Frequent Flyers

Thanksgiving week was a great time for us to kick off our holiday season!  We were so excited to fly to Georgia to visit Daddy's brother (middle brother) Ben, Auntie Erin, and cousins Bennett (age 4) and Kyra (age 10).  We flew out on Tuesday afternoon; let the stress of flying with two boys begin!  Our flight took off on time, but we lingered on the tarmac for 30 minutes or so.  While in route to Atlanta, there were bad storms down South, so we had to hang out in a flying pattern for another 30-40 minutes followed by a very turbulent 10 minutes of landing, ugh!  A 2 hour flight, which is usually shorter due to tail winds ended up taking us 3 hours and 10 minutes.  Just a little glmpse of what our flight to Fort Myers will look like in April.... a circus act!

Cooper and I liked the little kid park in the airport which helped us burn some energy before we had to sit.  For those of you who might be curious... no, our parents did not "drug" us on the airplane, instead, they resorted to a portable DVD player, new little toys (Dollar Tree is great for new, cheap little toys), and loads of snacks. Despite the delays, we did a great job on our flights both down to Atlanta and back (which was fortunately on time and only 2 hours home!)

We finally arrived in Atlanta!  Grammy traveled with us and Uncle Matt and Auntie Jill flew in the following day.  The boys had fun relaxing, playing golf, and visiting.  The ladies had fun cooking a huge Thanksgiving meal, shopping and catching up.  The kids had a great time playing with toys, going on golf carts rides (Ben and Erin live on a golf course), and doing "kid stuff" like shooting each other with Nerf guns :)

 Mommy just laughs at this picture.  This was a fun evening of wine and conversation after the kids went to bed.  The adults decided they needed something sweet.  Something sweet came in the form of Bennett and Kyra's Halloween candy bowl.  So that's where our candy goes!?!?!?

 The weather was nice, which allowed for golf cart rides and outdoor play.  We love taking golf cart rides around their neighborhood.  While we look forward to going to the neighborhood park, Mommy enjoys taking pictures of future possibilites for a home (Mommy and Daddy hope to build a house someday).  Here are two of her favorite homes.

This picture will look familiar very soon... it is our Christmas card picture!  We went out on Thanksgiving Day on the golf course.  It is hard to see, but in the background, you can faintly see mountains.  We had a fun time capturing some photos on the golf course that night while the sun was setting.

 It was finally turkey time!  Bennett and I had our own little table to sit at while the others sat around the dining room table.  We had a delicious meal surrounded by family we love and miss so much when they are away.

 Auntie Erin loves pay-backs.  She fed us whipped cream with our dessert and of course, Cooper and I kept going back!  Before you know it, we were all sugared up and ready for bed....NOT!  Gotta love Aunties :)

Auntie Erin's friend came to do group photos the following day.  We haven't had an updated family picture in quite some time.  Cooper didn't want to participate in the grandchild picture (go figure), but at least all did awesome for the group pictures.  Of course, we snuck in some playing time which resulted in muddy knees but happy kids.

Our final night was hell on earth.  We ventured to a hibachi grill for what should have been a fun dinner.  Before you know it, our crazy server was banging utensils on the grill and practically lit the entire restaurant on fire (Mommy reassures me that this was part of the act).  I burst into tears as I felt my face burn from the heat (over-exaggeration)... I started to beg to leave the place and asked Mommy and Daddy when "that guy was going to stop banging on the table!"  I settled in after 20 minutes or so and ate some rice with "rice sauce."  My parents said maybe we can try this again when I turn 4, no thanks.

 After the traumatic dinner, we decided to kick-off Christmas with Auntie Erin, Uncle Ben, Kyra and Bennett.  Since they will not return for Christmas (we are still working on this).... we exchanged gifts before bedtime.  I got a remote control car that crashes and flips (love it!) and Cooper got a retro record player (remember these throw-back toys!?!??!)  We are now in full fighting mode as we struggle to share in our household.

Of course, no Christmas celebration is complete without a mad scramble for screw drivers, scissors, and batteries.  Thank you Auntie, Uncle and cousins for a wonderful 5 day trip to your neck of the woods!  We had an awesome time.  We hope this is the LAST time we have to travel so far to see you.... their house will be back on the market soon as they head back to MN for Ben's job promotion (to take place within the year!)

Daddy the Deer Slayer

 After an unsuccessful hunt in MN, Daddy made up for it this weekend.  He shot a 5-point buck and a big doe!  He returned home with his deer (one of them is Uncle Matty's) and Mommy quickly ran past the poor deer to capture a photo of the boys.  Daddy can't wait for us to join him during the "hunt" when we get bigger.

 Interesting how our weather keeps changing.  We had a few beautiful days before our ice/snow episode (see deer photos above).  Cooper and I played outside in our clubhouse and went hunting for caterpillars.

 I remembered Grandma Sharon giving me this bug/fish net, so I kept my fuzzy friend away from Cooper's shoes.  My caterpillar friend went everywhere with me for a few hours.  I even took him on a ride on John.  See the net I am holding while riding above?  That was the caterpillar's first John Deere ride I am certain.

 Daycare Mama, Jenny, takes us to McDonald's almost weekly for lunch and to play.  Cooper can proudly spot a McDonald's from a mile away.  Crazy how kids get hooked on fast food so quickly (hence the super fun playland area!)  Cooper has attempted to crawl way up high in the tunnels at McDonald's but has never made it past the first turn.  He usually slips backwards with his socks on but this week, Jenny forgot to take off his shoes.  She soon heard a loud laughing and revving sound and when she looked up to see Cooper, he was "driving" in the simulator.  He stayed up there for a good twenty minutes, catching the attention of many McDonald's guests who thought he was hilarious.  That is our Cooper.

 Here are some random photos from the past two weeks.  The above picture is me trying on Mommy's lip glosses without her knowledge.  Daddy had a concerned face and Mommy had a mad face.  I had on my happy face because the lip gloss was flavored and it made me look so fancy.

 Apparently at night, my parents stop in to give me a kiss before they go to bed.  Mommy couldn't resist snapping a photo of me all curled up on top of my bedding, face cupped in my hands.  What an angel face.

 Mommy made a turkey a week ago since she realized there was a big one in our basement freezer.  Cooper and I attempted to break the wishbone but couldn't get it to snap (after 3 days of drying).  So Daddy and Mommy took over and Mommy won= she didn't have to do the dishes and Daddy still owes her a backrub. 

 The flu bug hit our house and it was a nasty one.  Cooper kicked off the flu season on a Thursday while at Jenny's house.  Two days later, Daddy had an upset stomach and that night I ended up throwing up.  Mommy capped it off on Monday when she started throwing up.  It was AWFUL!  The good news is that we all got sick prior to leaving for Georgia!  Here are a few pictures of me lounging while sick.  Surprisingly, I did take it easy and felt better within 48 hours.

 Great-Uncle Randy turned 50 so we went to his surprise party to celebrate with him.  I enjoyed using his blow-up walker which squeaked (and drove everyone nuts).  Randy likes to play the guitar and sing, so he had a little concert for us.  We requested, "Puff the Magic Dragon" and acted like true groupies.  Mommy is secretly hoping one of us boys will learn how to play the guitar and be musically talented.

We are leaving for Georgia today and are very excited to spend Thanksgiving with Uncle Ben, Auntie Erin, Kyra and Bennett.  We hear the weather is beautiful down south and we look forward to spending the holidays with the entire family. We are so blessed to have many wonderful family and friends in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings to all of you!