Florida Thanksgiving

Lest you think I am posting about ancient history, Paul still talks about our trip to Florida almost everyday.

I imagine that the people who saw Paul in this get-up as they were getting-up at sunrise one morning are still chuckling. We had driven through the night from the wedding in Pennsylvania and then went to the beach in Paul's pjs.

Sam got to meet sweet Gloria, whose big sister Martha is also as precious as can be!

It was so sweet (and sweaty, as you can see) to reconnect with old, dear friends. Paul and Noa go as "way back" as three year olds who were born 10 days apart can go!

I stole the above and below photos from Sara Beth's post. What a treasured day in Orlando.

God gives us good gifts. Sara Beth and I got to have a great time talking while our 3 boys and their 3 girls napped. We also managed to have a nice Thai dinner out with 6 kids under the age of 5! What awesome friends.

Then it was off to Fort Lauderdale, to a fabulous hotel on the beach, to celebrate Aunt Elaine's 60th!

Watching the family from our balcony while someone napped was a dream!

"Look, Paul, it is the OCEAN!" - Micah

I'm always partial to photos of Anthony walking with his sons

and playing with them.

Yes, I can play, too.

Sam, on the other hand, needed his rest (while cuddling Anthony's t-shirt) after being carried around the beach in the Ergo.

Paul told his Grandma stories about what fun he was having,

but rain did send us inside to the museum with Grandma Bev.

Micah was so excited to count the tarantula's legs and discover that what he learned in school was true!
Paul was excited to fly an airplane with his big brother.
One of the highlights of the trip was spending time with my cousin Jessica.

Thanksgiving on the beach with my aunts.

My mom and her sisters while the turkey cooked!

We built sand turtles, sand cars, sand castles,and buried boys in the sand.

We managed to pull ourselves away from the beach to spend some quality time together at Jessica's home.
Micah decided to look up to his Great Uncle Jack and listen to stories; Samuel was enamored with my uncle too!The boys seem to have forgotten how long it took us to get to Florida, since they have been asking every few days when we can go back. Thankfully, all three boys are fabulous travelers!

Katie and Joel's Wedding

In November, Micah had the huge honor of being in Katie and Joel's wedding. It was all so beautiful, that I had a really hard time choosing just a few pictures from the precious day. (So, I didn't.)

Tuxedo boy smile practice, part 1

Tuxedo boy smile practice, part 2.

Micah was so attentive that several people wondered if he was using his front-row spot to make mental notes about how to be a groom someday.

As you can see above and below, Micah and Bella were an adorable pair! Paul said his highlight of the day was when the DJ announced THESE two and they came (walking really quickly) into the reception hall.

Spiffy Cousins: Paul, Jack and Micah

Sam coordinated with the green wedding!

It was great to have time with Jack, Steve and Andrea in November and over Christmas!

It was a treat to be able to celebrate with our family (above) and our "Pennsylvania family" (some of whom are below.)

Nancy and Amy did a fabulous job of toasting their middle sister on her wedding day.

Nancy also did a great job of taking great photos, like the following ones capturing the personalities of:

Paul (who really is surprisingly shy sometimes)

Samuel (who really does suck the index and middle fingers of his right hand.)

and Micah (who really did act like a groom-in-training for the weekend!)Thank you for Samuel's sweet shoes, Sue! Grandma Jo gave eskimo kiss lessons

and piggy-back lessons!

Paul truly danced the night away! I was proud of how well he did on the dance floor.

I'm trying to hold onto a boy who is growing up before my very eyes.

Anthony is trying to hold onto his "baby," too!

Way Back in November

It's January, so it is time for my annual catch-up-on-the-blog series.

We had fun in the leaves in our backyard back in November!

Sam doesn't have this much hair anymore; it is thinning (and not just in the back.) Plus, we had to trim it since this photo, because it was actually getting into his eyes.

It's a good thing that Grandma Bev's back can handle 3 of her grandsons, since the cousins love to be together!

Getting to spend time with his hero Aunt Sarah is always a highlight for Paul, even when there are horses and beautiful mountains in the background.Happy Birthday to Joey back in November! I am looking forward to when we can get back together again with Scott, Sarah, Joey and Charlie.
Giving back thanks for the harvest

Grandma and Grandaddy have a great hill for running up and rolling back down. See their new barn in the background?

Later in November, we went to see Grandma Jo. No, this isn't a back-issue of Tongen photos. Samuel is wearing the "micah" shirt to try and trick everyone.

Here is the real Micah, getting his first haircut from a real hairdresser, Anthony's high school friend, Ellen.

Paul was remembering back to this day just today; he was recalling the time he went to a real barber instead of having dad cut his hair.