This year we packed up and headed to El Paso to spend Thanksgiving with all of Garrett's brothers and parents. I was assigned to bring rolls. I was a little leery of taking on this assignment because the importance of the dinner roll. Everyone expects a nice hot, buttery, fluffy roll to soak up all the juices of their Thanksgiving meal. Knowing that I would not be in my kitchen I knew this would take extra planning and care. Plus I had to make enough for 50 people. So, I took on this assignment and made the necessary preparations. I had everything measured out exactly in separate baggies, brought my own cookies sheets and even took it one step further by making little strips of paper listing things that we are thankful for that I was going to roll up into the rolls as a surprise fortune cookie type of effect. Everything was going smoothly. I had every hour planned out so I would have just enough time to pull hot rolls out of the oven on our way out the door. There was no room for error.
As I started I realized something went wrong right off the bat. My water was too hot and I knew I had killed the yeast. I crossed my fingers that the yeast would still activate and the rolls would rise because I didn't have time for mistakes. 2 hours later I realized that this wish of mine would not be coming to pass. In desperation I called to Garrett to help me out by running to the store for more ingredients. He insisted that I just buy some store bought rolls but I couldn't do it. This was my contribution to a great homemade meal and I wanted it to be the best it could be.
Garrett was off to the store and I got everything ready to start all over, with one hour left before we had to be at Thanksgiving Dinner. While Garrett was gone I realized I didn't ask him to get all the things I needed. I had no way of contacting him and I was losing hope. This was the start of my break down. When Garrett arrived back at the house I told him that he would have to go back to the store and he was not happy. I lost it. I couldn't hold it together anymore. With a few phone calls to family members that lived close by we were able to gather everything needed for these darn rolls.
I had seconds to spare so I began the process once again only to realize that the yeast we borrowed was 7 years old! It was was past good. I had made another batch of flat, unleavened rolls! How could I show my face at Thanksgiving dinner with such a sorry contribution? I was beside myself.
Once I pulled myself together I was able to drag myself to the car with a plate of my dense dinner rolls. Upon arrival we realized that we were late and everyone had already begun. Not off to a good start. Then a sister-in-law approached me with the news that I didn't need to make rolls anyway because they had tripled their recipe and made 144 rolls. Not what I wanted to hear!
I tried to suck it up, plaster a smile on my face and enjoy what was left of this blessed day. Everything was delicious and the mood was calm. The day ended in a success despite my rolls and I was able to sneak out for a late movie with the girls. Just what I needed!
While I was gone Garrett had put the kids to bed and even did some Black Friday shopping for me! SHOCK!
The rest of the weekend was fun shopping, attending a BYU football game and visiting. Then Carol, my mother-in-law, said she wasn't feeling well. We tried several different things to try to make her feel better but to no avail. She ended up being rushed to the hospital in Ciudad Juarez. Upon arrival she was diagnosed with high blood pressure and pneumonia.
What a Thanksgiving! Thankfully she was in good hands and they were able to help her heal and she was released 5 days later, but the very next day she was readmitted to the hospital because she was having chest pains and shortness of breath. She was later given a CAT scan and diagnosed with a tumor that is 5 cm long and wrapped around her esophagus. It is below her thyroid so they will have to break her sternum to extract the tumor. She will have a long road to recovery but we are all here for her.
This is probably one of those holidays that no one will ever forget. Here's to a smooth and clam Christmas!!
