For Thanksgiving this year we went to California to be with Brice's family. I expected a pretty miserable eight hours of driving given the kids behavior of late (I've said it before and I'll say it again--they are falling to pieces with our crazy schedule this semester), but they were really good! Didn't sleep as much as I would have hoped, but didn't fight as much as I expected either.
We stayed the first couple of nights at Brice's parents' house. Angel and I took Raelin, Ryker, Liam, and Jordan on a hike to Heart Rock. It's a pretty good hike for little legs and it started to get pretty cold and drizzly while we were out. Unfortunately we forgot our cameras and missed about a hundred Kodak moments. The kids jumped in muddy puddles and played hide and seek and ran all over the place. It's stuff like that that makes me miss life in the mountains. It's so nice to be able to hike from your front door into the woods and have the kids run all over without worrying about cars and stuff like that. It's nice to go on a hike so spontaneously too. The kids had a great time on the way TO Heart Rock, but Raelin started to lose it on the way back. She was tired and cold and hungry and she got super whiny. Her cousin Jordan, on the other hand was a trooper! He didn't want his jacket at the beginning of the hike and it stayed in the stroller at the beginning of the trail where we ditched it. He was FREEZING on the way back, but he never once complained! I was so impressed with him! Even Liam (he just turned 2) walked a good portion of the way. What tough kids!
When we got back we ran the kids a bubble bath in Mimi's big tub and the kids had a great time in the bubbles. I tried to get some pictures, but it was so hot and steamy in the bathroom that my lens got foggy!
On Thanksgiving day, we went to Aurora's (Brice's sister) house for the big dinner. There was a big group of us and we all ate great food and enjoyed each other's company. The kids played video games and played and ran and didn't eat much--except M&M's.
Then we stayed at Brice's other sister's house and had a great time with them. They have 4 kids and a great big house. The cousins all had a blast playing together and the grown ups had fun talking and talking. I'll have to get some pictures of the games the kids played with Brice one morning. They wrestled (kids vs Brice--Brice won!) and played crash landing. That's a game Brice invented with our kids where they sit on his feet with their chests against his shins and then he launches them into a flip onto a pile of pillows. The kids LOVE it!
My kids also LOVE Uncle Wes. Ryker and McKay and Wes played paper airplanes (McKay makes some really great airplanes!)
And Raelin loved having Uncle Wes read to her.
We took all the kids to the Andrew's tree house by their house and Brice built a new platform for it. Melissa goes there with her kids periodically and they build more stuff on it whenever they go. They have swings and platforms and a hoisting bucket and lots of fun stuff.
I love Ryker's face in this one!
It was so much fun to have all of us out there together playing and working on the tree house together: all 6 Andrews, William and Angel and Liam, and us. We did miss Aurora, JC and Jordan, but maybe next time they'll come too.
As we were driving out, I told the kids that William and Angel and Liam would be there (they moved back to California a few weeks ago) and they got really excited! Ryker said, "Baby Liam is my fravorite! I LOVE him!" Look at those cute cousins!
We stayed the first couple of nights at Brice's parents' house. Angel and I took Raelin, Ryker, Liam, and Jordan on a hike to Heart Rock. It's a pretty good hike for little legs and it started to get pretty cold and drizzly while we were out. Unfortunately we forgot our cameras and missed about a hundred Kodak moments. The kids jumped in muddy puddles and played hide and seek and ran all over the place. It's stuff like that that makes me miss life in the mountains. It's so nice to be able to hike from your front door into the woods and have the kids run all over without worrying about cars and stuff like that. It's nice to go on a hike so spontaneously too. The kids had a great time on the way TO Heart Rock, but Raelin started to lose it on the way back. She was tired and cold and hungry and she got super whiny. Her cousin Jordan, on the other hand was a trooper! He didn't want his jacket at the beginning of the hike and it stayed in the stroller at the beginning of the trail where we ditched it. He was FREEZING on the way back, but he never once complained! I was so impressed with him! Even Liam (he just turned 2) walked a good portion of the way. What tough kids!
When we got back we ran the kids a bubble bath in Mimi's big tub and the kids had a great time in the bubbles. I tried to get some pictures, but it was so hot and steamy in the bathroom that my lens got foggy!On Thanksgiving day, we went to Aurora's (Brice's sister) house for the big dinner. There was a big group of us and we all ate great food and enjoyed each other's company. The kids played video games and played and ran and didn't eat much--except M&M's.
Then we stayed at Brice's other sister's house and had a great time with them. They have 4 kids and a great big house. The cousins all had a blast playing together and the grown ups had fun talking and talking. I'll have to get some pictures of the games the kids played with Brice one morning. They wrestled (kids vs Brice--Brice won!) and played crash landing. That's a game Brice invented with our kids where they sit on his feet with their chests against his shins and then he launches them into a flip onto a pile of pillows. The kids LOVE it!
My kids also LOVE Uncle Wes. Ryker and McKay and Wes played paper airplanes (McKay makes some really great airplanes!)
And Raelin loved having Uncle Wes read to her.
We took all the kids to the Andrew's tree house by their house and Brice built a new platform for it. Melissa goes there with her kids periodically and they build more stuff on it whenever they go. They have swings and platforms and a hoisting bucket and lots of fun stuff.
I love Ryker's face in this one!
It was so much fun to have all of us out there together playing and working on the tree house together: all 6 Andrews, William and Angel and Liam, and us. We did miss Aurora, JC and Jordan, but maybe next time they'll come too.
As we were driving out, I told the kids that William and Angel and Liam would be there (they moved back to California a few weeks ago) and they got really excited! Ryker said, "Baby Liam is my fravorite! I LOVE him!" Look at those cute cousins!
im glad you had such a great time....but I do have to admit I was VERY sad when I found out you weren't coming to your moms. I kept waiting and waiting...and then I asked when you were getting there and your mom let me know you were in CA. Good for you! But you were definitely missed.
ReplyDeleteHow fun! Your kids are getting SO big! And I don't feel so tiny!! Everything is going well...just anxious for January! How's everything going with you? How's school? Ready for Christmas?
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! Looks like a fantastic Thanksgiving trip. I just read the ticker on your blog, 42 days to go? Really? That soon? Oh my! Can't wait!
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