Who would have thought that marshmallows could bring back so many memories?
The fall of 2007 was filled with a roller coaster of emotions. It was this time period that Dallas and I met and fell in love, but it was also the time when we found out our little Mara had a brain tumor.
I remember sitting in my principal's office trying to calm down from the scary news and the fears I had of traveling home for Thanksgiving. My family had been telling me how different the treatments were making Mara, both physically and emotionally. My principal told me that the best thing I could do while at home was to create new fun memories that would help me get through the pain of the situation. She mentioned an activity she did with her nieces and nephews where they made "marshmallow turkeys" while the adults were preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. Using her idea, we took apples and placed toothpicks lined with small marshmallows for the feathers. It was such a simple craft, but I remember it was the first time that I saw Mara smile that trip. Oh how I love that smile.
This quickly became one of my favorite memories with my nieces and nephews.
This Thanksgiving, Dallas and I decided to stay in the bay area and celebrate at my brother, Erik's, house. My younger brother, Stuart, flew in from BYU for the week, which convinced my parents to drive down from Washington for the holidays. We had a blast relaxing, shopping, eating amazing food, and goofing off as a family. I thought it would be fun to make our marshmallow turkeys again. This time with a little twist; food coloring and gummy worms. Lincoln, Rulon, and Ellis had a blast dyeing the marshmallows and eating the extra gummy worms. After starting the project we had them take their shirts off to make sure the food coloring didn't stain which of course made for some classic pics.
Lincoln remembered making them with Mara, which was pretty sweet.
It's funny how a simple piece of fluffy sugar can take you down memory lane.
(Remember to click on the image to enlarge it.)
The fall of 2007 was filled with a roller coaster of emotions. It was this time period that Dallas and I met and fell in love, but it was also the time when we found out our little Mara had a brain tumor.
I remember sitting in my principal's office trying to calm down from the scary news and the fears I had of traveling home for Thanksgiving. My family had been telling me how different the treatments were making Mara, both physically and emotionally. My principal told me that the best thing I could do while at home was to create new fun memories that would help me get through the pain of the situation. She mentioned an activity she did with her nieces and nephews where they made "marshmallow turkeys" while the adults were preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. Using her idea, we took apples and placed toothpicks lined with small marshmallows for the feathers. It was such a simple craft, but I remember it was the first time that I saw Mara smile that trip. Oh how I love that smile.
This quickly became one of my favorite memories with my nieces and nephews.
This Thanksgiving, Dallas and I decided to stay in the bay area and celebrate at my brother, Erik's, house. My younger brother, Stuart, flew in from BYU for the week, which convinced my parents to drive down from Washington for the holidays. We had a blast relaxing, shopping, eating amazing food, and goofing off as a family. I thought it would be fun to make our marshmallow turkeys again. This time with a little twist; food coloring and gummy worms. Lincoln, Rulon, and Ellis had a blast dyeing the marshmallows and eating the extra gummy worms. After starting the project we had them take their shirts off to make sure the food coloring didn't stain which of course made for some classic pics.
Lincoln remembered making them with Mara, which was pretty sweet.
It's funny how a simple piece of fluffy sugar can take you down memory lane.
I feel so blessed to live so close to family. At times it is easy to get lost in the loneliness that comes with a hard working husband, but it is a comforting thought to know I have a loving family just miles up the road who are always up for fun adventures!
It's a good thing your family is so freakingly awesome...I know that I loved being there visiting with them last summer.
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