Utah Thanksgiving trip 2011

I have been so homesick lately...I actually don't like that expression because I feel at home here, in Monterey, but when I miss my family is feels like homesickness sooo...for lack of a better word, I was homesick. We made a 15 hour trek out to Provo on the 18th adn stopped half way in Vegas and visited my beautiful cousins taking the edge off of my "homesickness". I love love love cousins. We continued on and made it to UT county just in time to meet up with my sister & fam, and the Manwill girls at Guru's for dinner. I love love love BFFs. Call me cheesy, but my soul warms up when I am belly laughing with these girls every time I visit. I miss them. Every. Single. Day. We headed to Highland to Grandma Tall's house to soothe some more homesickness symptoms and it was perfect. I love staying up late talking to Gram. Looooong, and I mean long, talks with Gramps. The most comfy beds ever. Good Food. Lots of family craziness at sunday dinners. I love love love when a home feels like a sanctuary. The next few days we spent visiting friends, shopping finding the coveted "Utah Gems" ( aka: Deseret Book, Hobby Lobby, Shade, Tie Stores, Tai Pan etc...credit:Steph) , eating at: Cafe Rio, Kneaders, Brio, Cheesecake Factory, Magleby's and their life-changing chocolate cake, and Village Baker. OH how we miss the food. Wednesday we met up with my Mom, Dal and Beau at Redrock Brewery, another gem, at Fashion Place...usher in the few remaining feelings of homesickness vanishing. We spent the day at the mall and getting things for Chelsea's Baby Norah shower. We went up to Ogden for the remainder of our trip to the Tiner grandparents. I miss them, it is hard to watch them age each time I visit. It makes me have some pretty heavy regrets about not making the 1.5 hour drive more often when I was so close. We had thanksgiving, which we did without Grandma because she had foot surgery right before we got there, good timing! It was delicious nonetheless. Mom brought the Xbox Kinect and we played sports and my personal favorite, Michael Jackson: The Experience. I LOVE IT. We went to Black friday on thursday night and almost died in Walmart aka hell. Mom, Chels and I went to black friday the next morning at 5am after my hours of coaxing and waited in line at Tai Pan--it was SOOOO worth it. Amazing store. I miss being alone just us girls, rarely happens with hubs and kids, I guess it takes standing in line in the dark freezingness of Ogden to pull it off, but it was great. Lots of laughs-my favorite part. We spent the rest of the day lounging and playing games. Playing HORSE and knock out. That night we were baking up a storm for Chelsea's Baby Norah shower. Pink Zebra cake, lemon muddy buddies, pink zebra cookies, strata etc...the next morning we headed to Highland to get ready for the shower. It was beautiful. Chels looked so cute. Great friends, great family. Loved every minute. I CAN'T WAIT FOR NORAH TO GET HERE! Anyway, Bill and I decided to go home through Reno this time, so we went to Ogden with my fam for the last night. Sad. Sad. Sad. It was such a busy-fun week. Word on the street is that my parents are moving to UT and I am so excited I don't have words. Here are pics from the trip: