Home for Thanksgiving--a little Back-tracking

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and now Happy Valentine's Day!! Yes, It's been awhile, but we'll catch you up in no time. First from all of us, we hope all of our dear friends and loved ones had a wonderful holiday season and have a fabulous 2009! Just to back-track a bit more, we also hope y'all had a beautiful Thanksgiving! (How's that for covering every major holiday in the last 3 months?!) We got to go home to Colorado for Thanksgiving, celebrate Dallin's 19th birthday, attend the temple as an entire family for the first time, gather with our dear extended family--aunts, uncles and cousins and play, play, play!

I got to run in the Turkey Trot 5K with Tara (our annual tradition on Turkey Day)--and yes, I ran the entire time, big belly and all, with a toilet at the end of the route as my great motivation! Aaron and Dallin got to play in their final Turkey bowl with cousins Michael and Isaac, and new cousin-in-law Jesse-- (Daniel hurt his knee and had to sit this one out:(

The cousins (aka "The Allen Boys")

Turkey Trot!

We enjoyed the most scrumptious food, of course--anyone who has visited Mama Ruth's kitchen, knows about the taste-sensational experience that is!

We had a wonderful going-away party for Dallin, where many friends from all over came to bid their farewells--it was wonderful to see dear friends who have touched our lives since the fam arrived in Colorado 8 years ago when Dallin was 10.

Dallin gave a beautiful talk in Sacrament meeting, but my favorite part of that weekend was when Dallin was set-apart as a missionary and was told that "there are people in Rosario, Argentina that are waiting for Elder Demke to come teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ"--that there are people only he will be able to touch through his diligent preparation and through his testimony--it was a beautiful experience, and is wonderful to have my little brother on a mission.

(most handsome men I know!)