Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving in Abilene this year. The weather was so nice while we were there and we had some wonderful family time. We had an especially memorable Thanksgiving because Kate learned how to ride a bike without training wheels! It was actually on Aunt Lindsey's old bike. Kate did have some falls, but she got right back up again!

We are ready for our Thanksgiving Feast at Preschool!

Here Carly is performing "Super Turkey" with the other 4 year olds. So cute!

Yummy Feast!

Claire is eating her pilgrim cookie.

Meanwhile, Zack was eating a Thanksgiving lunch with Kate at her school.

Here is Kate and Zack on Main Street in Grapevine for the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Claire, me and Carly.

All the Tate grandkids went up on stage to flip the switch for the lights to come on. It was really neat!

Will is showing Papa his phone who has Jaydan on Facetime to capture everything.

Beautiful!

Now to Abilene for Thanksgiving! Here is our family picture on Thanksgiving.

Our beautiful three girls!

Jason and Claire were taking turns telling each other secrets. So sweet!

Claire and Dad Dad. Claire enjoyed playing with Dad Dad's glasses.

Kate was showing Mom Mom and Dad Dad all her writing and drawings in her pink tablet.

Claire eating her breakfast.

Kate eating her breakfast.

Here are the pictures of Kate learning to ride a bike without training wheels. So exciting!

Go Kate!

Carly and Kate watching Dad Dad and Aunt Lauren prepare Thanksgiving lunch.



Kate enjoyed eating the black olives as appetizers.

Carly loves to climb up the tree in their backyard. She gets really high! At one point she was so high that I told Zack "I think it is best if I am not out here." It was making me too nervous! Zack was out there monitoring her. 

Carly and Dad Dad

Claire loves swinging on the swing!

Kate and Mom Mom

Uncle Jason and Carly

Cole and Zack

Emie always does a good job playing with our kids. Here she is swinging with Kate.

Claire and Carly watching Cole while he plays on our laptop.

All of the cousins except Claire watching TV together.

Mom Mom and Dad Dad gave each grandkid an ornament.

Look at their excited faces as they wait to receive their presents. So cute!

Carly's turn

Claire's turn to open her ornament.

What a cute ornament!

Bree and Emie with their ornaments.

They all loved their ornaments!

Sweet hug between Bree and Mom Mom.

Mom Mom and Emie.

All the cousins and Mom Mom.

Jason and Bree

Getting ready to play a family game of Pictionary.

Aunt Lauren helped Claire draw a picture. Such a great Aunt!

Dad Dad's picture

Mom  Mom had some little canvas frames for the kids to draw artwork on. Here is Carly and Cole.

Emie working hard on her canvas.

Carly, too. 

Here they are all together.

Kate's finished canvas. Good job Kate!

Cole's finished product. Good job Cole!

I told Claire to make a silly face and this is what she did. Ha!

Mom Mom and Aunt Lauren prepared a "thankful tree" for Thanksgiving. The kids wrote the things they were thankful for on leaves. Even Claire joined in the fun.

Carly was working hard on sounding out her words.

Here they are working around the thankful tree.

Kate was working hard, too.

Emie, too. 

We were in Abilene from Wednesday through Saturday. We enjoyed the last day and a half at home. Here we are making our traditional gingerbread house. I took a different route this year. I bought one at Tom Thumb that was already put together. Then, I bought squeezable icing and different candies for the girls to use on the house. They were free to do whatever they wanted. They each took a side of the house. I helped with the front and back of the house. We were able to use candy from Halloween, too. Claire was sleeping so she did not take part in the making of the gingerbread house.

Carly working on her side of the house.

Our finished house. Good job girls!

I taught the girls how to make snowflakes. They both really got into making them, especially Kate. So, we now have them throughout our house as decorations for this seasonal time of year.

I also let the girls help wrap a couple of presents. Here Kate is with one of her wrapped presents to a cousin. Good job Kate! As you can see Kate chose to wear a Halloween shirt this year.

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving break that went way too fast!