Thanksgiving Picture Grab Bag!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We sure did! We drove to Redwood Falls, MN to visit the Weltches (my Mom's side of the family, introductions to follow). We decided to leave Monday night after the Bronco's game and drive the twelve hours through the night while Sofia slept . It was a long but successful drive and great to see my family. My grandma is working hard to fight another round with cancer, so needless to say it was an important visit.

We got to meet my cousin Anna's boyfriend, Aaron, and their new 4-week old baby, Addison Elizabeth. She is such a small sleepy bundle of joy. We had a great time catching up with my cousin Ryan who has always been tons of fun. My mom's little brother Dick and wife, Joyce, are so excited to be grandparents and it was impossible to hide the glow in their faces. They also live in town and we spent nights over there hangin' out at their bar and in their huge hot tub.
Lindsey's squeeze, Jaffer, even surprised us by flying into the Twin Cities and then renting a car for the two hour drive to Redwood Falls. Mom's older brother Tom and his significant other, Donna, also stopped by on Thursday from "the cities" for a short visit.

Thanksgiving morning was spent traveling the 2 miles between the two Weltsch households maximizing ovens for dinner for 15-1/2 people (one just had milk) . Sofia had a tough day of teething and it really maxed us out. She had four teeth coming in and chewing food was NOT on the menu.

It was really tough chasing around a 1-yr old when there was something she shouldn't get into every 15 feet, whether it was a stone coaster, a nice collection of DVD's , or someone's beverage from my uncle's almost poetic bar. Thanks to everyone for their help and understanding.
Meg, Sofia, and I stayed in at my grandparents house along with Lindsey and Jaffer. This house is magical to me because while we moved around a lot growing up, this house was the vacation house and the root of most of my extended family memories. It was really great to share this with Sofia and Jaffer. Sofia may not ever grasp the sentimental value of this house and town, but I will always share my memories and stories with her.

We left Saturday around noon and drove the 5hr leg to Omaha to stay the night with Meg's friend and ex-co-teacher Angie. She moved back home to open a business and relocate with her husband, Aaron. She was an unbelievable host. Her husband had plans to meet some old friends, so she gave me the remote and some college football while she and Meg talked about school and friends. They have a 10mo son named Caden who is a happy big baby (at one lb bigger than Sofia). We stayed up late chatting and left somewhat early on Sunday and made the last 8hr leg back to Denver.

We had a great visit and added to the growing memory scrap book I hold so dear inside me. Here are a few of these memories I want to share with you. Please send your thoughts and prayers along to my grandparents for improvements in their health and for strength for all of our family to provide the support they need. P.S. Everyone say hello to My cousin Ryan who has been secretly been reading all of our blogs...Hi Ryan!

Just the three of us...

Here is the entire Weltsch Family except for my Dad who is still in food coma and Aunt Joyce who is taking the picture.

Grandmary and Sofia, what a special picture this one is.
Grandpa (or G-Pa) always the loving helper, working with the Sweetness and her Thanksgiving dinner, Friday night.

My lovely sis, Aunt Lindsey, and her littler pookie bear reading, Peak-a-boo Zoo.

Daddio doing the same. This is her favorite book. I have to keep repairing the action pages with tape and staples!
Here is Anna, my grandpa, Clint, and little Addison
Grandma Joyce or Aunt Joyce?
Lindsey and Jaffer were amazed with the small size of this little one. She was born 5lb-5oz and 18in long. She cried once that we heard all week.
Here are the boys downstair at my grandparents' house. It goes Ryan, Aaron, Dick, David, Jaffer, and me. I am giving Jaffer a lesson in a game he has never seen or heard of, bumper pool!
Sofia, my little ringer, tossing a ball into the pocket. Brings a whole new meaning to the billiard term, ball in hand.

My Grandpa and I always find time for a game of Cribbage. One day when I was younger I saw Ryan and Grandpa playing. I wanted to learn so bad and we haven't stopped playing every visit since.
Even Sofia wanted to get in on the card action. Do you like her shirt with printed on pearls?
This is a high-chair I beleive that was even used by my Grandma when she was a little one. The tray is even screwed on because her sister used to toss it! How's that for vintage...
Yes, we did bring Sofia's pack-n-play to sleep in, and no this was not it. But it was a convenient place to keep her while we all went to over to Dick's. (Just kidding everyone)
This is right before we left for Redwood but is so darn cute so I had to include it. This is actually a 3-6 month snow suit, but maybe it was mis-labled?
This is one of those moments where we just let her play and took like 20 pictures!
Rub-a-dub-dub, what cute chubby babbies splashin' in the tub.

This picture pretty much sums up the car ride, WE WISH!!! Actually, she was pretty good with only a few fusses that were easily diffused with food or juice. She is her father's daughter. Hehehe.