Home For the Holidays...

We have the best family and extended family of any body I know!  Traveling at Thanksgiving is so hard, (unless you take a full week off) and it's especially hard with little ones.  But thanks to really generous Grandma's and Grandpa's we were able to make it happen this year! 

Lillian made her way right into the cockpit when no one was looking.  Last summer, the flight attendant invited her up, so this flight - she just assumed she was welcome! Lucky for all of us, this pilot was more than welcoming.  He even let her wear his hat.

 Grammy and Opa had a nice casual evening planned for us, and they "resurrected" ALL of our toys from when I was a kid.  I swear they moved the whole basement from Chapel Hill Road for their future grandkids to enjoy in Indianapolis!

Lillian didn't nap on the flight, or in the car from the airport or at Grammy & Opa's.  So after dinner, she began getting a case of the sleepy's.  I carried her to bed around 8:30 Indianapolis time and she fell asleep in my arms before I could even lay her down!

 Grandpa with all 7 grandkids

 Grandma with all 7 grandkids.

And some good snuggles from the Colorado Kerschen Kids:

 My Favorite Men.

 The traditional after dinner hike.

Two hitchhikers.

 Great Grandpa Cooper will be 100 in February.  He drove himself to Lansing for Thanksgiving dinner and took part in the after dinner hike on the golf course.  He makes life look easy even at 99 5/6th's!

 Grandma Kerschen gave each of the kids a new Christmas book.  All the adults had to take a turn reading the stories to Lillian and Jak.

Lillian blessed the crowd by singing "Let It Go".  She knows every line verse for verse and couldn't miss the opportunity to show it off!

A little pj time back at Grammy Kerschens - letting our turkey settle!

Next, we headed to the cabin and a little taste of winter!

 Lillian got to participate in the annual Cooper-Kerschen holiday craft project!

 The kids got to enjoy a little time playing in the snow...

And the men got to enjoy a little hunting...

We all got to escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, work and home life and just relax a little.

Then we headed back to Indiana to see Grammy and Opa again.

 We explored downtown Indianapolis a little.

And played with 35 year old toys again!

 We got to the airport in plenty of time for our flight.

And while we were walking on the tarmac to board the plane, the pilot walked by, squatted down next to Lillian and said, "Would you like to come up and see the cockpit?".  I kid you not, it's like she has a sign on her that says, "I'd like to fly this plane please".

 Then the pilot turns to me and says, "Get your camera out mom, you can take a picture.".  As if I don't have quite a few like this already!  But this was Jak's first opportunity.  God I hope he gets another chance in the future, cause they've come to expect this treatment every flight!

Great trip and great memories - we came home counting our blessings!