Happy Birthday Thanksgiving

This year Steve's birthday fell smack on Thanksgiving.  This meant that a) the whole U.S. would be celebrating my hubbie's birthday - appropos! and b) there was no way he was cooking.  I am theoretically capable of cooking and I'm almost positive I could have put together a mean bowl of Stove Top stuffing (what more do you need for a Thanksgiving feast?!?), but Steve decided that his birthday would include zero in-home cooking, so celebrate in the great Utah outdoors we did!

Step 1 of the Birthday Thanksgiving?  A 5k of course!  Ok, technically Steve also decided that his birthday would include zero kilometers of walking or jogging, so the Morningstar girls headed up to the Utah Human Race to enjoy 5k in the crisp morning air to raise money for the Utah Food Bank.

WanYing and I totally took the moms-with-four-year-olds-on-shoulders-for-more-than-three-kilometers bracket, while Sasha took and maintained an early lead in the six-year-olds-in-Croc-boots division.  I was especially proud of Sasha, who completed the whole five kilometers on her own two feet. The girl rocked it.

And then it was up to Solitude to meet the boys and hit the slopes!  The girls did especially well for their first time on snow this season.  Daddy once more demonstrated that he is clearly the best snowsports instructor on the mountain (any mountain) and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their day.

Sash was unstoppable - we must have done that bunny hill 25 times!  She's totally ready for the Sundance alpine team next year. It helps that she has absolutely no fear.  Helps her, that is.  I'm sure the lifties never tired of hearing me shriek, "big turns, Sash, let me see your big turns!" as I chased her down the slope over... and over... and over again.

Daddy and WanYing show off their skills

Happy WanYing in her 2002 Olympics helmet.  Sigh - she's my final little one to sport our Torino purchase! Glad she wears it with pride and gusto.

Sam was a big helper on the mountain

Sam cheers his sis on

It was so fun to watch Sash and Sam ride the lift together.  Sash was thrilled to ride with the big kids!

Sam peeled off after a while (strange, I can't understand how he tired of the bunny hill), and then I got to ride the lift with my baby.

We were all very happy and very grateful to spend the day together on the mountain.  And how do you cap off a fantastic ski day with our very favorite people?  Happy Birthday Thanksgiving dinner out, of course! No cooking, no clean up, full bellies, and a very blessed and thankful Birthday Thanksgiving.  It was a great day celebrating Daddy and everything we hold dear.