Giving Thanks and more

I might do it. I might actually catch up to December if I keep after it! I've been asked by those who don't blog how I find time to do it. I stay up way too late. It's the only way.

In early November we helped Trevor K. celebrate his sixth birthday. I took this photo at the party because these guys were all born within a month of each other. That was one of the baby boom years in our Sunday School class, and nearly all were boys. Elizabeth's year was one too, nearly all girls.

Andrew, Trevor, and Shannon, dirt-lovin' Jeep buddies.

Also earlier in November Amelia and Shannon's choir sang.

It's always easy to take great photos in the sanctuary since the lighting is so perfect. Right. I edited this one with my pitiful photo editing software, which turned everyone's normal colored outfits a day glow shade. Oh well, at least now they can be seen.

The front row got to sing sitting down.

The caption for this photo is, "Why Kindergarteners Should Not Be Trusted to Sing in Front of People." Their patience really was tested, though, through a guest speaker and a long prayer. At one point Shannon was wrapping a microphone cord that was plugged into the floor around and around his arm. I prayed it wasn't frayed...or that the mic it was plugged into wasn't the one the speaker was using.

Our church does Operation Christmas Child boxes through Samaritan's Purse. The elementary aged kids collected lots of goodies and had a shoe box packing Sunday during Sunday School.

Some of Amelia's classmates.

This one is for a girl. 

Shannon's class packed them too, and then went on to the important business of grabbing a snack.

Third grade friends Carson and Abigail.

And now, Happy Thanksgiving! We went to Granny's house in McDonough for the annual Sunday Before Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner with the Adams side of the family. As usual I wish I had taken more pictures, but I didn't. Seems none of the adults are super excited about smiling for the camera when they're stuffed full of dinner. The kids mostly cooperated, though.

This tree was still showing off. Jordan climbed it.

So did Amelia and the rest of the kids present.

One photo I managed to get of some big people. Ashley, I don't mean the big people thing as an insult. (She is expecting baby girl #2 in January.) :) Aunt Angela, Nanny (yes, she's from the other side of the family), and my cousin Ashley.  I believe her exact words were, "This is probably going to end up in your blog, isn't it?" Nah.

Nanny, the baby magnet, with McKinley, my cousin Brooke's baby.

And then I stopped trying to take pictures of grown ups. There were about 35 more inside. I decided not to chance angering them. They can get quite feisty, that bunch. (Cue music, snap fingers: The Adams Family, da da da da (snap snap), da da da da, (snap snap)...you get the idea.)

Reagan wasn't feeling well so Jonathan came with Jordan. She insisted on wearing Mr. Potato Head's glasses.

James got in some batting practice with the kids.

Avery can't decide if he's left or right handed. He eats with his left but has taken to drawing, and apparently batting, right handed. Maybe he'll be ambidextrous. I've always wished I was, my left hand is nearly useless.

A swing, and Himstedt makes contact with the ball.

We were coming back on Thanksgiving Day for festivities at my folks' house, so we just stayed the week. James worked a few days from Dad's office, and I did school with the kids at the kitchen counter. A break from the normal routine is nice now and then. Jonathan and Jordan stayed Sunday night too, and Jordan got to hang out with us Monday.

Thankfully the weather was nice and we got to play outside.

Thanksgiving Day was spent at Mom and Dad's with Jonathan and Lisa and the girls, Lisa's parents who were up from Miami, Uncle Ned and Aunt Dawn, and Nanny.

As has become customary, Elizabeth spent the day in a dress up dress. 

Lisa and Reagan.

Gettin' the grub.

Now here's a handsome man, who truly earned his Thanksgiving calories. He got up early on Thanksgiving, drove to downtown Atlanta, met some friends from church...

...and ran a half marathon. That's 13.1 miles. Some in the above photo did the 5K, which to someone such as myself might as well be 13.1 miles. He finished in 1 hour 49 minutes, which is considerably better than his original goal of 2 hours. I'm really proud of him.

Back to the food. And Lisa's parents, the Upchurches.

Aunt Dawn, a natural beauty.

At the grown up table. Sort of.

Aunt Dawn introduced Avery to the iPhone app Angry Birds. He played it for an hour. In the past few weeks he's learned to navigate a few websites using the touch pad on my laptop. He's excited about his newfound skills.

Turns out Angry Birds is addictive to big people too.

So Avery, what does an angry bird look like?

Reagan examines a bauble on Grandmommy's wrist. Perhaps staking a future claim.

The girls wanted to walk over to Nanny's house, so of course she obliged them. Elizabeth waved at me and said, "You go back to Grandmommy's. Bye!"

 I love these. 

I'm sure the wisdom Nanny was imparting is as good as what she's always given me.

After a fun afternoon of family and food, everyone went home except for us. Grandmom had mentioned letting the kids help decorate the Christmas tree, so of course they didn't forget. They aren't doing a real tree this year since none of us will be there for Christmas, but the kids thought decorating the light up tree was just as fun.

As soon as everyone departed Amelia asked my mom if they could get the tree out. Mom told her it was in the storage building, she'd have to ask Grandad to get it. She said, "He's a grandparent. He'll do it." He did too, right away. I began to think maybe it was time to go home...

An enjoyable week was had by all. We made the trek home to Cleveland Friday, where we put up our own Christmas tree. Tune in for more exciting photos of kids a decorating Christmas tree soon!