Real cowboys...

 ...sleep with their boots on!  This kid's obsession with hats has carried over to boots.  Although, he still favors the hat quite a bit.  But when he can combine the two of them...well, H-E-A-V-E-N!  

He absolutely refused to let us take them off for the night.  Once he was asleep, those boots could finally catch a break.

A picture of the hat-boot combo.  This horse was graciously donated to McRae by one of my Laurels who also happens to love horses.  Needless to say, she'd outgrown it and was looking for a suitable owner.  Once she was assured that McRae's obsession was not some fleeting thing, she lovingly passed the horse on to us.  It's been a big hit...as you can clearly see.

S-I-C-K

A few days after all of our Thanksgiving fun, our little buddy came down with a stomach bug.  While the worst of it (incessant diarrhea and some vomiting) only lasted for 12 hours, its effects lingered for nearly two weeks.  The poor guy would wake up with stomach cramps and there was little we could do to console him.  WOW!!  Healthy kids are not to be taken for granted.  Having just reflected on our blessings during Thanksgiving, I was especially aware of how fortunate we are to enjoy the good health we have as a family.  This was probably the first time McRae has been really sick for more than a day.  We are fortunate to live in an era (and a country) where access to good care and treatment is an option.   

 

 Thankfully McRae had a great disposition through the whole ordeal.  In fact, when he saw me snapping pictures of him on the floor, he even tried to sit up and smile for me.  Sweet boy!!  Of course I missed the smile because I wasn't expecting him to sit up; I caught him in motion.  Also...what 2 year old do you know that cleans up his own puke?  That's right.  Mine does.  We were sitting on the coach and he started making the noises that mean puking is eminent, so I quickly grabbed his blanket and held it up to his mouth.  Fortunately that caught most of the mess.  After I got McRae cleaned up--and a new blanket--I started to clean the couch.  McRae came right behind me and started to clean up with his new, clean blanket.  That pretty much made my heart melt and I quickly explained that mama would take care of it.  What a sweet, helper boy!

 We lovingly refer to this position as the "stink bug" in my family.  Try it next time you have some stomach cramps.  It's a dandy.  I was impressed that McRae instinctively knew this would help.

Seconds later.  His poor, exhausted body was overcome with sleep...right there on the tile floor.  Poor kid.  Thank heavens he's healthy now!  Now...just to remember that when his seemingly never-ending energy is wearing me out!

Gobble, Gobble. Hobble, Hobble.

Three years ago, my family started hosting our own Family Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.  Who wants to pay the entry fee and fight the crowds on a busy holiday morning?  Although, we are becoming quite the crowd ourselves--but a very enjoyable one, I must say.  Kids bike, run or roller-blade.  Adults run, walk and push babies in strollers.  It's a good time and a great way to make some extra room for an afternoon feast.

This year, we had a special guest from the Thanksgiving Turkey himself.  Even with the warmer weather and possibility of overheating, this Turkey beat the majority of us and made for a very fun surprise!  I wish I had snapped a picture of the whole gang, but we only got one of our family...with our phone no less, so not the greatest quality.

 We ran 3 miles and walked the last mile.  (My hips, at 22 weeks here, are starting to feel the stress of carrying some extra weight...so any more than three miles and I'm doin' a little hobble for the rest of the day.  For documentation purposes, I had just run another 5k the Saturday prior and did it in 26:24--or an 8:38 min/mile pace.  Not too shabby for being 21 1/2 weeks along.)  McRae found our little outing the perfect opportunity to sneak in a snooze before a great feast.

The rest of the day was spent in food preparation and consumption.  Dan and Louise hosted this year.  Amy's family, Phil's family, and Mom and Dad joined us for the eating.  (Along with a sweet family from Dan and Louise's ward.)  John's family came after dinner was officially over--but the eating and snacking were still going on, let's be honest--and joined in with some great visiting.

It was a lovely day surrounded by some of our most treasured blessings--family, health and happiness.  We are very grateful.  

Pancho and Lefty

One of my darling nephews came to spend a few days with us before Thanksgiving.  McRae was in heaven!  He was just so excited to have a buddy around 24-7.  They loved sleeping together, going to the park, reading books, and even sharing toys and exchanging some hugs.  It was so cute to hear McRae cheering his cousin on and giving him praises.  If he shared, McRae was quick to say, "Oh!  Dank choo, Day-bid."  (aka "thank you"--in his cute little voice that I wish I could replicate with written word.)  Or, upon completion of a puzzle..."Good dob, Day-bid!  Good!"
After two days, the novelty wore off some and sharing with each other wasn't quite as enticing, but they still played really well together for the most part.  The highlight of the trip was a visit to Mima and Papa's house where the boys were in cowboy heaven.  They got to ride Sunshine a few times, and when she wasn't available, the stick horses were fine substitutes.  Well....see for yourself!
Lil' nephew is obsessed with "The Lone Ranger".  McRae has recently been introduced to it himself and his response hasn't differed much from his cousin's.  

(Finally!!!  After a week of trying to figure out how to get this video posted to my blog--with some new software/equipment--I got it!!  Hallelujah!)