Dinner With A Democrat

Family of The Year Award Night

Thanksgiving Dinner

Our view from where we sat

Big little kid table

Colton and Maria wrestling

Dawn told me I should blog about our dinner and title it Dinner With A Democrat. We were so lucky this year to get one of my best friends to come to dinner with us. Her children live away and her husband has a tradition of going to Las Vegas with his Dad. Last year I was slow in asking her and she went to our other friend's house, but not this year. I was quick to ask her before Mary could. (Ha Ha Mary). Our boys just love her. They fought while we were setting the place cards for seating assignments as to who got to sit by her. Britton won, since it is his last year before his mission. Colton was willing to let me sit on the kid table so he could sit next to her. I won that battle.


Our day started by the annual FATB. (Firth Annual Turkey Bowl football game held at Andrea's) It was fun, Anders didn't know what to think of everyone tackling his dad. (I know, it is supposed to be flag football) This year we actually wore flags and the first flag out was almost Jessica's undies. (Nice by the way). Amy and PJ made it really fun. PJ was really playing under his age group. (good job PJ) It was the first year for Brady and it was great to have him there.


We had 31 people at my moms house for dinner. We ate a lot, and then visited. After dinner, we had our Leg Wrestling Contest. I went first against Colton. He knocked me right over. Then the boys went and played basketball. We watched old family videos. It was a wonderful day.

I wonder if my Democrat friend will come to our fun next year? After all our Republicanistic Views.

Everett's a BOY

MUSHU - THREE LEGGED CAT

EVERETT - FOUR LEGGED CAT

EVERETT IS A BOY

As you might have heard, our 3-legged cat Mushu has been missing from our home since the 2nd of November. We all have looked for him, unsuccessfully. We found his little collar and bell unhooked in the field by Grandpa's house. We believe that the local Coyote, that has been seen lurking about, took him. We all have had a very heavy heart about it. After all, we had Mushu longer that we have had Jackson in our family. (We even paid 300 plus dollars to have his leg taken off a few years ago due to a traffic encounter).

Last Friday afternoon, Dave, Jackson and I went on an excursion. We drove up to the local animal shelter. We wanted to look for a new cat, (before the mice made their home in ours) and thought that it might help Jackson get over the loss of Mushu. We went into the stray cats room, ignoring the yelping and very loud confusing noise of the dogs. Just looking at the cats, sent Jackson into tears. He said, "I want to go home, I don't want a new cat, Mushu will come back." Dave and I tried to convince him that it wasn't like we were trying to replace Mushu, we were just looking to see if there was another cat that we could love. Slowly he came around to our thinking as we laid our eyes on a cat that looked just like Mushu, just smaller and with four legs. He said, "I want this cat, can we get this cat," he then started crying again, saying, "I am not sad, I am happy if we can get this cat." It was a touching experience to witness. Long story short...

We brought "Everett" home on Monday afternoon.

Colton was sad, he wanted a dog. He was mad that we got a cat and named him after Britton's mission. I told him not to be sad, after he gets his mission call, we will get a dog and name him after Colton's mission. Britton piped up by saying, "Here Boise, Here Boise, come here puppy."

After a few days of confusion with the boys, it has been confirmed that Everett is indeed a boy and came already fixed. He is fun. We are keeping him in the garage until we locate the Coyote.

THE CATS MEOW IN THE ODLE HOME

POINTS TO BE PROUD OF:

Britton has the second highest score in his anatomy class, Yes even as a freshman! Also according to his CLS teacher, he has the "biggest target on his back" in the CLS class.

Colton was chosen as an honorable mention on the All Region One Football Squad as a junior, and will be inducted into the Honor Society on Monday night.

Jackson received an award of merit in the school's Reflections Contest and has been asked to test for the Davis County Schools Spectrum Program.

Jackson's Reflection Program

POINTS TO BE GLAD FOR:

The completion of the Ward Thanksgiving Dinner Activity. I took Friday off of work to try to make my four pies, jello, and stuffing. Thanks to Gayle, she made my jello for me, and we had enough butter for all.

Colton was answered affirmative for Senior Cotillian.

Jackson, Britton and Dave did not get Colton's stomach flu, I think I might have had it but not as severe.

POINTS THAT REALLY STUNK:

After many, many hours of working on a Eagle Scout Slide Show for my dear friend's son, It bombed. We even bought a new program to fix the problem, but between making pies and stuffing, staying up all night trying to fix the problem (thanks Dave for your help) searching for a new cat, making preparations for that days ward Thanksgiving dinner and then taking my video to the Eagle program, it stopped. It just stopped and skipped and wouldn't play. I had to get up in the program and try to fix it and then the next time I just turned it off and sat down. I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry my eyes out. I went home, gathered my things and went to the Stake Center to prepare for the dinner. I am undecided if it ended my career in videography. I wonder what I am going to do to complete the bank's video that I do each year?

COLTON AND DANIEL

COLTON, THE COPS ARE HERE!

On Thursday evening, (Dave's 43rd birthday) we had a wonderful and very unexpected surprise. After work, I walked around the house looking for our missing 3 legged cat, (white, 3 legs, great mouser, lost his collar-call if you have seen him) picking up random trash that mysteriously appears in our driveway and lawn when I saw my Dad and Megan walking down to my house. As we visited, along comes my mother-camera in hand, Cherilyn and Brady and Melissa and Anders. We all stood outside and froze as we visited. I suggested we go in and they said, they were here to wish Dave a Happy Birthday. So in we went. As we stood in the kitchen and I started to wonder, if I had planned a birthday party and forgot to get a cake. Then all of the sudden we see flashing lights in our driveway. Two cops parked diagonal in the driveway. We went out to meet to policemen on our stairs. One said, "Are you Dave Odle?" Dave said, "yes". Then they said, "Will you please step out here for a minute." As Dave was walking down the stairs he said, "Colton, what did you do?" Britton told Colton, you better get out here. So in the driveway was Mayor Steve Curtis and Councilwoman Joyce Forbes Brown. They were here to present us with the "FAMILY of the YEAR" award for Layton City. We are the category of "family with teenagers". What a surprise. They gave us a sign that we keep in our yard. My friend Dawn Brandvold nominated us. She was very sweet and nice in the nomination. There will be a short program at Central Davis on Sunday Nov 23, where we will have a memento table set up, and our family's picture will be given to us. It is an honor that Dave and I have wondered how did we ever deserve it.
On the flip side of this, it has been a good thing to have that hanging over our head. It is a convenient fight stopper or manipulator to say, "that's not how the family of the year should act." Colton took his turn this afternoon to stand out at the sign in the yard and wave to cars passing by. Just a side note, it is not that Colton is the only one that we would ever think the cops are at our house for, it is just that Britton is always with us, and Jackson is too young to attract that much attention.
Another observation, when a fire truck comes to deliver the HOME TOWN HERO (like they did to Laurel), neighbors come out running with concern. When two cop cars are parked diagonally in the driveway, neighbors drive by but try not to seem like they are looking or just stay in their houses peeking through the blinds.

End of the Line

Well, Friday was the end of the line for the Layton Lancers. Unfortunately they lost their quarterfinal state game against Skyline. Colton played his hardest and did great. My favorite play (this is bad for a mother to say this) of the game was a hit that Colton had against a big player and the other player's helmet popped off like a cork on a bottle. Everyone was fine, but Colton was a little stiff on his neck afterward. What a fun and great season. It was sheer pleasure to be a part of the Varsity Football Team, and fans this year. Colton looked up to many guys that helped him find his place on the line. He really became the player that his fan club knew that he could be. Britton was happy that he was here to witness the season, and was very proud of his big little brother. Jackson loves to talk over the game with Colton and practice plays with him, letting Colton really tackle him in the family room. Dave and I have had so much fun sitting in the stands with all our good friends and family, cheering number #78 on. He is such a great example to us and to his teammates. Win or Lose, he loves the game. We will remember this time with great fondness. Good luck Syracuse!

MISSIONARY MALL

I just want to give a shout out to our local Missionary Mall. We bought Britton a suit there to get his pictures taken in back in August. I haven't really been too pleased with the fit, but I didn't know what I didn't like about it, until we took him to Mr. Macs to get another suit. I felt that his pants were just too short and tight. So, today 2 0r 3 months later, we went back to Missionary Mall with the suit and they gave us two new pairs of pants for free, no questions asked. I thought that was so great. That is great customer service.