Thanksgiving at Corinne's

We invited ourselves to Corinne's for Thanksgiving this year.

It was a short trip because the flights coming home on Sunday were outrageously expensive.

We arrived at about 5:30 pm. Ben's sister Stephanie hosted the meal.

Everything was delicious.

The kids went through first.

Stephanie has six children so it was a full house.

The cousins all get along really well so it wasn't chaotic.

Most everyone sat at this big table. 

 We sat at the table for four to sit with Corinne.

She ended up sitting in the chair next to the table. It was easier to feed Clara.

  This was pie time. I think there were close to a dozen pies. There were two of some.

Pecan, Pumpkin, Apple, Coconut Cream, Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream,

and Peach are the ones I remember.

I finally got a chance to hold Clara.

She needed more time to warm up to us.

 She reminds me so much of Corinne as a baby.

We arrived at their house in the morning around 10 am.

I sat on the couch with Corinne while Clara looked at books.

It was a good spot for observation!

 

 Richard was practicing his saxophone. He is doing so good.

We are really pleased how well the three big boys are doing with their instruments.

 All the boys adore Clara. Each brother has their own little way of interacting with her.

They are all so gentle and comfortable with her. It's so fun to watch.

 Clara definitely bonds with Richard best. She is very comfortable with him.

She is little more on guard with the other boys.

 Fred spent the morning upstairs with Henry and Spencer playing games.

I never get tired of watching Fred play with the boys.

 Fred brought a few card games for the family.

This is a family that LOVES to play games.

 After a Burger King dinner, we headed downtown Caldwell to check out their light display.

It was Fantastic. Probably the biggest light display I've seen.

If I wasn't such a baby, it would have been wonderful to get out and walk around.

BUT it was too cold.

 Saturday morning Corinne had to work so the rest of the family came to the hotel to swim.

Grandpa went in with them, but I didn't. Somehow swimming when it's freezing outside does not sound inviting to me. I was happy to take pictures.

 This is Garrett doing a handstand.

 Clara was so cute. She was so content to be held while moving about in the pool.

She took a break on the stairs. She has the best facial expressions.

 While Ben took a turn in the hot tub, Garrett and Richard took turns watching Clara.

 This time Henry didn't stay at the stairs. He went back and forth the length of the pool

All the boys have grown in the abilities in the water. It was fun to watch.

 Here's another picture of Clara and her adoring fans.

 Here's Grandpa swimming with Henry.

As I was sitting here watching everything, I took the time to appreciate the growth of this family.

The boys are simply good kids. They get annoyed with one another here and there, but not like it used to. They handle themselves well in whatever environment they are in. 

Ben is a very good Dad. He is a protector like Fred and he is conscious of what's going on with his children. Corinne is blessed to have a husband who is reliable and provides a safe place for their children. They know both Corinne and Ben are always there for them.

It was a great trip even though it was short. We need to come back in during the warm months!