Thanksgiving!

Helping Daddy blow out his birthday candles!

pre-race encouragement hug!

Off they go!
Leo is on the far left in the blue sweatsuit and Sophia is to his right

Leo couldn't quite make it...Daddy had to help him across

Whew, she needs a drink!

After Mommy's race!

Looking out at the lake

Cody and the kids

Post race trio

Aunt Ellyn making gravy

Bret carving

Pies, Yum!  Cody helped with the decorations on the pumpkin pies!

Our long table!

Ahh, nothing like pumpkin pie to end the night

Thanksgiving was one busy day!  This year Charlie's birthday happened to fall on Thanksgiving so he got quite a celebration! ;)  He had his carrot cake for breakfast, as he should, and he had two happy helpers to eat it too!  We all decided to do a 5K that morning through downtown Duluth and it was pretty fun, not too cold and we got to see some of the city.  The kids (Sophia, Leo and Brendan) did the 1/4 mile kid's run, Charlie, Me, Louise, Bret, and Maren did the 5K, and Ellyn and Scott did the 2 mile walk.  Cody watched the three younger ones while we were running and they had fun adventures down by the lake climbing on rocks and throwing pebbles in the water.

Louise cooked yummy turkey and we had a fabulous dinner.  It was a big group between our family and Bret's family, but isn't that what it's all about?! 

It started snowing just before dinner and piled up about 5" by morning.  The really terrible mother didn't pack the snow clothes b/c the weather forecast was clear and warm!  ARG!  What was I thinking, I mean it's Minnesota in November, anything can happen!  The kids were disappointed they couldn't play in it and I felt like a clod. :(  But, we won't make that mistake again!

We were leaving Friday morning anyway, so I guess it was fine, but the snowy roads and the ice covered windshield wipers made for a bit longer trip, at least until we were far enough south that it didn't matter any more!  Our trip home was fine, but we had to stop a few more times than we planned (icy windshield wipers, Leo needing to potty, etc.), but we made it home in one day after 11.5 hours in the car.  The kids did amazingly well and Leo was a champ about pottying at every single stop.  He wasn't really thrilled about it, but he did it and there were no accidents!