Thanksgiving with the Deatons

Sorry this is a pathetic amount of pictures to show everything that went on that weekend.  Every single Child and grandchild (except our newest one waiting in Ukraine, we miss you Kolya!) was here in Q-town.  We were celebrating 50 years of marriage with Mom and Dad Deaton, and eating lots of Turkey and the trimmings......and just eating a lot period.  I didn't have a lot of time to take pictures, One of my small children was in continual meltdown mode, just too much change, too little of my attention, fear of no one liking them, eating too much sugar while mom wasn't watching, maybe emotions about being back in our old town?, so that took a lot of my mental energy. Then there were 3 grandbabies that NEEDED kissed and held.  These pictures were all taken after church on Sunday. Terry Wolf came over and photographed the whole mob. Not a job for the inexperienced, or faint of heart. Thanks Terry for taking the time to do that!

We had lots of together time, laughs, cries, exasperation, laughs, forgiveness, love, family.  We visited a huge dairy one day and got to see how that operation ran.  The little kids were bored, but the older kids and adults really enjoyed it.  Then we all descended en mass on the local Chinese restaurant....probably scarred the poor people for life!  No really everyone did pretty well except for the afore mentioned melt downer.....and I think she mostly just annoyed her mother by pouting and huffing.  We've outgrown grandmas house, so we were fortunate to rent a really nice building in town.  Thanks Brenton for loaning out this building to so many.

 The whole darling bunch :)  This is all the grandchildren, Minus our dear boy waiting in Ukraine.  Next time we will have him in here too :)  I love that our family has grown not just in size but in experience, and culture, and in heart size!  We are blessed.

So I would say to Mom and Dad Deaton, "Thank you for raising 4 wonderful sons! and Thank you for loving all of us daughters in law.....We've brought drama, challenges, change,  and a whole lotta kiddos into your midst."  We love you.

October Wrap up

These are just random pictures.  Iley was sitting here playing with a puzzle, and I just liked the light.

 This was just a Sunday evening walk.  There is a long walking trail that goes for miles along the river/creek near us.

Wren was tired of carrying her umbrella......she took it because it looked like it might rain, and she wasn't taking any chances.....but got tired of it and handed it off to Harrison.  I had to rescue it eventually.......it's survival wasn't looking good........sword, spinning, dropped, popped open and shut......

 Doesn't he look cute with a pink umbrella :)

This next series is from a walk with Ash and Ella.  Ash brought Ella and Finn out to stay with all of our gang so we could fly to Ohio to attend the funeral of our dear friend Suzy.  Suzy is our daughter in law Kyndahls mom.  She had been battling cancer for several months.  I'm so glad she got to see Dawsyn before she went home to heaven.  I stood and cried when we got to the viewing....Troy and I stood holding the sweet babies we should have been sharing with her.   She loved those babies, and their mommy and daddy, as much as we do.  I think of her when I'm loving on them, and know she would have done the same.

This is at Red Rock.

Not a great picture, but it shows how much Wren loves her oldest brother.

Bumping along behind, and loving being outside.

Handsome daddy and sweet baby.

Yep they were running.......like I said.....bumping along behind :)

It seemed like a pretty setting to get a nice picture.........IF....the subjects will cooperate.

Nope.

 Looking out over one of the lakes.

 Getting Finn all tucked in.  It was getting chilly so Ella wrapped him up in her t-shirt.

 Look it's a Thneed..........because it's what everyone everyone everyone needs......

It must have been warm and cozy cause he went to sleep.  His mamma whipped out some diapers to prop up his head, and he was all set.

The next bunch is after we got home.  We left on Mon. and got back Wed. night.  We brought Brentley back with us to make the long 20 hr car ride easier for his mom and dad.  He still flies for free so we just added him on.  It  was NOT a relaxing flight!  I'd about forgot what it was like to fly with a toddler.  He stood up and sat down, opened and shut the tray table, got on his knees and looked out the window, stood up and turned the light on and off 5 times, then sat and swiped the ipad a couple of times, back up to push the light buttons again, ...........the thing that entertained him the longest was a cup with ice water, and another empty cup with a lid and straw.  He'd fish out a piece of ice to eat, then pull the straw out of the other cup and stir the ice, then poke it back in the little hole in the lid, the swish his hand in the ice water, get a piece to eat, get the straw and stir........over and over.  We were all a little wet, but it kept him busy and sitting for almost an hour.

He looks like he's asking Brentley " Dude, did they do this to you too? Good to see you survived!"

Has anyone seen my mother?

He was definitely missing his Mamma and Daddy.  He was happy most of the time, but a little more pensive than usual, and would fall apart and cry at the least opposition. Poor little mannie, he'd been passed around to grandma's and aunts and uncles, Daddy came and went, he'd been back and forth to the hospital......he just needs his own house and routine for a while.  He was such a trooper.

This sweet kissable little chunk of yummy is always wide awake and waiting for the  next exciting thing to happen.....always watching and hopeful.  His momma and daddy wish he would just SLEEP for more than 2 hrs at a stretch!  He is a happy sweet punkin though and redeems himself with shameless smiles!

Looking a little pensive.....not sure he felt very good.

Matching morning bed heads!

Daddy is SO much FUN!

Trick or Treating.... Sherm is a hobo, the girls are just princesses, and Brentley is a lion.  I asked Iley if she was going to wear that necklace and she says "yes, cause princesses have necklaces!"  I didn't tell her it wasn't really a necklace, but a baby chew toy.

I just had to take a picture of this cute little elephant toddling along dragging her pumpkin.

 Score!

Brentley has company up on the table these days.

 Rub a dub dub three cuties in a tub....