Thanksgiving #2

We spent Thanksgiving Day with the Strait side of the family at Andrew's aunt and uncle's home. We had such a fun time!

Parker playing marbles with Grandpa.

Swinging on the swing set, in spite of the wind that was "sweeping down the plains".

Grandma, Aunt BJ, and cousin Boston working on a puzzle.

Parker and Sadie with Grandpa.

All of us with Andrew's dad and grandparents!

Four generations.

Sadie and I getting swept away!

Thanksgiving #1

For Thanksgiving this year, we went back to Oklahoma to spend time with family. Our first stop was in Enid where we always have a good time resting, playing games, and, for Andrew, eating some Taco Bueno! Here are some pictures from our time there.

Sadie and Grandma playing.

Parker and Poppy watching some football.

The kiddos ready for a fun day with family!

My Grandpa and his wife, MaryLou.

My parents with all of their grandkids.

Sadie and I at the piano!

Poor little Sadie got sick while we were there and fell asleep on the couch in the middle of a very loud room.

Our family on Thanksgiving Day!

Saying good-bye to Grandma and Poppy!

Operation Christmas Child

This year we decided to do something that we plan on making a yearly tradition. Every year, Samaritan's Purse does something called Operation Christmas Child (you can click here to learn more about it or find out how you can participate). Basically, the idea is that you pack a shoe box or small plastic bin with items to be sent to a needy child somewhere around the world. You can choose a boy or girl and a specific age range when packing your box. This is especially great if you have kids because you can simply have them shop as if they are shopping for themselves. In our case, we packed a box for a girl in the 2-4 age range and a boy in the 5-9 age range. This past Saturday we took the kids shopping to pick out items for the boxes. Even though we had explained to the kids why we were shopping, I wasn't really sure if the kids would understand that they were picking things out for other children or not. However, they did really great. We purchased things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, toys, cards, crayons, coloring books, watches, puzzles, bubbles, and suckers. Here are our boxes all packed and ready to go...

National collection week this year is November 14-21, so this morning we headed to our local drop-off location. Parker first thought that we were taking the box to "him", what he calls the little boy his box is going to, so I had to let him know that we were just taking the box to the people who would deliver it. He was so excited to carry the box inside.

Even though she understood less than Parker, Sadie was also excited.

The ladies at the drop-off location were genuinely excited to see us walking in and were all too happy to give the kiddos cookies, magnets, and stickers that said "I gave a shoe box". They were even able to let us know that our boxes were either going to Mexico or Haiti!

It great to know that we can do something so simple that makes such a difference for someone else's child. And what better way to teach our own children that we should look for ways to give to others. Can't wait until next year!

Mickey and Minnie

This past Monday was Halloween. The last couple of years we've spent the evening with our good friends, but this year they were busy with their beautiful 4-day-old baby girl! The kids still had a great time trick-or-treating, and were so excited to get dressed up. Here they are all ready to go....

All of us before heading out!

Sadie is excited to get to the next house....

....and so is Parker!

Waiting!

We had a fun time, as usual, and can't wait to do it again next year!