~ Thanksgiving 2013 ~

Thanksgiving was a couple of weeks ago, and we sure made quite the week out of it! We decided to go to Arkansas to be with Andrew's mom's family, and we stopped in Oklahoma on the way there and back to sleep and see some more family. Here are the kids in the car!

We were excited to see Andrew's dad and Grandma and Grandpa Strait and enjoy a nice visit!

Next we were off to Arkansas! On our way there, we were passing some of Andrew's old stomping grounds, so we had to stop and take a couple of pictures. Here he is at his high school.

We were all so glad to finally make it to Arkansas! We stayed at a resort near Bull Shoals Lake, and had a great time over the next several days hanging out with family!

Second cousins!

The guys.

Sadie with Nonni!

Thanksgiving dinner....

....and the rest of the crew!

Our family on Thanksgiving....the thing I am most thankful for.

The kiddos with Nonni.

Some of us walking down to a playground near the lake.

Swinging!

He's a monkey bars pro!

Nonni and Parker.

Sadie and cousin Abbey!

Just us girls.

Playing football with Nonni!

The girls swinging.

A little down time.

Guitars and card games.

Sadie and Abbey were sad to say good-bye!

One quick shot of everyone before leaving!

Saying bye to Nonni and Bret....

....and Papa and Gram!

Arkansas to Colorado is a two day trip, so we stayed at my parent's house in Enid coming and going. On our way back home we got to see my grandpa and his wife, Mary Lou!

Saying bye to Grandma and Poppy!

On our way back home, we got a real treat! We stopped at a gas station just after leaving Enid (one that we never stop at, by the way), and happened to run into some awesome friends that we haven't seen in waaaay too long. We were only able to stand a chat for a few minutes before getting back on the road, but it was amazing to see them! Miss you, Emily and Doc!

After 8 days and nearly 32 hours of driving, we were ecstatic to see the mountains in the distance welcoming us home!

Just life....

We had a busy November....actually, it feels like we are always busy lately! Such is life. At any rate, here's a little bit of what we were up to last month....

Every November we participate in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse that sends shoe boxes filled with presents to children in need around the world. The kids are always excited to pack and drop off their shoe boxes. I like to think it's because they love giving to others and not just because our drop-off location always gives away cookies and stickers. Either way, it is a great way to get them involved in the process of doing good for others and realizing that there are people in the world who aren't as blessed as they are. 

Last month we also created a new little hideout in Sadie's closet, complete with a girly little chair and bookshelf. She loves to spend time in there.

Parker stayed busy losing teeth. He lost two in 5 days! We are still waiting for his two front teeth to come in, although it's starting to look like it won't be too long now.

Parker and Sadie ready to run errands one morning. They looked too cute not to take a picture!

Prettiest cowgirl ever!

Stay tuned for a Thanksgiving post coming soon!

Lightning McQueen and Belle

This year we spent Halloween with our friends, Corey and Blythe, and their sweet little girl (and kitty cat), Charity. Here are each of our families ready to go!

Our family with our little Lightning McQueen and Belle!

The kids loved trick-or-treating!

After we were done trick-or-treating, we all watched Monsters University and enjoyed a yummy dinner of soup and cheesy bread. It was the perfect evening with family and friends!