Thanksgiving 2012

We've had a busy year of travel this year.  Our trip to Kansas for Thanksgiving was out-of-state-trip #10 of the year.  Thankfully my children are pretty awesome travelers.  I mean, they are kids, so it isn't exactly a party every time, but they do pretty good.

This trip started with an extra special twist: the kids and I hitched a ride up to Kansas City with some great friends of ours who were also headed that way.  The car was filled to the brim, but all the kids did wonderfully!

The kids had an awesome time playing in the fall leaves!  We don't get many fall leaves in our yard.  We have the stupidest trees ever invented.  The trees in our yard turn brown and then the leaves fall off in the spring.  Dumb.

The big kids loved playing in the garden and exploring my parents' huge back yard. 

There were lots and lots and lots of game nights.  So much fun!

Except the night that we played Rummikub and Danielle and I didn't ever put down a single tile for the whole game.  So lame. 

My sister and I went on some great four mile runs every morning.  I feel really cool that now that she's 5 months pregnant I can keep up with her.  She's fast. I'm slow.  I'm not ashamed.

Colton helped Uncle Seth with his ROTC training.  I bet Seth's army buddies don't think that sit-ups are as much fun as Colton thinks they are!

One of the days we were there we took the kids to Kalidescope.  It's a free art workshop sponsored by Hallmark.  Rooms of free art supplies and no rules?  Heaven!

Colton took a lot of time on this star!

Of course Jaxon made a cape

Ahh the memories.  I used to come here all the time as a kid!  It was so fun to finally take my own kids!

Then we played on the full sized wooden toys at Crown Center.  Again, awesome!  Jaxon informed me that night, "This wasn't the best day ever.  This was the best day of my life."

We couldn't resist a sister shot with the giant nutcracker.  Doesn't she look amazing for being 22 weeks pregnant with my 6th nephew?!

Colton insisted on having me drive him around in this pink jeep.  

Jaxon enjoyed be picked on non-stop by the uncles.  He was seriously in heaven!

Colton took his aunties shopping for Thanksgiving.  He's such a charmer.  

Madi and I continued our pie making tradition.  This year she got to get near the stove.  Eeek!  She doesn't look it, but she was very proud of her lemon meringue pie. 

Somewhere in here Chris showed up.  He drove up from Texas a few days after us.  We had a fun family Thanksgiving. 

This kid kills me.  He is growing up so fast.

  Jaxon fell and messed up his lip pretty badly.  It was super swollen for a few days.  He kind of looked like a duck. Poor kid.  

Speaking of growing up fast, Madison is all arms and legs these days.  No fat left. 

While the whole Porter family was together Thanksgiving night we did Porter family Christmas.  This pic. is super blurry, but Colton was cracking me up carrying around all his gifts.  

We also had my brother's wedding reception while we were there.  Cause, ya know, Thanksgiving one day, Christmas that night, and a wedding reception the next keeps things pretty low key, not.  This is my little brother, who is obviously bigger than me now.  I'm so excited that he got married!  

And all my siblings in birth order.  My youngest brother joined ROTC and he's lost about 20 pounds.  He looks great. 

My man.   I love him.  I love it when I'm wearing heels and standing next to him.  Then I feel giant.

The last day we were there all the Utah people had already headed home, so we took advantage of a little family time.  We hit up our favorite bbq restaurant.   So amazing.  

Madison may look like a little twig, but don't be deceived.  This girl loves her red meat. 

We also took the kids to the plaza to see the awesome lights.  It's pretty amazing.

While we were walking around, we stopped for some hot chocolate and Jaxon made some new friends.  It's totally socially acceptable to pull up a chair and join a random couple on their date.  Thankfully they were really nice about it.

Then it was home again.  We always look so classy when we travel.

It was a fun trip.  And so hard to switch gears to come home again and get back to normal life and holiday craziness.