Thanksgiving 2014

We were so blessed to be able to spend an (extended) amazing time in Springfield for Thanksgiving.  Jonathan had many shifts on and around Thanksgiving so I took the kids up to NOVA for the week.  JB had a great dinner with his parents, Lou and the Speasmakers, which I was so sad to miss!

Uncle Matt gave Pop Pop a break from horsey rides

My brother (Matt), his wife (Chase) and their son (William) flew in from Little Rock and all of the cousins got to meet each other for the first time. William is just the cutest nephew on the planet and it was great to see how much he has grown since I saw him at 2 months old. Matt and Chase are natural parents and have done an amazing job parenting him. He goes right to sleep for naps/bed, loves table food and smiles A  LOT. Jackson wasn't sure what to do with a kid who was crawling...he hasn't been around anyone in that phase before, but he soon learned how to play with William. And William got a kick out of Rachel, trying to grab her nose and crawl over her all weekend. Buddies

William and Rachel

Uncle Matt and Aunt Chase

my sweet little brother and his niece

I love having a nephew, but even more I love seeing my little brother as a dad. He loves his wife and his baby so much and is just about the best dad around. I'm so proud of him. 

William loved my chew beads

It was great to see the whole extended McKay family (and a few Renzes). Jackson got a kick out of our surprise visitors, Riley and Aunt Karen. The two of them (and Hana and Libby) played SO well the whole day. Aunt Karen brought Rachel her first princess toy :) It even lights up and plays lots of lovely music. Aunts are good for those kind of gifts ;) 

On Saturday following Thanksgiving, my car decided to sputter to a stop right after pulling into a BP gas station. It was a poorly timed empty tank of gas and a transmission failure. We were scheduled to head back to Norfolk the next day but ended up leaving on Friday morning after a headache-producing time of dealing with my car. Needless to say, we missed dad back home.  

COusins! 

Family Selfie! 

Grandmom and Pop Pop were rockstars that week, hosting both kids and their families for many nights, doing 2 Thanksgiving dinners with a WHOLE BUNCH of family and friends and juggling cars so I could have one to take the kids around if I needed.  They held my kids, read books, did bath times, cooked for us, let me take naps and go on runs and poured glasses of wine at night.  

Jackson has not been sleeping well and he and I shared a room for 2 weeks while we were there. One morning, I re-awoke (3am and 5am being the first ones) at 7:30am to find Jackson out to breakfast with my parents. Sweet sounds of silence and a boy who came home covered in syrup and very very happy. 

This is how pop pop organizes nap time. I came home to find Pop Pop asleep in the recliner and J asleep on the couch. Sweet boys 

J, R and I went exploring in the woods behind their house where I grew up playing as a kid. We had a blast! Too bad there are no more good climbing trees for our little monkey 

We call her squishy. Look at those cheeks