On Wednesday, the kids helped me bake a pumpkin pie - because it is just not Thanksgiving without it! In the following picture, Colton is mixing all the ingredients, while Cady covers her ears due to the noise!
Here is the pie right before going into the oven. They were a huge help, but neither one of the little stinkers would eat any of it!
Actually, they were both a big help on Thanksgiving Day, too. Cady really loves helping me in the kitchen - even though it is just for about 10 minutes at a time, with about 20 minutes of playing in between! I pull her up a chair and she stands there and helps pour ingredients in and stir it up. Colin snapped this picture of her helping me make cornbread for the dressing on Thanksgiving morning:
Colton, who obviously gets the whole "be good or Santa won't bring you any presents" thing, not only helped to set the table and carry food out, but he also helped clear the table, too. Not because he was told to, either - he kept ASKING for stuff to do! Even though there was an ulterior motive to his actions, he was a great kid and we were proud of him.
Grammy and Grampa Mac joined us at our house for dinner and it was YUMMY! Colin cooked the turkey and it was so flavorful and juicy (that's why I leave it to him). He also made his tasty mashed potatoes. I made some of the dishes that have become a staple on our Thanksgiving table: creamed corn (corn mixed with cream cheese), pea salad (my mom and Gramma Mary have made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas for as long as I can remember), green chile cheese rice (another of Gramma Mary's signature dishes), and for the first time ever, I attempted her dressing recipe - the only dressing I will eat. I was very happy to find that it tasted just like hers!! Add a green salad, rolls, asparagus and Sara's yummy "green stuff" (a jello salad), and it was a meal fit for a king!
Besides my pumpkin pie, Sara brought a delicious homemade apple pie with fresh Washington apples from Leigh Anne and Parker, and I tried a new recipe - Candied Apple Pie Cheesecake. I found the recipe in Krafts Foods magazine and it was a hit - especially with Colton!We can't forget the wish bone! Colton was excited at first that Cady was old enough to do it with him, but not so excited when she wound up with the winning piece. We didn't ask her what she wished for, but I am pretty sure it had something to do with a Disney Princess bicycle with a basket on the front!! Do you think Santa Claus hears wish bone wishes??
The delicious food and time spent with family was great (unfortunately, my family was unable to join us for dinner this year - next year for sure), but the best part was reflecting on all we had to be thankful for! Our health, family (we gained a new niece and a new brother-in-law this year), friends, Colton's baptism, me being able to stay home with my kids, and of course, our wonderful relationships with our Lord and Savior, were all things that were mentioned as we took turns sharing what we were thankful for. It has been an amazing year and as we get ready to celebrate Christmas, we are also looking forward to what God has planned for us in 2009!
Today was the kids' last day of school until next Monday. They each had celebrations that we attended. First, Cady's class had a Thanksgiving Party that I joined her for. That was the first time I have gone to one of her parties at her new school and she was so excited!
They each were wearing a cute Thanksgiving hat that they had helped make and then they each had their own placemat with a turkey that they colored. For food there were deli trays, tater tots, veggie trays, pumpkin bars, cheese and grapes. Here is a picture of Cady with her best friend, Mackenzie. Cady talks about her all the time and while visiting with Mackenzie's mom, I found out that she talks about Cady all the time! Every Tuesday and Thursday when I pick her up, her teachers both tell me how much fun the two of them have and that they are inseperable, which is pretty rare for 3-year olds!
They have a special friendship and Mackenzie's mom and I already have plans to get the girls together over the Winter Break!
The kids all did very well and every one of them remembered their lines and spoke loud enough and clear enough for the audience to understand! Here are Grandpa, Grandma and Sparky the Dog waiting for their Thanksgiving guests: (Colton borrowed a cane to make it more realistic):
After the Thanksgiving Dinner play was over, they did a 5 Little Turkeys poem and Colton was the 4th turkey. Here he is "waddling off" :
They also did the "Turkey Pokey" and got family members out there with them. Colton took his Nana, Grammy and Cady with him while Colin caught it on video and I snapped pictures!
It was a lot of fun and a lot of work for Colton's teacher, Mrs. Romero! This wasn't anything she had to do but it was something that she wanted to do for the kids and their families and we greatly appreciate her!
Here he is before going to bed that night. He is excited in this picture because he had just put his 4 teeth under his pillow! Colin and I couldn't help but chuckle at his new smile!
This is Colton's 4th soccer trophy and each is as special as the one before it. Add one for t-ball and a couple of archery ones and his Daddy needs to get busy and build him a bigger shelf to display them!
Cady also enjoyed the party and playing on the playground with all the kids. She is excited to be getting a trophy next year and wants one "just like Kynze's". 
Colin really enjoyed coaching the U-8 team this year and he did a great job. The kids were a lot of fun and after the way they all played their last game, he was even considering Spring Soccer - that didn't last too long, though. He really enjoyed coaching with Michael - they made a great team. Thank you, Coaches! Great Season!
It was the perfect way to end a great season!
The little ones had a really great game and ended their season on a high note. It was then time for the older kids' game and luckily, it had warmed up a little bit. One of Colton's classmates, Raegan, played for the opposing team. Here is a picture of them going head-to-head, which they seemed to do quite a bit.
The team did great and did everything that Colin had been working with them on all season! They played awesome defense, kicked hard, ran fast, passed to their teammates and even figured out on their own who was kicking off and throwing in. It was very exciting! This was also Colton's best game he's had, scoring 7 out of the team's 15 points! He was really feeling it this morning - maybe because it was his last game of the year and he had been upset that he missed the last 2 out of 4 games due to being sick and going to Scottsdale. Whatever it was, it worked! Here he is making a goal:
Grammy and Grampa Mac were there to cheer him on. They only missed one game that he played in all season.
I always like to take a picture of the entire family at the last game of the season:
Last, but not least, here is a funny picture I snapped of Cady. She played with Mckynze and her other friends on the younger kids' team during Colton's game, and I saw her trying to carry all the cones back at one time and having lots of trouble doing it! The worst part - she was on the field when she finally dropped them all!! Luckily all the kids were down at the other end of the field and she didn't disrupt the game!
Even Auntie Leigh Anne, the bride-to-be joined us and helped Cady make a sand cake!
It was just the right amount of fun and relaxation after all the traveling and before getting ready for the rehearsal dinner that night!!
Here's one of Colin, his dad and his older brother, Michael John, whom we hadn't seen since vacationing in Washington in 2006. It was really great to spend time with both him and Kylie! 
Right after we got there, the waiter, who was really great with the kids, brought them this huge thing of cotton candy! Is that big or what? So much for them being hungry for dinner!! 
They got a table all to themselves! The little boy to the left of Kylie is George, Parker's 3-year old nephew. He was such a cutie and looks so much like his uncle! He enjoyed playing with the kids - especially Kylie!
Colton was disappointed to find out he had to be 18 to ride the bull, but they did let him and Kylie sit on it so I could take a picture (Cady and George wanted nothing to do with it).
We watched Parker ride, though, and he did pretty well!
Colton loved watching all the people ride, but would always come over and say, " I could have ridden that with my hands tied behind my back!" 
We ate the yummiest corn bread I have ever taste, great tortilla soup and prime rib served on the largest plate I had ever seen! For dessert, you could choose from ice cream or a s'mores platter. We chose the platter and took the kids downstairs to the patio to roast marshmallows on the fire pit. By then, it was late, and the party crowd had gathered, so we got some surprised looks as we walked the kids down through the crowd. Not a place I would normally take them, but it was a very fun evening and a special occasion, so it was ok this once!