DeGOOYER DAY 2012

Christmas is only the SECOND favorite holiday at our house!  If you ask anyone of us what our favorite holiday is we would all unanimously shout, "DeGOOYER DAY!"  DeGooyer Day is our family's own, special holiday!  We celebrate being DeGooyers!  We celebrate being a family!  And this yearly tradition is something we look forward to!  On DeGooyer Day we PLAY!  No work is allowed.  (Not even making meals - we eat out!)  And we make matching t-shirts!  Usually we have a theme... but not always.  We sometimes go hiking.  Sometimes we go to the movies.  Sometimes we play board games, or go bowling, or go swimming, or go sight-seeing, etc. etc. etc.  The sky is the limit.  (DeGooyer Day is different than vacation - we go on family vacations also... but DeGooyer Day is usually a bit closer to home, etc.)  It's become a pretty big and important thing in our home! 

Yesterday was DeGooyer Day!  This year we chose a Super Hero theme (because of the movie, Avengers).  Each of us chose a super power from the Young Women values.  Scott was "Good Works," I was "Integrity," Key Lime Pie chose "Faith," and Kotten Kandy chose "Knowledge."  Originaly we were going to have an activity for each value - but we ended up only having time for two of the values.

First we focused on "Good Works."  Our good friend, Chris Thornton, turned 29 yesterday.  So while he was at work, we made him a cake, cleaned his house and decorated it!  We had so much fun and enjoyed creating a fun surprise of our honorary uncle.

Chris's House

After we were finished decorating we decided it was time to learn something ("Knowledge").  We went to Locust Grove.  Locust Grove is a 1790's Georgian mansion, restored and furnished to it's original appearance and situated on 55 acres.  William Croghan, an Irish immigrant, came to the Kentucky territory as a surveying partner with his future brother-in-law, George Clark.  (George Clark was the older brother or William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame.  He was also a Revolutionary war hero and founded Louisville.)  Croghan built Locust Grove.  It was amazing!  It was beautiful!  And we learned a WHOLE lot!  George Clark lived in the mansion for the last nine years of his life with his sister and husband.

George Clark's bust

Key Lime Pie and Kotten Kandy - cool tree!

Scott

Me

Key Lime Pie

Kotten Kandy

K2

SD2+K2 at the Locust mansion

After touring Locust Grove, we ate a late lunch (or early dinner) at Chuys.  YUM!

Mmmmmmmm! - Chuys

We finished our fun holiday at the movies.  The Avengers was AWESOME!  We love superhero movies and the Avengers did not disappoint.  In this epic feature, there are moments of pathos, feeling and surprise.  But my favorite part was the humor!  The camaraderie between the heroes was awesome!   My girls can't wait to see it again and are already quoting it incessantly.

SD2