome month!

I was scrolling through Facebook on our way home from Disney World in October and came upon an ad for these colorful holiday Disney sweaters - ADDS TO CART - and the idea for our annual Christmas card photoshoot was born!

Typical Fox & Jane :)

I already picked a few for our annual Christmas photo and for the one we print onto a canvas for displan on our mantel all year!

Early on November 1st, just hours after all the Halloween madness, we packed up and drove to Utah for my cousin Cat's wedding.

It was smooth sailing until about an hour from our destination. What was happening?

Looks like huge rocks had just slid down the mountain! Yikes! Thankfully we didn't see any damaged cars so all it did was cause traffic which only set us back a few minutes.

We met up with my sister's family at the airbnb (which, why do they advertise as "the entire home" when there is someone living in the basement?? That keeps happening to us with Utah rentals...."). Anyway, we only stayed at the house for a few minutes before driving to Provo for J Dawgs!

Yummy!!! They've added fries to their menu which makes it even more epic.

Couldn't love this view more. The fall leaves, Mt Timpanogas, my future zoobies!

Oh the memories.

Checking out the BYU Bookstore. I got some blue sweats :)

Lala (Zula) is such a cutie patootie and she really likes me for some reason! I'll take it :)

This slide didn't exist when Chris and I were at BYU. Jane's a little big for it now lol.

But that didn't stop Fox either from sliding down the slide.

Next stop: the BYU Creamery. I'm happy to report the ice cream is still the best in the whole wide world.

This was many of these people's very first time trying the cookies'n'cream milk which is absolutely legendary.

Then we drove to the J Dawgs in Orem to meet up with my parents who had just driven all the way from Wallace. Next door we went to Minky Couture because Allie had a coupon. My mom bought each of us a blanket and I (& Amy) have been using it every single night since. It truly is the best blanket in the whole wide world. So soft it puts me right to sleep.

The next morning was the wedding!

Congratulations to Cat & Abs for getting sealed for time and all eternity in the Orem Temple!

Our family at the Orem Temple on Saturday November 2nd 2024.

My entire Taylor side of the family!

After the sealing all the Taylors went to Burgers Supreme for lunch. It's also just as good as it was 20 years ago. After naps at the airbnb it was time for the ring ceremony and reception at an absolutely breathtaking venue.

The clouds made it extra moody and lovely!

Congrats again to Cat & Abs!!

Inside, oh my goodness. The flowers flowers flowers EVERYWHERE!

Look carefully at the cake and you'll notice a figurine of their dog Sheila had "eaten a piece of the cake" lol.

Silly kiddos with the photo props.

All of the food was delicious. My favorite part was the mocktail bar and I got myself a sprite base with peach, pineapple, and passion fruit syrup plus coconut cream and a fresh lime squeezed in. It was so good both my brother and sister asked for one after trying mine :)

The newlyweds making their grand entrance!

At the airbnb we watched the Lindsay Lohan Christmas movie from last year, Falling for You. Early the next morning we drove back home to Colorado and watched the Broncos game in the afternoon while still on the road. We lost. It was not a fun game to watch. Dang Ravens.

As soon as we got home we took down all the Halloween decorations and put up our Thanksgiving decorations.

And then it snowed for the first time of the season.

It snowed and it snowed.

And it snowed.

It was the 11th biggest snowstorm in recorded Colorado history. Of course it was the exact same weekend as my Tricks & Treats Weekend in-person scrapbooking event! Only 5 people couldn't come because of the weather, over 100 still made it safe and sound, phew!!

I tried this year's winter edition of Red Bull. Not my favorite. I've only really loved the Winter Berry and Fig Apple flavors and always the yellow Tropical edition.

Jane got her second phrase of braces installed.

I took Fox to a high school orientation and he was a little overwhelmed but I know he'll do great. I cannot believe he'll be in high school next fall.

We went to a Broncos game!!

Downtown Denver in the background and fans in the foreground.

We made it to our seats. Let the fun begin!

I spy Bo Nix!

Opening ceremony.

Singing the National Anthem.

We sat right in the sun which was Chris's favorite ;)

We played the Atlanta Falcons with QB Kirk Cousins which was fun to see him in real life since he was one of the quarterbacks featured on the Netflix documentary Quarterback which is really how I got into football in the first place. But I'm a Broncos fan and true Bo-liever.

I have a lot of new Broncos merch :)

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!! We won the next week too!! And the next which was Bo's first Monday Night Football game!!

GO BRONCOS!!!

Listen, I like Patrick & Britney Mahomes, he was also featured on Quarterback and of course the whole Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift thing. But for real, it's crazy how they win no matter what. The failed field goal win against the Broncos was absolutely heartbreaking.

ANYWAY!!!!!!!

I have an annual reminder to measure the kids on Thanksgiving in the same spot the previous kids who lived in this house measured up. Fox and Jane both grew like 5 inches this past year. Fox is almost taller than the tallest measurement recorded.

We went to my parent's new house in Spokane for Thanksgiving!

There were a lot of airplanes heading out on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Snow was expected the next day so I bet a lot of people changed to an earlier flight.

We made it to Spokane! Isn't this poinsettia tree in the airport lovely?!

First thing's first: watch the new JonBenét Ramsey documentary on Netflix on the new comfy ginormous couch with my mom's Minky Couture blanket :)

After dinner Fox helped my dad make his first batch of chocolate chip cookies in this house.

They turned out delicious!!

Their new house is so great for lots of people and I love how they've decorated it.

I brought a stitching project and worked on it early in the mornings before the sun was up.

Almost done!

Visiting my dad means access to his big power tools so the next morning we bundled up and drove to Home Depot to buy wood sheets to cut down for covers for an upcoming kit & class.

Drilling holes for eventual binder rings to hold the mini album together.

Eric and two of his kids (Zoe & Wes) arrived from Renton! Tanya stayed home with newborn Isabel.

Chillaxing.

We went to The Spaghetti Factory for dinner.

The next morning was Thanksgiving! We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then football ALL DAY LONG, it was great.

I tried a new raspberry cobbler recipe and it turned out pretty great if I do say so myself!

Next year I'll make it after dinner so we can eat it fresh rather than heat it up.

Chris cooked the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing and my mom made the yummy salad, glazed carrots, and green bean casserole. It was all sooooo good!

My parents asked me to go through all my bins from my childhood and teenage years which was a trip. Things I hadn't seen in over 25 years brought back a flood of memories. I found my "Paige" and Addie American Girl dolls and a Princess Di Beanie Baby!

Beautiful sunset in Greenacres.

We went and saw Moana 2 which was pretty cute.

The next morning we went to the Flying Squirrel trampoline/indoor jungle gym place. It was all fun and games until Fox bonked his knees on his chin and he bit his tongue really badly, poor boy.

We had the most epic potato day. Baking shows and screens galore!

We changed our flight from 11:30am to 6am which was hard to wake up at 3:15am but we were home by 9:30am and had alllll Saturday to catch up on things and take Thanksgiving down and get started setting up for Christmas. Thanksgiving was so late this year, I feel very rushed into the holidays...