Thanksgiving Day

Here we are at our Thanksgiving Feast ... notice we are eating on regular dishes ... not paper AND we are all sitting at one table!! This is one of the smallest Thanksgiving meals we have had in our marriage ... and we really did enjoy it for a change. Having lots of company is fun, don't get me wrong, and we love having the family together ... but since we had Ryan in Washington with Alisa having their baby in just a few weeks, Mike and Jodi in Las Vegas working their new Great Harvest Bread Bakery, and David and Jen went to her parents for dinner, so we had a quiet (but delicious) meal. We had Dave and Amy and Seth and Spencer ... and Wendy and Dennis and I!

When we cleaned up, the amazing thing was we were able to get everything in the dishwasher!! We are used to spending quite a bit of time in the kitchen before and after the meal ... so this was quite a change. We all commented on how easy it was!

Here's Wendy ... our weight loss queen (she's lost 58 pounds so far) ... so I wanted to document that with her picture ... BUT, this picture is also showing her finger ... she just got back from Urgent Care where she had to get 8 stitches. She was cutting the yams and the knife slipped. She bandaged it and we had dinner ... but then Dennis insisted that she go and have them check it out. It was a good thing she went ... it wouldn't of healed correctly!! (At least she is smiling!!)

Two out of Three Isn't Bad!

When Dennis and I decided to make the move to Utah nearly 5 1/2 years ago, I had 3 regrets (besides moving away from family). #1. We wouldn't be 50 miles away from our favorite get-away place AKA Disneyland, #2. There were no Kohl's department stores, which I had learned had amazing sales and discounts, and #3. No In-n-Out Burgers!!!

I am here to say that wishes can be granted! Kohl's came to the area about 3 years ago ... with a store opening in Orem last year. YEAH!! But the best news of all came today ...
In-n-Out Burger

opened in UTAH!!! This really is amazing news. We had heard they wouldn't come this far from So. Cal. - but many of us had been sending them emails that they should check us out ... and they did!!! Two stores opened today and two more will do so in a few weeks. We have heard if these go well there will be even more in the future.

In-n-Out has been apart of our family since I was born ... now 61 years !! (the year they were started) I want to record the story for our posterity. Back in 1948 my parents, John and Marie Moore, rented one of their one bedroom rental homes to Harry and Esther Snyder. Harry was opening a drive thru hamburger stand just down the street in Baldwin Park, so the little house was perfect. (FYI - there were NO such places in existence ... fast food had not be heard of ... and a Drive-thru? What was that?)

My dad was a practical man and thought he was crazy ... but wished him well!! Harry's idea was that the hamburger would be made fresh ... with fresh ingredients, and made with his special sauce, a family secret. Needless to say, my Dad was wrong ... and the concept of a drive-thru was a huge success. His menu was simple ... a hamburger made fresh when ordered - a toasted bun, hand leafed lettuce, a pattie, and a generous slice of tomato and sliced onion, if desired (later the cheese burger was added as well as the double double, etc.), french fries (made fresh from real potatoes), and either sodas or thick shakes (made with real ice cream) were all they sold. As a young girl I remember going there and Dad talking to 'Hamburger Harry', who was usually on the grill. We loved watching the men work in such a small area ... and of course getting to eat the amazing hamburger. (Note: back then he hired only men - probably because they worked in such tight quarters and they had to work so quickly, often lifting heavy objects. Women were hired later on in its career) In-n-Out was noted for its consistent quality ... and speedy service. We went there after school, after football games, and whenever we could. We were appreciative that they kept opening additional stores so we could have them wherever we went in So. Cal. - and loved it when they opened in Las Vegas so we could have them on our way to and from Utah.

To summarize our deep LOVE for In-n-Out Burgers, our children insisted that we stop at the closest one to the airport when they returned from church missions! They are all genuine fans and join us in the appreciation for them opening here in Utah. All I can say is ... we are truly blessed ... and ... Two out of Three wishes granted isn't all bad!!! (I know there is NO way we will get the 3rd wish ... which is OK ... we still need a place to visit that is special.)