9 Degrees of Thanks

Now that I can be in the basement for longer periods as well as during the daytime, much more catch-up is to come!

Here is a glance back to Thanksgiving. Not in order of events.
Fun at Grandma's and Grandpa's with ALL of their toys!!!

Fun at the Holidazzle Parade.

Projects and making cookies with Grandma.

Outside with Grandpa. The kids were beyond excited as this was the first snow of the season for them.

Play "sleeping" on the big triangle step.

Working on the traditional Thanksgiving Day puzzle. Simon enjoyed putting in the shaped pieces.

Of course, the Attitude of Grattitude fitness walk with Mom. Dad came along for wheelchair support. Mom would walk, ride, walk, ride. She received tons of encouragement when the 3K runners lapped us on their second trip around the lake. Plus our signs gave her some attention as well! It was 9 degrees people, we were cold and bundled. But once we started walking, we warmed up a bit. What a wonderful experience to walk across the finish line WITH MY MOM!!!! The song that played as we crossed was so perfect for Mom, of course now I cannot remember what it was.

Before the race. Mom with her personal cheering section. What a fan!

That's me next to Mom, wearing the warmest coat I have ever had!

We stopped at my Aunt and Uncle's on the trip up to MN, who live approximately 5 hours away from us. Since we left at 3:00 p.m., it was fantastic to stop driving around 9:00 p.m. instead of driving another 2-3 hours! We had a great evening and the next morning filled with fun as we visited my Uncle's tractor and then their friend's farm. We saw 1 hour old twin calves, lots of milking "ladies", a calf hut, happy farm dogs, and Simon and Norah rode the biggest tractor we have ever seen - hooked up to a manure spreader. The most impressive thing for Simon and Norah? The cows pooping in the barn. Seriously, he became disappointed when one was not pooping. He even enjoyed scooping the poop down into the trough. He could have been a hired hand! They talked about the pooping cows for days, people, for days! Puppies, toddlers, and calves are all the same - bounding with excessive amounts of energy. The calves in the hut were overflowing with non-stop attention seeking movement! We drove just the 2-3 hours to St. Paul with sleeping kids in the back seat, warm coffee in our hands, and each other to chat without interruption. We parked at my parents just as the snow started to fall. We missed driving in the snowstorm with perfect timing.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip filled with so much fun. Of course we enjoyed a delicious meal with my family and we were all filled with thanks.