Thanksgiving Part 2

The day after Thanksgiving we went out for lunch and then to the Brandywine River Museum to see the Christmas Trees and the local art.

All the ornaments are made from natural materials.

The pig painting is something Beth and Becky remember seeing every year when they would go visit the museum as kids.

The model train room.

Cookie Monster!

At home later that night snuggling with Cloey.

Old photos were looked at. That is Becky and Beth above and Poppy Dave below.

Such a great picture of them.

Riding the train home. 

Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania

Last year we spent Thanksgiving in Ohio. This year we traveled to Grandma Debbie and Poppy Dave’s House. We took the train with Aunt Beth. 

Waiting to board the train in Boston.

Becky slept for a while.

Entering New York City there was a pretty view of the city.

Cloey came with us! 

Grandma Debbie worked hard on the custom placeholders for each person, all 19 of us!

Above is Aiden, he is 5 and the youngest. 

Becky didn’t look as cute as Aiden with the pilgrim hat on her head. But she is cute none the less.

Cousin Jake, his sister cousin Mandy and Jake’s wife Kim. Kim and Jake are Aiden’s parents.

Ally and I took Cloey for a short walk but it was so cold we had to turn back.

The 3 of us washing dishes after dinner!

Ally and Aunt Pam

Mandy, Ally, Cloey & Becky

Thank goodness cousin Emily brought apple pie! Ally had 2 servings.

After dessert the younger generations went for a walk. This is Ally’s selfie at sunset.

It is hard to take a great group selfie in freezing cold weather in the dark but we all were smiling so I call that a win.

Aunt Louise (Dave’s sister), Uncle Tommy (Aunt Pam’s husband), Becky and Beth.

Uncle Denny (Aunt Cindy’s husband and Mandy and Jake’s dad), Ally and Uncle Jim (Aunt Polly’s husband and Sarah and Emily’s dad).

The 4 sisters in Age order left to right: Cindy, Debbie, Polly and Pam.

Cousin Emily and her fiancée Greg.

Dave and Beth

Our family.

Our family with a classic photo bomb by Aunt Beth!

It was a very nice Thanksgiving gathering. After all the relatives left Ally, Beth and I headed out for our now tradition of Target on Thanksgiving night. Ally got 7 shirts!!! And we got a few Christmas gifts and Ally had fun spending some of her birthday money on new makeup and other fun stuff.

Guat Girls Party

Sunday Morning we continued Ally's birthday festivities by hosting the Guatemala Girls. It has become our tradition - and we think of it like a "family" party - that Ally celebrate with the Guat Girls. They are after all pretty much family - 10+ years of monthly gatherings. The girls all get along and enjoy spending time together.

Ally, Rosa, Gabi & Roxie spent quite a bit of time upstairs coloring rocks - they turned out beautiful and it was a great project for the girls to work on - and chat and hang out. The moms hung out in the kitchen - ate some bagels and fruit and then the girls came down to eat. They had a blast sitting and chatting and - they devoured some fruit. We had some child chopsticks out and they were so silly eating blueberries and grapes with the chopsticks. Honestly what I loved most was how they all get along and are so comfortable with each other.

After brunch they played some games - we had planned on these games for Ally's Saturday party as well but that group had so much fun with the blind makeovers that they never played any of the other games. It worked out really well - because then Ally played them with her Guat Girls.

First up was moving mini marshmallows using only chopsticks from one bowl to another. Sorry no pictures of that. The girls played one vs one and Alice timed them - how many could one girl move in 30 seconds. Rosa was the winner.

Then it was the straw game - moving Skittles candies from one bowl to the other using only a straw. Ally did pretty well at this one but I think Rosa won that too.

Of course Chubby Bunny is always a fun game - who can put the most full size marshmallows in her mouth at once. Rosa was the winner yet again- 6!!!! I will say that Ally and Gabi had 5 each and Roxie 4. Each girl ran to the trash can to spit them out - it was pretty gross. But so much fun. Below are the Chubby Bunny pictures.

After Chubby Bunny it was time for the Oreo Game - this is when you put an Oreo cookie on your forehead and without using your hands try to move it down your face and into your mouth. It was hilarious. Gabi accomplished it first, and then Ally - but we had fun watching them all try. And getting to eat the Oreo after wards is a fun treat. 

I love this picture of Ally blowing out her candle.

Rosa, Gabi, Ally, Roxie & Alice. The Guatemala Girls.