Holiday Celebrations in Utah

For Thanksgiving we were unable to travel back to Tennessee to spend the day with family because David had to work the day before and a few hours the following Saturday.  A few other residents remained in town, so some sweet friends invited us over to celebrate. We are lucky to have met such great people here in SLC.  In Tennessee, I'm accustom to 3 large family meals on Thanksgiving. We start around 11:00 at my dad's parents, head to Brownsville about 30 minutes away for mid-afternoon dinner with extended family, then finish up the day back in Somerville for a meal with my mom's family.  In trying to keep with tradition we actually had two Thanksgiving meals this year. For lunch, Erin made a delicious turkey and between us all we had lots of yummy food with some of the other ortho residents.  We spent dinner at pediatric orthopedic surgeon attending's house up in the canyons with another group of residents where we had another full meal.  It was a great day with good company all around. My grandmother makes the most amazing lemon meringue pie that I attempted to recreate for everyone.  The filling was delicious, but my meringue was flat.  This I blame on the altitude.  The altitude has become what I blame for all things wrong in SLC, just as the humidity is what I blame for all things wrong in Tennessee.

The whole day I only toke one pic - here is Haley, Lon, and David at our first dinner...

The day after Thanksgiving, David, Mike, and I went skiing.  I started the morning with a little black Friday shopping in Park City (they have a fabulous outlet mall) then met the boys on the slopes.

Our First Time Skiing Together This Year...

During the first part of December, Emily and I, feeling the holiday spirit, decided to cook the interns a Christmas dinner.  We had caesar salad, pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, cookies, carrot cake, and brownies.

Ready for dinner

Tim demonstrating how they had to display the cake before serving at West Point

Sorry Frank, Laura, and David -- for some reason I have no pics of you in them.

Although I love the snow, I spent a week or so a little upset with it.  While heading to a Christmas luncheon one Saturday, it began to snow.  I, being from the south, am not a great driver on slippery surfaces - or so I've learned.  Unfortunately, I had a small fender bender with another Nissan Murano just like my own.  No one was hurt, only a little frazzled.  I think I love the snow again.  I went to Tennessee for 11 days the week after the accident. I believe that absence does make the heart grow fonder because I was definitely ready for a white Christmas by the time we came back home.

I'm constantly learning new tips on driving in the stuff. In the moment of the accident I simply slammed on the brakes and kept sliding. Although some believe that you are to pump your brakes, I've learned that if your car has an anti-lock braking system you are to slowly, firmly press them.  The system rapidly, automatically pumps the brakes so that you don't lose the ability to steer. Apparently its bad for the car to pump the breaks if you have this system in place. Also, I learned to keep a very large distance between yourself and the cars in front of you.