Thanksgiving Time

We've had a fun week this Thanksgiving week. Clint's Grandparents and Uncle and family from California came to AZ and we've been visiting with them a lot. We had a night at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse where we watched a house catch on fire and Clint's twin brother Ken helped warn the people and hose it down until the firetrucks came. He was in a paddle boat near the house and jumped into their back yard yelling at them "your house is on fire!" The rest of us were watching from the pool. Clint called 911 and we think was the first to call. The homeowners didn't even realize it for a few minutes!


Brailyn with her Great Grandparents Meine

Brailyn has had fun playing with her 2nd Cousin Hannah, 5 years old. They've done pretty well together, although sharing is a little hard for a not quite 3 year old and a five year old (only child). But they're both good girls and liked getting to know each other. They also enjoyed playing the Wii MarioParty game. Of course Brailyn likes seeing Lexi and Dylan, and of course her favorite Uncle Kenny!

Hannah and Brailyn

Playing with the Dolls

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Shanda's with Grandma and Grandpa Meine, Uncle Kelly, Janelle, Hannah, Aunt Kelly, Lexi, Dylan, Uncle Bill and Jen, Kenny and Tia, and all the animals. Good food. Fun dollhouse. We even had a holiday craft (Turkey Hats).

Turkey Hat

Clint and Kenny singing while they did the dishes

The Culberson/Meine Clan
Brailyn was wiped out by the time we got home. Tomorrow is Dylan's baptism then back to normal for a couple of weeks until the Price Family Cruise!

Funny House

Here is the house that we call the "Funny House". They do all these blow up decorations in their front yard for seriously all of the holidays- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter. I wouldn't be surprised if they even do St Patrick's Day! Brailyn always asks to drive by it on our way home from the gym, so I wanted to take a picture to remember.

Little Miss Hollywood

Brailyn loves to wear her sunglasses, and I'm just glad that I got her to wear them from a young age so that her beautiful eyes are protected from the sun. She asks for them when it's "too bwight" and it's (thankfully) just part of the routine of going out, like putting our shoes on. (on a tangent- she also knows the routine of coming home- shoes off, glasses on the table, wash hands- so well that when Daddy misses a step, she very kindly informs him of what he's missed!) Everywhere we go people comment on how cute her sunglasses are, or how she looks like a movie star (not what I'm trying to do, mind you, but that's okay). And I have to admit, she does look cute in them.

Not only does she look like a movie star, lately she's been into "doing the actions" when I read stories to her. Today we acted out "When You Take a Mouse to the Movies" and "Platypus" (where she collected an occupied sea shell, complete with "ouch!" when the hermit crab pinched her toe). She is quite the imaginative girl. It's just really fun to watch her doing new things while she plays.