Thanksgiving Break - Part 1

We just got back from Thanksgiving down in Arizona with Mike's family. It started out with a big surprise! Kylie, the oldest grandkid, turned eight in September and her baptism was scheduled for the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It didn't look like Mike and I would be there until Tuesday at the earliest--or so we told Nana and Papa. The sibs were in on the secret, but did great jobs of keeping it under wraps. Soooo, when we walked into the room they were all waiting in before going into the font room, Karen immediately started crying. Mission: Accomplished.

It was great to see Kylie be baptized. It's so weird to see how much she's grown and matured since the last time we saw her last summer. She is so much fun! And LOVED Madie. She was even willing to play many rounds of Madie's favorite game--ring around the rosie--which I can only take so many times before I'm really over the whole fall-to-the-ground thing.

Anyway, we also got to see Holly and her family. It was the first time for Tyler's family and Holly's family to meet Madie. BJ and Shannon had met her before, but their kids hadn't. So it was a chance for everyone to meet her and for us to meet BJ and Shannon's daughter, Brodi.

Madie with Aunt Holly. (We thought we'd spare you the drunken picture, Hol.)

Nana and Papa gave Madie an early Christmas present the first night we were there. She LOVES it. Anything soft and cuddly, Madie's there. She gets it from her Uncle Sam. (My brother, not old man in the patriotic get-up.)

It's a puppy pillow-pet!

And that is it's nose!

Claire had almost as much fun hauling Madie around in the wagon as Madie did being hauled!

Beautiful Sadie and Ethan--pre-thumb severing incident. (Go to randomcreepyguy.com for further details.)

It was great seeing Grandma Clark, too! She flew down from Utah for the week. We haven't seen her since March!

Nana leads the kids in a game of Don't Eat Pete! up at the cabin. (Sadie doesn't look happy.)

Madie eats a snack on Papa's lap.

Kylie and I play Ring-Around-the-Rosie with Madie. (Like I said, thank you Kylie.)

Holly, Jeff, Claire, and Ethan went on a hike with Mike and me after the night at the cabin. (The wimps all went home.) Man, those kids were literally running up and down the hills!

Kylie and I pose in front of one of the lit trees at the zoo. Shannon got the hook-up and Nana and Papa paid for us all to go to Zoo Lights--$5 a person! That's awesome!

We walked all over the zoo looking at lights shaped like animals. It was really cool. Any guesses as to what is behind us? (No, not the recycling bin. The animal.)

We went bowling on Tuesday night, which Madie loved. She didn't get to roll the ball down the lane, but she did get to hold this bright pink one for a while, and put her head over the fan in the dispenser. She also practiced her walking a lot.

And tasted soda. She likes rootbeer. Go figure.

"It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye--or thumb--or whatever." This was the event that led to Ethan dropping a six-pounder on his little thumb. It almost entirely severed his top joint! The poor kid had to spend the night in the hospital and pretty much all of the next day. Holly and Jeff stayed with him the whole time, but Claire had to come home and didn't see them at all until they got back the next night. Such a rough day. But Ethan seemed to enjoy it far more than his parents: when his dad asked what his three favorite things were from the day, he said, "Going shooting, going bowling, and going to the doctor's." Hahaha!

That same night I went to get my haircut. Mike promised to let me cut my hair however I liked without saying anything about it. So I did. :) What do you think?

Since we had Thanksgiving on Wednesday (so Tyler, BJ and Shannon could join us), I was able to go to Old Navy and get a couple things for Madie before the real rush of Black Friday. I bought a pair of soft-soled shoes since she's finally walking now, and this cute jacket and those snowpants! The snowpants were only $11! I didn't want to spend a ton of money on something she'd probably only use once, but she really needs them for Maine at Christmas. So I was happy to find them for so cheap! Thank you, Tiff, for scouting the deals and letting me tag along!