So Much To Be Thankful For...

 I feel like I have so much to be thankful for this year...Exhibits A and B, above and below. :)

 I am also thankful for Clint's mom (Mimi), who came to help out a few days before Thanksgiving.  We all loved getting some special time with Mimi, and she made my life SO much easier.  I feel very blessed to have such a sweet mother-in-law!

Charlie is very thankful for this tricycle (his "bike").  One of our neighbors passed this down to him after their kids grew out of it, and it has been such a hit.  Charlie wanted to be on his bike (showing off a bit) when Pawpaw (Clint's dad) and Sarah (Clint's grandmother) arrived for our holiday celebration.

Evie also came outside to play and greet Pawpaw and Sarah.  We tried to keep the little mouse warm!

We are all thankful for sweet Sarah, pictured here with her SIXTH great-grandchild!  Sarah was so much fun to have around for Thanksgiving.  She is so spunky and fun and full of life.  Charlie quickly became quite attached to "Sawah," and Evie loved all the extra cuddles she got!

We are also very thankful for Pawpaw, who arrived with a truck full of beef for us (yum!), and spent tons of time playing with Charlie and Evie.  Charlie could not wait to see Pawpaw every morning--he always greets him with a loud exclamation of "Big Truck!!"  Who knows what goes through that head... :)

I am thankful for all the help I had in the kitchen!  Thanks to Pawpaw, Mimi, and Sarah, we ate well this holiday. :)

Evie loved getting to visit and bond with her great-grandmother.  She looks like she's telling her some big stories. :)

Pawpaw quickly jumped in and helped out with some little jobs we had around the house (another thing I am very thankful for).  Dada and Pawpaw were lucky to get the assistance of another little helper. :)

Helping wrap/un-wrap presents...

Charlie especially likes any chore that involves an "up-down" (more commonly known as a ladder).

Charlie was desperate to wear his "boots" on Thanksgiving morning.  After a trip outside with his still-too-big boots falling off, he came back inside grudgingly requesting his "shoes."

I am also very thankful that my brother, Sam, and sister-in-law, Audra, got to join us for Thanksgiving.  They were great helpers, so much fun with the kids, and a great addition to our Burrus-family gathering.  Audra's delicious apple pie was also a very welcome addition. :)  [And I know I only have a picture of Sam here.  The picture of Audra and I is terrible, and out of consideration for both of us, I'm not posting it. :)]

VERY thankful for my sweet husband, who ended up getting Thanksgiving day off at the last minute.  [Also thankful for the upper-level resident who let him off!]

Very thankful that Clint's sister, Sally, and her family were able to drive down and spend a few days with us.  They are so much fun and Charlie was ridiculously excited about his cousins.  We are having to do a slow detox now that they're gone.  Charlie quickly became used to VERY high levels of excitement.  Since I don't have quite the stamina they do for running wildly around the house playing chase, we are both missing those kids terribly! :)

The Dohertys brought Charlie this alligator ("ah-goo"), which was a huge hit.  He spent lots of time wresting the ah-goo to the ground and getting chased by it.  At one point, Charlie stopped wrestling just long enough to tell me that he was "happy, happy, happy." :) 

Meredith, Will, Sarah Beth, and their very spoiled, very happy little cousin.

Sweet Audra and Miss Evie, who dressed in her Thanksgiving best. :)

Such a sweet little turkey. :)

There were four generations of Field/Burrus women in the house over the holiday.  Three pictured here. :)

High excitement! [Don't worry, I was aware that Evie was on the floor, and I was watching out for her. :)]

Evie managed to sleep through a lot of it (maybe a defense mechanism??).

On the day after Thanksgiving, we got up bright and early to get ready for more family time.  Charlie was quite pleased with his camo pants and orange vest.

And Evie was quite pleased with the snuggles she got from her big cousins.

We took a long walk to our favorite park ("Big Bop"), and burned off some energy there.  SB was such a good sport about playing with Charlie there.

Our walk along the lake to the park was gorgeous--it was a perfect fall day!

Charlie carefully inspected the big slide before deciding to give it a go.

Races down the hill...

More excitement at home (somehow a shirt was lost in all the action...), and then Charlie went down for some much-needed rest.

We capped off Friday night with some delicious steaks from Pawpaw and Mimi's ranch (Clint's dad allowed us to eat turkey on Thanksgiving, with only a few cracks about the evils of poultry :).  What a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.  Charlie was so befuddled when his family left, and has been requesting their return already.  I am so glad Evie's first holiday was so much fun, but the others have a lot of live up to now! :)