Baptism + Thanksgiving = One big happy family vacation!

We had a super-party-week-and-a-half - as much fun as we could stuff into 11 days!  It started with Ella's baptism on Saturday, the 23rd.  Things went very smoothly, aside from being locked out of the building for a short time and almost freezing to death (okay not really freezing.  It wasn't that long!)  We had many friends and family that were able to attend and support Ella, and we thank you so much for efforts you made to come out for the weekend.  Ella was very excited; she really loved her "new-to-her" white dress (kindly passed on by a friend), and has been working hard to choose the right. :)

 With her great grandparents Ralph and Ella Mitchell, and grandparents Diane and Bruce Mitchell

 With grandparents Gerald and Nedra Thygerson

Ella commented right afterwards as I helped her dry off, "That was easier than I thought!"  :)  She is a sweet, thoughtful girl.

The kids enjoyed some time with cousins and friends, and a giant pile of cupcakes made by our friends the Smiths.  They were so delicious and beautiful!  And delicious!

We spent Thanksgiving week doing NO SCHOOL (the kids were thrilled) and having adventures with my parents.  We visited a museum, saw a movie, went to the zoo (well, Kip and Dad and the kids did while Mom and I shopped on Black Friday, woohoo!).  We hiked Castlewood Canyon and made 9 pies for Thanksgiving.  Nowhere close to the numbers that the Thygersons made for the group in GJ, but we thought 9 was a respectable number for our group!

Visiting the Bass Pro shop with the cousins (Juliana, Rachel, & Lizzie):

Kinley getting her first archery lesson!

 

 And the Wildlife Experience - Ella with her BFF Bella:

 Grandma and Rachel outside

 Caleb and McKinley riding the statue wolves

 

 Beautiful Day!

 Hiking Castlewood Canyon - checking out different kinds of rocks. 

 Caleb on top of a huge boulder...

 The kids going into a cave...potentially housing a slumbering BEAR! (not really, but..)

 They hurried right back out, just in case.

 The dam at the end of the hike/loop; or what's left of it:

 Nature calling

 The three older kids on top of the dam - I LOVE this picture! 

 McKinley watching from her sweet ride on Kip's back

 Oh yeah, keep off the dam.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving morning - Turkey Day 5K in Parker.  Grandma and Grandpa M pushed the girls who were all bundled up against the chilly morning. :)

Caleb ran his second 5K, coming in with Kip around 28 minutes.  Ella ran her first 5K with me and we were not anywhere close to 28 minutes, but we did it!  She had to stop and rest with me a few times while I stuck my head between my knees - silly arrhythmia.  I think my heart did not like the cold weather.

Rachel decided this week that she wanted her hair chopped off, so we obliged, as you can see in some of the photos.  She loves it now because it doesn't get hardly any tangles, so brushing it is a breeze.  Yay!

We enjoyed plenty of good food and good company for Thanksgiving, and had many leaves on our thankful tree that ranged from food to beds to toys to music to flowers to doctors to the Marines to...ostriches.  :)  You have to get very specific when you have so many leaves to fill in!  We really do feel blessed to have all of our needs met and will be looking for ways that we can lighten the load that others may carry as we lead up to Christmas.  I do love this time of year!