Thanksgiving Wrap-Up!

We had a wonderful visit with family over the Thanksgiving holiday this year! The twins also experienced their first plane ride! ....followed by their first cancellation....and delay....and rental car mix up...and lost luggage!

We finally got to our destination in Redding, Ca, and it was all worth it! GG-ma and GG-pa got to come see the punks strut their stuff in the pool.....

...and there was plenty of quality bonding time with mommy and daddy too...

..but most importantly, we got to visit with family that we don't get to see as often as we'd like....and introduce the twins for the first time!

My uncle Ray and his wife were also able to stop by for a visit.....

...any my cousin too! It's probably been 10+ yrs since we've seen each other last...time flies!

...even my brother Travis popped in to meet his newest niece and nephew....they were best friends immediately! Travis has a way with the kids....

Everyone needs GG-pa time!

....and GG-pa had plenty to spare!

...and then Cayden arrived! The punks only cousin on my side of the family...

We love baby Cayden! Except that he is not a baby anymore...he is a big bad 4 year old!

...and my sis and I got to squish all the punks together for a group shot...love it!

...so glad my punks got to spend some time with their Aunt Corey....

This is a shot of the kids table @ Thanksgiving dinner BEFORE......before the mess that ensued....which I shall spare you from seeing. Trust me, it wasn't pretty.

After a few fun filled days with our family, we headed out to see one of my very BFFs, Kate, and her beautiful family....Randi really looks forward to spending time with these guys each year!

..and Kate cooked us dinner!!! YUM!...and I ate ALL her apple pie afterwards....DOUBLE YUM!

...and then Kate whipped out some dresses that she had made for the girls WITH HER OWN HANDS! What a nut!

They loved them!

Since our last visit, Kate and her hubby have finished a bunk house for the buys....and the boys were so kind to share it with the girls!

The next day, we took them back to our hotel and tossed them in the pool to duke it out for the title of CHICKEN CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! I think it came out a tie...I lost track.

But alas, it was time to pack up and go home.....our trip home was uneventful and all were able to rest for a day before we returned to the daily grind of school and work...

Already looking forward to next year!!!!! Here are a couple videos we got of the kids enjoying themselves at GG-ma and GG-pa's house.....

Great Grandma and the punks playing around....


The punks playing around at Great Grandma and Grandpa's house before we head back to Virginia!

Happy Trails!

Leah

Tenacity is...

...the ability to get back on after you've fallen off....over and over again. THIS KID is a living example! The pony, on the other hand, is pure evil!!! Looks like he survives to ride another horse though....way to go, Ross!

Bye, Bye, Birdie...

"Pigeony" came to us just under a month ago....she was worn out from her travels....apparently, she had lost her way....good thing for her we found her before the dogs did....

Randi and I took to the Internet to see what we could learn about her origin and her owner...she had tags on her legs that told us she was registered with the American Racing Pigeon Union, and that her owner lives in New Castle, Delaware. He was VERY excited to hear we had her and shared with us that she had lost her way in a 300 mile race from Ohio! We learned all about how they train pigeons to find their homes and all about proper pigeon care as well....we'd have to have her healthy and well rested before we sent her home...it took her a few days to settle in, but after that she really came to life....we knew that meant her time with us was nearing it's end though.....well, today was the day.....the USPS is going to help her with the last leg of her flight....just to be sure she gets home this time.....

Thank you, Pigeony, for such a wonderful learning experience! You'll be missed!

Happy Trails,

Leah & Randi (Your extended family in Va)

Gpa Craig's 2011 Projects!

Gpa Craig has accomplished a lot in years past, however, I'd make a bet that none of his projects to date will be enjoyed as much as what he's done this year! This year, it was all about the punks....starting with a an amazing tree house for the eldest punk to enjoy...she calls this her 'reading tree', and hopes to escape from her siblings up here with a good book when it's all done....



After we got the framing all worked out, I purchased this twisty slide to offer a quick exit from this little oasis in the trees...that's how things work around here...I come up with the bright ideas, Gpa Craig busts his hump to implement them....works for me!



Everything seemed to move quickly after that...before we knew it, Gpa Craig was putting up roofing shingles and closing up windows....

I did my part by bringing in another fun element, the hanging tire swing, and Gpa Craig implemented.....we work so well together :)

Here's a shot from the inside looking out of the door...

..and here's a shot of the view out of the side window...each window is covered in a screen to let the air move through while keeping the kids in and the bugs out!

Here's a shot of the ceiling....my goal is to get the inside painted and then add strips of colorful fabric between the 2x4's to make it more homey....whatdoyathink?

Sorry little ones, you aren't big enough to enjoy this space quite yet!

Sissy gets it all to herself.....and her guests....for now.

After the tree house was finished, Gpa Craig focused his efforts on leveling a playground area for a swing set I had purchased for the kids....you'd think that living on a large piece of property would present many outdoor activities for the kids, but you'd only be half right....there are a lot of things the kids would LIKE to get into, but nothing near the home that a mommy wouldn't fret about....we needed something safe to entertain the punks close to the house....so I dreamed this up, and Gpa Craig implemented....notice a trend here? Here's the 'spot'.

First things first, we had to dig some holes to create the retaining wall....and be 'we' I mean 'them'.

Then 'we' added some pressure treated lumber so we could add backfill to level the area...

It was a fairly large space, so this project took some time. Gpa Craig tackled it section by section...

We topped it off with a 3 inch layer of river rock...we chose river rock over mulch or sand in an effort to keep the kids clean as they romped around....

Here's the finished product...level, true, and just waiting for the punks to wear it out!

...and they do!

Of course Gpa Craig filled the rest of his time with his recurring annual projects too....fence fixing, tractor servicing, manure spreader dumping, and all that jazz.....sure do miss the old man when he's not here, but so happy the kids have such a great role model around when he is!

See you next year Gpa Craig! Thank you eternally for all you do.....xoxoxo