From Thanksgiving and Beyond....

We had another fantastic Thanksgiving!  We ate Thanksgiving lunch with my parents on Thanksgiving Day.  I can't name all the things we ate.  What I do remember was there were more than 2 turkey legs (how does that happen?), and I ate A LOT of dressing (love that stuff). 

Friday, we left for a Thanksgiving weekend with Charlie's parents and had some friends (or "framily," as I like to call them) mixed in.  It has become an annual tradition for the kids to decorate a gingerbread house at Beme's house.  I'm not sure if more candy makes it on the gingerbread house or in the kid's mouths.  Oh well! (As my mom says,) It's a holiday!  We also had fun seeing Tatum.  Eliza holds her hand leading her around, which really should be interpreted as dragging her around.  I don't think Tatum minds too much!

Decorating the gingerbread house

"Finger lickin' good!"

Completed project

It's a near miracle to get all 3 kids to look at the camera at the same time.

Good, old fashioned tree climbing

Eliza has to do EVERYthing Jackson does! (Of course!!)

Helping Beme decorate the tree. 

We also had a great time catching up with friends (the framily I talking about earlier).  They've lived in Holland for 3 years and recently moved back to the US.  The last time we saw each other was right after Eliza was born.  We've kept up via facebook and blogs (thank goodness for both!).  We had a great time playing at the park, and the adults met later for drinks and dessert.

Jackson (6), Hannah (6), David (3), Kala (6) and Eliza (3) playing at the park.

Hannah holds "Football Man"

More tree climbing! (Love this one!)

This weekend has been quite eventful for our family.  Friday afternoon we had Christmas portraits taken.  The older our children get, the EASIER and more enjoyable this task is.  They did such a GREAT job, and the pictures turned out so well.  After pictures, we treated the kids to Red Robin.  Let's face it, who doesn't love Red Robin?!?  Bottomless fries....hel-lo!  While we waited for our dinner, we pulled out some "mail" from someone special. 

A letter addressed to Jackson

A letter addressed to Eliza

This can't be!  A letter from Mickey?!?

What does it say?

"We're going on a Disney cruise this week!"

 Needless to say, they are SOOOOOOOOO  excited!!  (and so are we!)  We've been planning this trip since February.  I can't believe Charlie and I have been able to keep this secret for so long!  I'm also surprised that Mr. Big Ears (Jackson) hasn't mistakely over heard us talking about it.  You know I'll blog about our adventure, so stay tuned!

We also had a fun time decorating for Christmas this weekend.  Charlie and Jackson put the lights on the outside of the house mixed in with a little basketball.  We put artificial Christmas trees in the kid's rooms this year.  Of course, Eliza's tree is pink.  (Is there really any other color?)  We had a fun time decorating the little trees.  We're waiting until we get back from our trip to buy and decorate our Christmas tree.  The tree would surely be dead (and shedding) if we didn't water it all week.

Even Sydni Lee gets a little decorating

The pink tree complete with a Princess hat on top

Love this one!

Ok friends, I gotta get to packin'!  My husband is packing as I type.....I'm headed to catch up!  Blog soon!

Unbelievable!

I knew it'd been a while since I last blogged, but September 18th?  Really?!?!  Time has flown!  Although it doesn't really feel like the week of Thanksgiving.  I won't ask anyone who has their air conditioning on in their house to raise your hand.  I think we all do!

I looked back over all my posted blogs and realized I started this blog one year ago.  I started Thanksgiving 2010.  It's been fun (when I've kept up).  I promise, I will try to be better about posting more often.  Not so much for the readers, but just to keep up with the documenting our children's lives.  It's going by so, so fast!  (Very evident by looking at the past year's pictures!!)

So much has gone on since September.  I think I might go backwards....starting with our most recent family events working our way back to September. 

Hold on...here we ggggggggggggoooooooooooooooo.................. 

Jackson and Eliza had their Thanksgiving programs this week.  Jackson's program was today.  His class performed the "ABC's of Thanksgiving."  Jackson  had the letter I and a narrorator part.  All the kids did such a great job!  All the parents and the teachers were so proud of all the students.

Jackson reading one of his parts.

Eliza's Thanksgiving program was yesterday.  Each of the children dressed as Native Americans and sang their school and Thanksgiving songs.  It was SO cute!  I really enjoy seeing the looks on all the children's faces when they walk into the room and see all the parents. 

Complete with hand motions

This past weekend we traveled to Raleigh for the night.  Our friend, Thomas had his 5th birthday party at Marbles Children's Museum.  Such a fun place!  It was our first time going.  (BTW, cannot believe our friend Thomas is 5!!  I remember the night of his birth like it was yesterday....)

Future hockey player??

OK, so...Marbles had REAL saws, not pretend saws, REAL ONES!! 
I wonder how many emergency rooms visits start at the saws from Marbles Children's Museum?

We decided to make a mini weekend vacation.  We stayed in a hotel in Chapel Hill with an indoor pool (no less).  We took the kids to the UNC basketball game Sunday.  We were able to sit with our friends, Aaron and Cole.  The kids had a blast!  Eliza told me her favorite part of the basketball game was the cheerleaders.  

Waiting for the game to start.

The cheerleaders...FINALLY!

The team is warming up

Before the basketball game, we walked along Franklin Street and took pictures of the kids at the Old Well.  I can't believe how big these kids are...Who do they belong to?!?! 

So grown up!  We're hoping we take similar pictures during
their college years (if THEY choose Carolina!).

LOVE this one!

The first week of November Charlie and I traveled to Jamaica for our 10 year anniversary trip.  It was absolutely AMAZING!  We had the best time.  We went with our best friends, Aaron and Kelly.  We only have 400 pictures of the trip (thanks to our personal photographer!).  I'll post only a few of our trip. 

So excited to get on the airplane for JAMAICA, baby!

In Montego Bay, riding the bus to our resort.

Our first drinks...Purple Rain.

Gorgeous, every night, GORGEOUS!

Couldn't resist a toes picture (at sunset)

Kelly and I made necklaces.  Great fun!!

Chocolate martinis

Nightclub.  It was LATE!

10 years?!?!  Seems like yesterday.....

This was pretty much our daytime activites....  I could use it right now!

One of my favorite pictures of our whole vacation

Waiting for dinner

The awesome resort!!

On the catamaran cruise (or per the Jamaicans, "you know, a booze cruise")

Halloween is such day when you have young children!! 

We, of course, visited the pumpkin patch to pick out the best carving pumpkins.

As I'm typing, I can see the picture from Eliza's first pumpkin
patch picture!  WOW!

We had a great time carving pumpkins.  Jackson started with Batman, but decided to just stick with the traditional jack-o-lantern face.  Eliza made sure her jack-o-lantern was complete with make-up (because why wouldn't it have make up??). 

Complete with make-up

Our friends, Ben and Charlie invited us to trick or treat in their neighborhood for the third year in a row.  We had a GREAT time!

No, not Jackson.  This is Mario.

Bumblebee.  Not really sure where she got this idea, but we went with it!

We could play the game!

So cute!  I can't stand it!!

The infamous candy trading time!

Jackson lost another tooth...FINALLY!  Jackson's two front teeth were hanging on by a threat (or blood vessel).  I just knew when one of the front teeth came out, the other would follow immediately, but it didn't!!  One morning before a football game, I told Jackson the tooth HAD  to come out before the game.  I feared it would come out during a football game, and he would choke on it.  I actually had this thought the night before the game when we were reading our bedtime story, so I decided the next morning the tooth was coming OUT!  We got a paper towel.  He tried to pull it out, but he just couldn't do it.  I took the paper towel, held on to the tooth and when I did, he yanked his head back.  Needless to say, the tooth came out...FINALLY! 

A child without front teeth is precious!

Jackson went on his first Cub Scout camp out in October.  Charlie and Jackson left really early for the trip on Saturday morning.  They camped out one night, and it was the coldest night of the year.  Jackson had a GREAT time!! 

Because why wouldn't you let a group of 6 year olds shoot BB guns?!?!

Thank goodness!  Safety goggles!

So proud he was able to "shoot a gun!!"

Once again, why wouldn't you let a group of 6 year olds use bow and arrows?!?!

No goggles...what?!?!

Good shot!

Jackson's creations during the camp out...a super hero cape, belt and top.

This year, we took Jackson and Eliza to the NC State Fair.  We had so much fun!!  The kid's favorite parts were the rides (namely, the fun house) and games (of course!). 

Sliding on the slippery slide.

Going fishing

Eliza pets a goat

How often do you pet a camel?

Our "animals"

Don't worry!  We scrubbed their hands after petting the animals!  You know I'm quite the germ-a-phobic!!

Artists in the making???  Charlie's first "honey do" during sabbatical was to paint the kid's bathroom.  Jackson and  Eliza had a great time "helping." 

Eliza drew a picture of some of her classmates.

The many outfits of Halloween. (You just wait 'til Christmas!) 





I can't believe this much time has passed (and we've been this busy) since September.  I've got to blog more often.  Otherwise, it takes way too long to blog.

Night all!