Thanksgiving Break

 My dad is awesome and installed this playhouse/fort/slide in the basement.

The boy table.

I think Loren was 9 days overdue in this picture.

Just today she gave birth to almost 10 lb Jackson (2 weeks late).

Bless her heart.

Was so sad he wasn't born while we were there.

A. I'm still obsessed with my parents winter grass. They don't make grass like that in Monterey.

B. Thanksgiving night there were 15 kids (make that 16 if you include Cole) sleeping at my parents house. Rachel & Jacob were nice to have Bob and Owen stay at their house.

C. I made green bean casserole. Such an easy assignment and I failed it with very undercooked fresh green beans. I used the recipe on the Trader Joe's french fried onions can. The flavor was so good, it was such a bummer I didn't boil the green beans first. Good thing there was back-up.

D. All of us were at Thanksgiving except Tami's husband Jay, who was home recovering from surgery.

E. And we all get along. Except when Jared bugs me and I bug Brent.

F. Thanksgiving Day was my nephew Bob's birthday. We celebrated with a turkey piñata that Tami's girls had made.

G. I'm so bugged that all the best Black Friday deals happened on Thanksgiving Day. But I guess not bugged enough to boycott the shopping. Went to Walmart with Errin and Karen and got some good deals.

H. It took us 13 hours to get to AZ and 12 to get home. It was worth it, but I'm in no hurry to do that drive again anytime soon.

I. How had I never been to Bass Pro Shops before? Apparently it's the place to see Santa in AZ (free pictures with a nice Santa who wasn't phased by crying children) and just a fun place to explore in general.

J. August loves my dad. He's fine w/most people. But he literally jumped out of my arms when my dad was nearby. Multiple times.

K. My parents are the best. My mom was talking about all the things that wouldn't have happened if my dad wasn't there for Thanksgiving, but the same goes for her. They are amazing.

Treasures

 10/21

Kickball for FHE and Owen's ghost legs.

Another special panorama picture.

Pardon that these first 3 pictures are from October...they're from Justin's phone.

 10/24

Left the powder on his crib railing. Oops.

10/26

My gothic child.

Or trunk or treating aftermath.

 11/6

My favorite school picture ever.

11/6

Those trees are filled with thousands of monarch butterflies.

And Sally is more interested in her hand.

 11/6

Aquarium.

11/9

What happens when Sally and I take too long in the Target dressing room.

11/11

Couldn't help it.

11/11

Happy Veteran's Day to us!

Our CPK waiter was nice and comped my meal, too.

11/14

Drew's family turkey project made of things from our favorite forest.

 11/16

Justin went on a scout campout and hot chocolate was necessary.

After getting home from his scout campout, Justin had to go chaperone a youth dance.

It was a long weekend for me and I was just ready for the kids to be in bed.

But I took them to Beverly's to buy rubber bands for bracelets like I had promised.

I was supposed to take them to Pets Mart (Drew's happy place) after,

but when we walked into Beverly's we found out that making those bracelets

was the free craft that day.

Holler.

 And the baby got balloons.

They loved it and spent so much time that we didn't have to go to the pet store.

I call it one big fat tender mercy of a night.

11/18

Working mother problems.

11/22

Owen's (and my) Mt. Erebus volcano project.

August and I went to watch his presentation and the explosions.

August was disruptive and Owen did a good job.

 

11/23

More fun in the Target dressing rooms.

11/24

Fu Manchu.