Thanksgiving 2015

Author's Note: I've been neglecting the blog for a variety of reasons (including, you know, busy season) and I was mentally drafting a post about Olivia's 2.5 milestones and idiosyncrasies blissfully unaware that I left off last at.....HALLOWEEN!!! I really thought I had caught up through Christmas before the new-year work fest, but alas, I'm way more behind that I imagined. So, I'm going to keep this relatively brief. 

This past Thanksgiving we had the extra-special treat of having Aunt Ashley and Miguel come down to South Texas from Hawaii for a visit. Thanks to modern technology (read: Facetime) we get to see her through video-chat about once a week or so, but the distance and expense keeps her mewed up in paradise most of the year. The kids were super excited to see her, although a little disappointed that she didn't bring her dogs, Prince and Jude (okay, really just Jude...Prince doesn't do little people). Because we weren't going to see her again at Christmas, we brought her Christmas present with us, and she gave the kids theirs early too. We painted her some Russian nesting dolls (monetary bonus hidden within). I don't remember what she got Olivia (shoes, I think) but she won Aunt-of-the-Year with Nathan's present: Black Lagoon books. The kid is obsessed with the Black Lagoon series right now (even still as I type this in May) and he had been begging for more of the series. Well....she came through with 5 of them and he was over-the-moon excited. I don't remember how many times I read them over the Thanksgiving break, but rest assured each time we had to read all of them, including the one we brought with us.

Painting Aunt Ashley's Christmas present.

Just hanging out with Aunt Ashley and Miguel.

Yay books! And Rescue Bots!!!

Ashley and her mini-me.

Mommy and her biggest precious angel. I'm pretty sure he'll still fit in my lap when he's 22. 

Nathan's expression says a lot about how he felt about this photo shoot.

The whole family.

The love this family has for Popo is incredible. I can only hope to have such an impression on my own family some day.

The youngest generation adores their Popo just as much.

After spending a few days in Sinton, we headed up to my Uncle Skipper's ranch for the Bryan-side Thanksgiving. The weather was wet and I was worried about keeping the kids entertained while cooped up inside at my cousin's house. Fortunately, Nathan kept occupied with his books practically the entire time and Olivia entertained herself with the three big Labradors that were at the house. She's an expert at getting people and animals to do her bidding, and the suckers  Bryan family (and pooches) did not disappoint. I was nervous about the dogs at first, but they all let her hang all over them, which was a huge relief. I wish I had a picture of her being rocked back and forth while holding on to one of their wagging tails. She was barely taller than they were.

It didn't take long to get cousin Tommy on the floor playing a Disney matching game.

Reading with Uncle Cantrell.

Nathan, Melodie and Grandma Bryan.

Look, Daddy was there too!

The after-dinner coma at work. 

Cousins Shirley and Cynthia.

"I sit in your lap." (followed, I'm sure, by, "What dat? I want some.")

"Color dat [minion]!"

Hugs for the puppy by Uncle Skipper.

"Nite nite puppy. I pat her." [followed by beating the puppy]

She really had cousin Tommy falling in line. He had to go nite-nite with Katy-dog.