The kids' table.
The adult table.
In addition to spending a beautiful Thanksgiving Day together, here are some of the other family activities we all enjoyed:
Staying at Kyle and Kim's home in Orlando.
Even though the days are in the high 70s, it cools off quite a bit at night--the pool is unheated, but the kids began by just trying to get a little frog out of the pool.
Mission accomplished. Ethan and Jaxon were so proud.
Jenna loved having her cousins come. Here she is with Sydney,
now with Sydney and Ella.
Even though Carter was several years older than most of the other grandkids, he was such a great sport to be involved with them--and I think he had a great time, too!
Mason is never without his cars where ever he goes.
Do you really think no one is going to get wet today when you have all these boys--and a grandpa who loves to tease?!
(Notice the cars beside Mason's plate. His buddy, Riley does the exact same thing! They are never without cars in their hands.)
After getting dried off, Ethan and Jaxon played some basketball while they waited for everyone to get ready to go to Disney World.
Brady, Ethan, and Jaxon all watch Carter playing a video game.
Little Gavin was busy eating pancakes.
Mason was playing a game while he waited, too.
I didn't get any pictures of Disney World because I stayed with Gavin and Cannon. (Oh yes, and Harley--Kyle and Kim's dog who was more work than the two kids put together. Hah! He kept barking and whining for his family!)
Adventures at Papa and Grandma's House.
Garrett caught a lizard, so Papa George showed it to each of the kids.
He then showed them how you could turn him over like a gator and rub his tummy, and he would go to sleep.
See how his little arms are folded? Just in case he woke up, Papa George still held on to him.
Thanksgiving Day was so beautiful. The kids had a great time playing football in our backyard.
This is Arden. We have lived next door to his family since he was a tiny baby. He has gotten to know all of the grandkids as they have come to stay, but especially Ethan since he was around the most and closest to his age.
The people next door have a wonderful tangerine tree that has the most delicious fruit--always just in time for Thanksgiving. They are so sweet to let us have all the fruit on our side of the fence.
It won't be long until Gavin is right out there with them.
Oh, how we wish our little Cannon could run and play with the rest of the kids. He is our little sweetheart who everyone in the family loves so much.
Cassie and Kim in the kitchen helping to get things ready for the dinner.
These three little buddies are watching one of their favorite shows. It is so funny--when any music starts, they all start dancing.
The guys always enjoy watching a ballgame or two on Thanksgiving, too.
Celebrating Kent and Natalie's 11th Wedding Anniversary
November 21st was Kent and Natalie's 11th wedding anniversary, so we watched the kids while they went out to dinner.
Celebrating Ethan and Garrett's Ninth Birthdays.
Ethan and Garrett were born just 11 days apart, so Garrett's mommy had bought him a birthday cake for all of us to celebrate his special day. Garrett was so kind to let us celebrate Ethan's birthday, too, since we didn't get to spend it with him.
We all laughed so hard when Garrett was just ready to blow out his candles, here comes a streak of lightning--it was Riley who blew it out before any of us knew it. So, the boys were good sports and let Riley have his turn blowing out the candle, too.
Yes, Riley loved the cake, too. I think he especially loved the icing--I think that comes from his mother, right?! She doesn't like the cake--only the icing.
A Day at the Zoo.
What would a trip be like to Jacksonville without going to the zoo--Grandma's personal favorite place for the whole family to attend. I think I have made some other family members believers, too!
The kids always look forward to riding the train around the entire zoo.
This is Carter's favorite place--Stingray Bay.
What a unique animal a sting ray is! You never seem to tire watching them.
We then moved on to see lots of other fun animals.
Aaah--a beautiful fountain, but you know it spells trouble.
Yep, I didn't get the exact plunge, but this was the result.
Feeding little Cannon. It must be done hourly.
Little Gavin wants to try his daddy's glasses on.
Feeding Time at the Zoo
The best part about lunch was the ice cream!
But, I think some people had waaay too much fun with it!
On to new adventures.
Kyle's family in front of the beautiful flamingos.
The goats are always such a big hit.
Gavin wanted to get an eye-to-eye view.
Brady wanted to make sure he brushed every one of them.
This is such great entertainment when all the adults have to do is just have fun watching.
On to the merry-go-round. We waited for the next turn because we nearly filled up the whole merry-go-round ourselves!
Each child chose the animal that is close to their heart. Of course, Ella chose a horse. Look how proud she is. Her horse riding lessons have definitely paid off!
Everybody (but Riley) wanted the gator, but all the kids were good sports to let Mason have it.
I think Garrett tries a different animal every time he goes. Don't you love his big smile?
This picture makes me laugh!
Definitely the tiger for Riley. If his dad had put him on, he would have fought Mason for the gator!
Don't you love how the kids wave every single time they come around? I remember doing the same thing when I was little. You just want to make sure people are watching you.
Grandpa George helping to push little Cannon.
Now, to the playground!
Kent is the biggest kid of all!
Jenna practices her gymnastics.
Look at the reflection of the girls' faces as they watch this snake shed its skin.
The creatures that Brady wanted to see most since he moved to Florida--the gators!
Grandpa George has a call that always brings the gators--honestly!
We ended our tour of the zoo seeing our national bird--the Bald Eagle. What mammoth birds they are!
Next post will be the last few days of the Thanksgiving Vacation. More fun ahead!
3 comments:
I love it! The whole post turned out so great. It brings back memories of all the things we did in just a few short days! Thanks for always working so hard to make everyone's visit so memorable. Shoot, we live down the street, and it's safe to say that every day with you and Dad is memorable! And we love it.
xoxo
Wow, You packed a lot of things into a few days (and a lot of people, too)! What great memories for all of your family that came for Thanksgiving. Grandparents really have to provide a gathering place for their family, and you and George definitely did that!
WOW!! I feel so much more a part of the week now that I read your blog. You did not miss one tiny detail! Looks like everyone had a fabulous time. I know you and Dad did everything you could to make sure everyone had a perfect time. Looks like it was successful for sure!
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