Thanksgiving Doin's

These pictures start back on Tuesday before Thanksgiving.......there are a bunch so be warned.  These were Tuesday before school.....just because they looked so cute :)

 They were so excited when they came home from school and Grandma and Grandpa K. were at our house!!!  Of course they immediately put Grandma to good use!  Read a book, Grandma........pleeeease....she never says no.  I had to laugh at their "Indian" head dresses! Wrens looks kinda like a bird.......and poor Iley's looks more like Eeyore!!

 

On Wednesday morning, they were up early......but they can't come out of their room until we open the door.....You can't really tell in this picture, but when I went up to check on them, they had plugged in the Christmas tree, and were playing happily by the glow of it.  I put the tree in their room this year.......it is just a little TOO tacky for the living room.  At one point there was a small umbrella hanging from the it.  By a shoe string......that Scout tied to it.

 After we let them out......Grandpa and Grandma had a bag of goodies for them..........this was all part of the plot to keep them occupied.......somewhere other than under our feet... while we were cooking!

 Sitting in the midst of all their loot.  They packed it all over the house all day in the bags it came in.

 Thanksgiving Day..............I put Ella in charge of the center piece.  She is very creative.

 Isn't it cool!!  She did a great job.

Iley just loved Uncle Mike for some reason......not that he's not lovable!  But you just never know about her.

 Everyone crowded in my little galley kitchen, trying to get lunch on for 16 of us.

 

 One of the small people we continually ran out of the kitchen!

 My niece Fran......such a sweetie.

 another small person who was banished to the living room.

Ready to get started.

 Iley and Wren didn't sit at this table, but they wanted to be sure and get in the picture!  Iley says "get the two girls' picture"

 The kitchen crew.  Iley and Wren sat here too.

The girls were watching Tom and Jerry with Grandpa on his ipad.

 Sunday we had a get together with Troy's side of the family.  We rented a building near by from some very kind folk.

 One of the favorite toys is 2 sets of small crutches.

 His mother was NOT pleased to see him up here.

 Brooke, our niece who is 14, asked if she could take my camera and get pictures.......of course I said YES! please do!

 She even got one of the Grandpas playing ping pong.  Brooke also talked just about everyone into playing in her tournament!

 I love how the one standing is cracking up at the two that crashed.

 This sweet cousin carried Iley around so much that I was afraid she'd forget how to walk! 

 An old knife sharpener (whet stone?) that was outside.  The kids sharpened all kinds of rocks and junk on it.

 The next 3 pictures are adorable, and totally crack me up.  Two of our nephews are on the left, the little guy in the red  is a cousin.

 I was wondering how she got her dress so grubby.........then I looked at Brooke's pictures......hmmm.

The youngest guest.  He's almost 2.

 The most handsome guest :)

These two very thoroughly wiped all the condensation off the doors.

When they got the bottom all cleaned off.........they started on the top..........but couldn't reach far.

BUT.......notice the tiny little person on the left side of the next picture!

 Here he comes.........

 Problem solved!  He even brought 2!  No one told him to do this either.  He just disappeared, and came back with.....not one.....but 2 chairs.......I'm not sure it helped HIM much, but Iley did some more damage :)

And ......."hot off the press"...........well as of  Tuesday morning.......

 That's all folks!  The girls both LOVED having all the family.....Aunts, Uncles, cousins, Grandparents here!!  It seems like it is healing for them to see the same people come back........then go see those same people at their houses........and feel loved by them all.  They belong.  This is THEIR family.  They were spoiled rotten and loved every minute of it.

I loved it because I got to laugh till I cried with my sister and family.  What a blessing to have family.

New Boots

Happily posing in their new boots.

Watching a signing time video.

 I think the sign here is Grandma and Grandpa.

 Still wearing the new boots.

Etch a Sketch with your breakfast anyone?

 You run that side, I'll run this side.......not sure how that picture turned out.

 Saturday they played together all day....  like angels......well like angels with their halo's just a little askew....  Wren ....of course......tied a string between the door knob on the dresser, to the one on the door.....which led to a blanket hanging over it......which made a nice fort behind it......which led to............

 more blankets....of course.......and much screeching.....just because.  Ahhhhhh there's Mom, let's hide......etc.

 Nothing as much fun as a surgical glove full of water that has sprung a leak.

We have had so many good reports home on Wren lately!  She is doing so well, and learning new things everyday.  One of the ladies from the Service Center, came by to see how she was doing.  She hadn't been there for a month, and couldn't believe how well Wren was doing, and how much she had improved :)   She is sounding out her vowel sounds, and tries to say all of her abc's when she is signing them.  She is sign reading simple books.  This girl is going places :) :)  Thank you God!!  It has seemed slow, and sometimes extremely difficult for her......and her mama and teacher......but we are making progress!!

I worked at the school for the last 2 weeks as a substitute helper in several classrooms.  I heard from her teachers more than once....." I have to tell you what Iley said, or did"  She has come out of her shy little shell this year for sure!  One day she was HOOOOOTTTT.......i'm hooooot, i'm hooooot........i'm still hot.....her teachers, being well versed in her ability to moan at length, knew there would be no progress unless she was cooled off.  Iley insisted that she had another shirt under her dress, so the teachers let her take her dress off.......then they realized it was a little sleeveless undershirt.  So she ran around her classroom, happy as a clam......and cool as a cucumber in her little undershirt and leggings.  Her teacher did make her put her dress back on to go out in the hall way, and to lunch.   

Happy Birthday Grace

Our niece, Grace turned 8 and had a birthday party.  Her request, instead of cake......home made doughnuts.  YUM!!  Her mother is a better woman than me!  She also wanted crackers and cheese, and soft pretzels.  Her mom thought maybe that was a little heavy on the carbs.........ya think?  Naaaawww :)  She had little smokies, crackers and cheese, veggies and dip, pickles, and doughnuts.   Wren ate about 12 little smokies,  Iley had only 5, but ate 2 whole doughnuts......Wren didn't touch the doughnuts, or the crackers.  Pretty typical.

The tempting tower that I sat right in front of all night!!

 The Birthday Girl :)

Big sis Evie, was in charge of the doughnut frying........at least when I saw her.

Grandpa and Grandma D.

 Check out the look Wren is giving Hans here!

Lucy wasn't thrilled about being in the picture, but I was trying to get the two little spatter's behind her.....Hans wanted Wren to hand the present to him, to hand to Grace.  Wren wasn't about to let go of it.  SHE wanted to hand it to Grace herself!........thank you very much.  She was giving him the evil eye!!

 Mission accomplished.  Heading back to get another gift.

Sherman was hiding from the camera.

 Iley wore this pajama shirt of Grace's all evening.  She found it and liked it, and promptly put it on.  We assured Grace that she wouldn't wear it home.

Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet, Sat on her tuffet.......

Harrison was snapping pictures for some reason this morning.  I was putting pig tails in Iley's hair.

Wren was done and lying on the chair waiting on her breakfast.  NOT normal.  She had a rough patch at school today :(  Hoping she isn't coming down with something.

 Iley ended up a little red today!