Thanksgiving

We swap holidays each year between my parents and my in-laws. This year we were in New Mexico with my family for Thanksgiving, and home with my in-laws for Christmas.
Here are pics from our trip to NM...

Oh wait! Before I post pics from Thanksgiving, I need to post a few pictures from when my parents were out for a quick visit in the beginning of November.

Here we go, folks! Hang on to your hats!

Mom and Audrey showing of their dancing skills (or lack there of).
Sorry mom, the truth hurts sometimes.
My grandparents came up from San Diego to visit while my parents were out. They brought with them this horse. A gift from my aunt Aleta...who runs a preschool.
Now, she was either being very gracious by giving my kids a thoughtful gift, OR she was playing a cruel trick on me, and saw this as an easy way to get this gigantic thing out of her preschool.
Seriously, for those who know me, do you really think I would have this thing in my house if I really had a choice? It takes up half of my dining room (aka toy storage area). Its like his own personal corral.
Now, Aunt Aleta, I apologize if you were truly giving this out of the kindness of your heart. My kids love it.
But if I hear that you were playing a cruel joke on me, you better believe that this guy will have a one-way ticket, headed back down to your preschool in San Diego...better yet, to your house! (we'll see how you like it!)
Just for the record, I love you Aunt Aleta.

Now, on to our trip to New Mexico for Thanksgiving.

cousin Zachary
christmas card picture
moms christmas card picture
from left to right: Brad, Uncle Larry, Jeremy, Aunt Geena, Mom, Dad, Michael, Greg
Meghan, Zachary, Courtney, Schotzie, Papa, Me, Wylie, and Audrey
We celebrated Greg and Dad's b-days after our thanksgiving feast. Gregs birthday was actually on Thanksgiving (poor guy had to open his gifts and run off to work right after lunch) and Dad's was 2 days later.
The best gift was given by my cousin Courtney. She made my dad a scrapbook of pictures of Addie, from the time she was a puppy (and could fit in my purse...for like a day) till the very end. It was very sweet. Dad cried. I cried. Meghan cried. and the list goes on.
On to a lighter note. You may be wondering what the heck is going on in this picture.
Michael has Audrey and I caught in his "Sullivan Scissors" (a wonderful thing he learned from his dad as a kid). Wylie was lucky enough to escape the wrath of the sullivan scissors. Audrey and I were not so lucky.
Picture with "Papa Great"
This picture touches my heart!
Papa Great turns 98 tomorrow! Happy Birthday Papa! not that he reads my blog...or even knows what a computer is...but none the less, tell him we say Happy Birthday, mom.
Before we got to NM, my parents made all these blocks for the kids to play with...ahh, such good grandparents!
There were many castles made. This is the one I was most proud of.
And here I am trying to keep Audrey from tackling it...cause her mean daddy was telling her that it'd be funny to knock it over.
Here is Audrey with a plate that was made by my childhood best friend Amber, for my birthday in 1989...(not sure if you picked up on that). If you can't tell, we're playing tetherball...one of my favorite pastimes from elementary school. She's the one in the pink with the side-ponytail (yessss...gotta love the 80's!) and I'm the one in the red with the awful perm hair.
I love that my mom held on to this. Its the only plate Audrey will use at her house.
Papa, looking at his collection of old phones with his collection of grandkids.
At the Roswell "lake" (below)
Check out little man's windhair!
At the Roswell zoo
Audrey, making sure her bunny's still alive, with uncle Greg's stethescope. Judging by the smile on her face, I'm guessing Bunny was just fine.