Thanksgiving Part 2

As I said in part one...my cousin Rebecca spent Thanksgiving with us.  We had so much fun. We reminisced about Thanksgivings we had spent together when our families lived in Kansas.  Right after the big dinner we had an impromptu photo shoot. You would think it would be bad timing since we were all so stuffed, but there was good lighting and that is all that mattered.

Luke, age 6.

 Three musketeers

 Okay, I am keeping this picture small...since it is so dorky.  But, I was trying to strike a pose like cjane does so well.  I guess I need more practice!

 Everyone dog pile on Uncle Michael! These guys were not into the photo shoot so much.

Heidi and I trying for a photo shoot and we can't stop laughing.  I don't think we were cut out to model. 

 Ryan and I have barely ANY pictures together since I am usually behind the camera.  Glad we finally have some!  The best part-like I said, impromptu, so no stress!

 Here is Pierson looking sweet and innocent.

Here he is looking not so innocent. He was having some fun with the markers while the adults were visiting downstairs.  

The three little girls. 

Annie with cousin Avery...they are about 6 months apart.

 

 Heidi (sister), Rebecca (cousin), and me (Natalie)

Rebecca took some shots of Heidi and I.  We called these our "book" poses.  If we decide to write a book we could use these as our photo.  Since I can barely whip out this Thanksgiving post a month later, I don't think I am going to be using my "book" pose anytime soon.

Here we are with our little brother, Michael.  This is the most serious picture we had.

Most of them were more like this.  I think it was all the food...we don't even need alcohol around here.  Just get a little too much food in our bellies and we go crazy.

Sophie is starting to walk!

 Cousin Chloe with Sophie

Enough of our photo shoot. I was REALLY tempted to put one in of Aunt Heidi and Uncle Travis that had us all laughing on the floor.  But, Heidi....I had mercy on you.

More cousins-Robin, Andrew, and their girls were also in the Phoenix area visiting family.  They were able to pop in and say hello!

 Chloe pampered us with Manicures. (Here with Rebecca)

Even though the weather was in the 70's...the pools are not heated.  The boys decided to brave the Arctic temperatures and jump in the pool.  Joshua tried to tell us it was just as cold as the rivers here in Idaho during the winter-not quite Joshua!  It still looked pretty cold though!

 They had a contest to see who could stay in the water the longest...I don't know who won. 

Throughout the trip we spent time in hotels in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada.  This is how the kids slept.  Don't feel too sorry for them, our bed a couple feet away was just as full!

 It is great that my family, and Ryan's family live right down the road from each other.  Joshua is the oldest cousin on Ryan's side of the family, and after 11 years of no cousins...we finally have two!  Little Amelia took right to Joshua and it was so cute to watch.

 I love watching Amelia run.  She has the littlest legs and they go so fast.

Amelia, James, Joshua, and Holden played a little football outside.

 Papa and Annie

 I was trying to get a picture of all three of the girls together, but the lighting was terrible and all the ones with Sophie were blurry...this is the best I have! 

After lots of fun in Arizona we made the LONG trip back home.  We stopped at the Hoover Dam on the way home.  It was really busy, but worth the stop!

 Did you know that the Hoover Dam was constructed during the Great Depression?

 Not only was the Dam interesting..but the scenery is amazing! Why is it that Joshua is always so happy to have his picture taken?  I think he and James had just gotten in a spat and James is not even in the picture.  He is hiding behind the wall in a restricted area.

 I guess this statue is mentioned in the Percy Jackson books...so my boys noticed it right away!

 Over 100 people lost their lives during the construction of the Dam.

 This is SOOOO steep it gave me the willies to take the picture.  One of my boys leaned RIGHT over the edge and that really gave me the willies. I hate heights.

We had a great week in the sun. The day after we came home we woke up to this-

I didn't mind though!  I love snow for the holidays!  

Thanksgiving in the Sunshine Part 1

We headed down to sunshine and blue skies in Arizona for the week of Thanksgiving. Not only was half of my family down there, but half of Ryan's family.  It was great to be with everyone.  Heidi and Travis hosted the big dinner in their beautiful home.

Thanksgiving morning...here we are finishing up breakfast and gearing up for the big day.

Luke

Thanksgiving morning is particularly stressful for the kids. They played wii in their PJ's and watched movies.  Little Avery is hanging out with the boy cousins...she came up from Califonia for the big weekend.

I love these pictures of James and Nic...oh, the concentration! 

You know when James is really tuned into something because out comes the tongue!

Love that toothless smile, Michael!

After lots of work in the kitchen we were finally ready for prayer.  Uncle Travis requested that Aunt Heidi do the honors.  (Which she thought was unfair since she had the honor of cooking all day.) Here she is telling me, "Okay, put the camera down, time for prayer!"  

My cousin Rebecca took so many pictures and these following ones of the food are some of my favorites.  You know I love food.  I made these sugar cookies.  We also had pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, apple pie, chocolate cream pie, and pecan pie.  Not to mention cheese cake, caramels, and fudge.  We decided next year we should just stick to sugar cookies.  They seem to be a bigger hit around here than the pie.

I insisted on making cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.  NO ONE around here eats cranberry sauce...what!?  I have to admit I like it better the next day with cold turkey.  But it was pretty much just the cranberry sauce and me.

Aunt Heidi makes some YUMMY mashed potatoes.  They are creamy and not too "heavy" (you know what I mean?)  I wish I could grab a spoon and dig into this pot!

Aunt Carly made a boat load of rolls in Califonia before she came and they were DELICIOUS.  We had to hide a few bags from the kids!  :)  These rolls are my mom's famous rolls, and they are hard to live up to, but Carly delivered!

Chloe and Sophie

This is just a shot of a busy kitchen.  Aunt Heidi's house is great for hosting a large crew.

The boys table.  If you are wondering what Michael has, it is a turkey bone that has been licked clean.  He has a fascination with bones. I often find frozen bones in the freezer. ???

 I thought this was so funny.  Aunt Carly served Pierson his plate of food and then put him in the dining room at the "adult table". However, the adults were taking a long time getting their food, so little Pierson just sat all by his lonesome...just him and his turkey.

Rebecca took shots of us eating at dinner.  I am eating how I usually do, with a baby on my lap.  Does holding a baby stop me from eating, no sir.  Wondering what Ryan is doing?  Describing the delivery of his 6th child, Sophie. Before you think we are totally crazy...Priscilla (Travis's cousin) was at our table and she was due to deliver a baby ANY MOMENT.  So, crazy as it is to be discussing at Thanksgiving dinner, we were swapping birth stories.  Appetizing, huh!?

I love this picture of the little kid table.  Annie's face is especially funny.

Little Pierson, Aunt Carly, Uncle Michael, Jarret, Priscilla, and our famous photographer and cousin Rebecca.

Ryan was exhausted after all that cooking.  (hee-hee)

Nana, Papa, Uncle Dane, Aunt Melanie, and Great Grandma came over that night for dessert.  It was such a treat for us to have Great Grandma down from Canada. She is one hopping Great Grandma! Here is is holding Sophie, who is very happy after her nice nap with Dad.  Annie was not very ethusiastic about taking a picture-she needed a nap!

The older kids played football all afternoon.
 

Holden and Joshua-check out that green Arizona grass!  I love it.

 Thanks again, Rebecca, for getting these shots.  I think I was inside eating pie. I know the kids had a great time.

It was a GREAT Thanksgiving!  Big thanks to Heidi and Travis for opening their home, and all the yummy food, and great company.  We made lots of great memories.  Stay tuned for Thanksgiving-Part 2 tomorrow. (If I get a chance...my Christmas Cards just arrived so I think that will keep me busy!)

AHHHHHH!!!!!

I got up early this morning and thought I will finally do a post about Thanksgiving.

My sweet cousin Rebecca took hundreds of AMAZING pictures.

I finally narrowed down what pictures to upload.

I started the long process with my slow computer of loading the pictures.

It was taking so long I started paying bills.

All this with baby on lap and Anne talking my ear off.

I leave computer to make phone call. 

SOMEONE shuts down the page and that LONG process is canceled. 

I have to start over. 

But I also have to take a shower so it looks like my Thanksgiving post will have to wait a little longer.

Sigh.

Michael's Baptism

In our church children are baptized when they turn eight years old.  Michael was baptized on

November 5th, 2011 by his Dad.

Nana and Papa drove 13 hours from California to be there. We had our first real snowstorm of the season.  We wanted to give them a little taste of Idaho for the two days the were there!  They arrived in the wee hours of the morning so it was a great surprise for the kids to wake up and find them here! 

Here is Michael before we headed over to the Church.



We actually managed to get a family shot in before we left.  If only I was knew how to photoshop like my cousin Rebecca...that would be a great skill to have!  My favorite part of the whole picture is James.  It catches a devious smile!

Here is the baptism boy with Papa and Nana.  Great picture! 



Annie and Nana-another favorite!



The girls-Sophie, Mom, Nana and Annie.

Here is Michael with a best buddy.  Love this picture too! 



Grandpa was also at the baptism, and I can't believe I don't have a picture!  Grandma was in Arizona on a trip she had planned a long time ago.  She made her special pillow she gives all the grandchildren for their baptism.  We had Aunts, Uncles,  friends and lots of cousins come. We feel blessed so many people were able to make it!  Everyone gathered at our house after for a luncheon and the kids performed a play they made up.  I was too busy playing hostess to take pictures.  We were sad to see Nana and Papa leave the next morning back to California.  It was a great weekend and we were so happy to see Michael be baptized and become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!