A Very Merry Thanksgiving

With my voice gone, I find I don't spend any time talking on the phone or to Craig or my children. Which leaves me WAY more to blog! I'm not saying I'm enjoying whispering everything (actually, it's driving me crazy), but I may as well enjoy this particular aspect of it, right?

So! Time to tell you about Thanksgiving! Craig had this idea back in July when his aunt and uncle visited here, that we should all have Thanksgiving at their house. Of course, it can be tacky inviting yourself over to someone else's house. So in order to make it easier for everyone, Craig also suggested that his parents could rent a house for us to stay in. He generously offered to share that house with his brother and family (Jason & Jeni and their four children). And Craig's parents were nice enough to actually take us up on it. And his aunt and uncle were nice enough to find a perfect house for us to stay in.

And let me just tell you: it all worked out perfectly.

Lynda and Greg found a house right across the street from their own home. This made everything so nice and easy! When Ryder needed to nap, I could either go to the other house (no car necessary, which was a good thing, since he was pretty sick of his carseat) or Craig could bring the pack-n-play over to the other house. So convenient! And in addition to that, the house was also absolutely gorgeous. We were so spoiled!

Craig and I were both swooning over this kitchen. Craig made good use of it by making a quadruple batch of spritz cookies Thursday morning.

Dining room. It's approximately the same size as my entire main floor!

The living room, which was also huge, and had a lovely view during the day time.

Master bathroom (which Jason & Co. got to enjoy, but we at least took pictures of it!).
I'm pretty sure this shower is the same size as my entire bathroom!

Lovely sunset from our backyard. Nice, huh?

And here's the daytime view! Seeing water always makes my little islander heart happy!

We had lots of time to just hang out and, of course, eat like the complete gluttons that we are. It was a wonderful vacation. Here are just a few of my other favorite pictures:

Bentley and Grandpa run around-- ahem, I mean, play some serious golf!

We visited a fire station. (Well, okay, everyone else did. Ryder and I stayed home and napped.)

Ryder and Eli-- who are just two weeks apart!-- got to finally meet each other, as well as everyone else!

Kamryn took good care of Bentley

Cute Maya

Jeni holding my kid for me

Eli is so cute in his helmet! And unlike my kids, he would actually hold still AND not blink for the picture!

Eli and Ryder got along pretty well, on the rare occasion when they were both awake at the same time

Grandma busy reading to Kendra and Lindsy

Bentley looks so funny here that I can almost forget that he was throwing things at me so I wouldn't take his picture.
Almost.

Love this: the two brothers feeding their sons right before the feast begins

Bentley and I embark on an alligator hunt

Kendra and Bentley gazing at the alligator Daddy found

There, now you can see him, too!

For reasons unclear to us, Kendra insisted on being photographed with this tree.
Um, she chose that outfit when I wasn't around.

Bentley practices his swing

I was a little sad to come home (although my kids, particularly my eldest, were getting bratty enough that I was relieved to get them home and back to their routine again-- but that's a topic for another blog post. Or possibly an in-person rant...). But I'm glad we got to have such a wonderful Thanksgiving. Kudos to Craig for thinking of this, and more kudos to Jason & Jeni for driving two days with four kids just to join us. And tons of thanks and gratitude to Tom & Donna and Lynda & Greg for making it happen!

Thank you, everyone, for a lovely Thanksgiving!!!