The Park

Saturday morning it was time to escape the house,

except for poor Jake...he was studying :)

    

  Off to a beautiful park.

It felt like we were in the mountains...but we weren't.. 

 

   Everybody abandoned the baby.

 This aunt is so much fun.

 Flying off ...

 

 Not as easy as it was in Elementry school.

 The competition

 Sibling Rivalry

...the ultimate competition.

 

 Charlie discovering that Grampa Karl 

sometimes cheats *gasp*

 Sweet Cousins

 It's a Tickle-me-George

It was a perfect outing

Now back across the tracks and head home.

Steph's blog on this adventure

Cleaning & Crafting

When our family descends on a  household for fun and games we like to take time to do a "service project" for the hosting family.  A tradition that started years ago when my side of the family would gather on the farm for the Palmer Reunion.   Hopefully if helps make up for the chaos and destruction that come with a gathering.

Raking up pine needles was the project.

 All hands were on deck (well in the yard) except for Jake's.
  He was exiled to his room to study.
  He would have rather been out with the family raking.

We had workers

  and supervisors

(and a photographer...not shown :)

There was a shortage of rakes 

 

 ...but all help was appreciated

  

After a while some folks grew weary of the project

 

 ...and made their get-away.

 (A safe place to watch... from Daddy's study room.)

 

 After all the needles were bagged

 

 ...and on the curb

 a few folks found the archery range.

 Now that Thanksgiving was over it was time to get ready for Christmas.

 Crafting a blizzard.

 

A lot of folks took on the challenge of creating a flake.

 

Our Blizzard!

A Day of Thanks

Thanksgiving Day

 ...the kitchen was a busy place.

 Lot of mixing

 And rolling

 And pinching

And shaping

 We discovered a new way to seed pomegranates

 

 Charlie was great keeping the littlest of people busy

... while we destroyed  Kimberly's kitchen.

 "Many hands make light work"

 Waiting!!!

 Time to get the big bird roasting.

 Greta may have eaten more than she chopped.

This kiddo loves veggies.

  The tables are ready. 

 

 The food is cooked

 What our buffet line lacked in presentation

 It made up for in YUMMINESS!

 Load 'em up!

 

 Thanksgiving Dinner 2014.

 Someone only got a spoon to chew on
while the rest of us enjoyed a feast

 And it was good!

 Once dinner had settled

the "Freeze Dance" Party started

 

Dancing and laughing

 was a great way to make room for dessert.

More hilariousness here

More kitchen chaos here

More Thanksgiving memories here

Thanks Steph.