A Great Thanksgiving (but with no pictures)

I know, no pictures!  I had my camera and everything, but we just relaxed and enjoyed the company.  It was nice to have some days off, apparently also from documenting family memories with pictures !  We had a really nice Thanksgiving.  My sister and her husband and my brother and our family went to my parents house.  We stayed for 3 days, a fun little mini vacation!  Madagascar 2, James Bond, games, great food, family, and friends!  It was great!  There were all of my family, and my sister's husband, Paul's Family for Thanksgiving.  My mom is a great cook, so like always the food was great.  Jean made some yummy pies and appetizers, and Maxine made her delicious orange rolls.  Allen had a good time playing football that morning, Brrrrrrr.  Porter and Sidney love spending time at Grandma and Grandpa's, and Rylee loves to explore all the fun (and non-Rylee proof) things to play with! 

I love this time of year and look forward to enjoying our kids this Holiday season.  We only wish we could spend more time with our "California" family.  We miss you guys!

What a Trophy Weekend!

We had a fun packed weekend with the end of soccer for Sidney and football for Porter.  These are Sid's team pictures.  She did such a great job and had a lot of fun.

That is her first trophy and it is a very prized possession.  Sidney, "Look, it is SO beautiful!  I will be super careful with it because it is glass."  Me, "It is beautiful, but I don't think it is made of glass."  Sidney, "Look closer!  You didn't see how bea-u-ti-ful it is.  It must be glass!"  I think you can even see her white knuckles locked onto that glass beauty :)

Porter loved flag football this year.  He was totally into it.  He did a great job and learned a lot about being part of a team.  He had interceptions, touch-downs, great catches, great blocks, tackles (pulling of the flags), was a super fast runner, and had some great plays and passes as quarter-back.  Allen helped to coach for a good amount of the season and they had a great time together.   We made it through the season with only one torn bloody fingernail. I doctored that right up and continued to thank my lucky stars that this is Flag Football.  I have been informed by Porter that Dad said he could play tackle football next year and that I am the only hold-up.  Get it together, Mom!  Wow, we ended up with over 300 pictures with this round of soccer and football.  Let's just call that good parenting, O.K.