Thanksgiving was...well awesome!

 I need to quickly do a post before Christmas is upon us and I'm really behind :) 

Be prepared for a picture dump to tell the story!

So lots of changes are coming our way.  Dad Manwaring accepted a position with Equation Consulting after working for Intel for, I don't remember how long, about 18 years? Anyway, that means they will be moving to Utah this next year! (Step 1 of "plan to get family to move closer" is in motion...just kidding...but seriously...).  This is great news.  Well, this was the last Thanksgiving that we'd be spending down in AZ, so everyone came!  Yeah!

We went down on Saturday before Thanksgiving, to spend as much time as we could in the house before they moved.  However, we were early and Mom Manwaring needed some more time to get ready, so we got to stay with Nathan's Aunt Heidi and Uncle Jon, and their five beautiful girls.

James loved playing with five older "sisters"

Here he is enjoying a movie with Sydney and Londyn.

 We had a baby shower for Rachelle and the new baby boy joining them in February!

 Lydia, James, Kaylee, Ryan, and Elisa at the park building a sand cake

 

It needed at lot of sticks

 Taking rides in the red radio flyer manned by Grandma Kathy down the hill at the park

 Ryan and James, cute cousins less than a month a part

 Lydia and Kendra

 Elisa trying on my sunglasses :)

 Grandma Kathy going up the hill this time

 The annual flag football game

 Check out the food!

 Kathy with the spread.

We had a deep fried turkey courtesy of Richard bringing the deep fryer on the plane, and I gotta say, it was the best turkey I've ever had!

Swimming in the pool!  At Thanksgiving!

After all the kids went to bed we got to play our annual pool volleyball game, girls vs. boys.

I'm happy to say the girls finally won a game, we call ourselves the dolphins. The boys, the starfish, also won a few games.  And yes, the pool was heated all nice warm, so James loved swimming too (he hasn't liked swimming since he did lessons this summer and the pool was freezing..I remember the same thing as a kid).

  Eating the feast outside in the backyard!

 Love this man, he takes such good care of me :)

 We took family pictures!

Call me crazy, but it's one of my favorite activities

 Alan and Kathy with their kids, now all grown and married

The whole clan!

I think they turned out really well

 We had the annual MGM (Manwaring Garr Martin) talent show, thanks to Cory for being the fantastic emcee

 All the grandkids decorated sugar cookies...

 ...and they were really yummy!

 Had to have some milk to go with them of course :)

 James and Ryan playing before dinner one night

 We all went out to eat breakfast at "Biscuits" on the Saturday after Thanksgiving

 Then we went to Pro Bass Shop to see Santa Claus!  The Great Pyrenees Rescue was outside, and everyone got to interact with the big white dogs.


Then it turns out they were really hairy, and I was a little less thrilled to have my black shorts covered with white hair (also, it was WARM down in AZ, and these were the only shorts I brought)

 Lydia and Elisa trying on hats 

 Jack liked the hat too

 Everyone with Santa!

 Jack and Jenn being funny.

Jenn was great with the kids, they loved her.

 Jack's saying "you've got something...right there"

 Emma and Jack, three weeks apart, working on their music abilities by playing the piano

 We decorated the Christmas tree

 Jack is saying "oh, you caught me with the candycane?!"

 Sisters Kortney, Kendra, and Rachelle

The Arizona house

I remember coming here seven years ago and first meeting Nathan's family. 

I am so happy that now I'm a part of that family.

Another quick funny thing was that there was a stomach bug that went around the family.  

At least one person from each "small" family got it, one night many people were passed in the hall because no one was sleeping well.  This holiday was one to remember!