A Super-fun Thanksgiving

Drew, the kids and I traveled to the Houston area to visit with his side of the family over the Thanksgiving.  We had such a great time of fellowship!   Also, the weather was just gorgeous.    We have truly been blessed with some awesome family time during his time off over the past month.  Luke, Abbey and I craved it so much since we missed our family time while Drew was working crazy hours this past year or so.

We celebrated our Thanksgiving with the whole family on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.  So, what do you do on Thanksgiving day when you have already celebrated your Thanksgiving?  Why, you go to the Zoo, of course!

We visited the Houston Zoo on Thanksgiving day.  The weather was gorgeous, there weren't many people there.  It was absolutely the most perfect time to go!  Here are some (a lot) of pictures from our time there.

getting a lift from papa so he could see the elephants better

I liked this monkey....he was like, "what are you looking at?"

Our special Zoo navigator

Always happy to be in Papa's arms!

Oh---and we got to feed a giraffe!  There was no line--such a special opportunity that the kids will remember forever.  Thank you, Mimi and Papa!

The zookeeper told us as we were feeding the giraffe that his head alone weighed between 200-300 lbs!  That is a big head!

Abbey was a tiny bit shy at first.  You can see here how big the giraffe's head is in comparison to Abbey's and Drew's.

After Abbey saw the giraffe wasn't going to eat her, she thought the experience was really neat!

Luke finally got brave enough to try with Mimi's assistance.  

Here, Drew and Abbey and the giraffe are in the same plane.  Look how big that head and neck is!

Had to include this...this is what Abbey has always done when she feels she does not have your attention--she grabs your face and turns it towards her.  

I guess she just needed a sweet eskimo kiss from daddy.

eagerly waiting in line for the carousel!

Mimi and Luke.  Luke was talking about cheetahs the whole day.  He really wanted to see one.  So, when he saw the cheetah on the carousel, he picked it out and made sure he could ride on it.

Abbey, on the other hand, was a bit indecisive.  She started on a panda.

after relocating to the bench (which did not move), she settled on a turtle.

How adorable is this?

On Black Friday, instead of fighting the crowds on the craziest shopping day of the year, we enjoyed some precious family time on another beautiful day!  We went with Papa to George Ranch.   The George Ranch Historical Park's history follows family lines beginning in 1824 and spans more than 100 years. We got to see historic homes, costumed interpreters, and live demonstrations to learn a bit of history.  It was a fun experience for all of us.

Abbey enjoyed exploring.  But, she made it clear on the houses with the tours that she did not want to be quiet.  So, she hung out with Papa and explored the outside of the homes during the tour time.

Trying out an old children's chair.  She said, "it's just my size, mommy!"

Abbey and Papa were pretty much inseparable.

Exploring an old cannon the pioneers used to protect their property.

Having a little snack on the front porch of a really old house.

my man!

exploring a big treehouse in a big tree with papa

waiting for the cattle demonstration

cows used to be sent through this deep pool of water, which contained arsenic.  The purpose was to kill the ticks and flies.  Of course, later all pools like these were illegal due finding out about how bad the arsenic was.

What a great, memorable learning experience and fun memories created with the kids, Drew and papa at George Ranch!

Family time is so precious!