For this I am thankful...

Our Thanksgiving was a wonderous time spent with family in Texas. It did not go to our perfect plan (Joe ended up having to stay behind with Major who got sick)-- but it was perfect none the less.

It began with the baptism of Uncle Brad and Cousin Avery. Sweet Avery-- we are so glad that "God gave us you!"

Zachary all smiles with K-Dan.We also had our Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas gift exchange that Sunday. As our tradition goes, we each draw a name of one of the "siblings or sibling's significant other" and then we also draw a name of a neice or nephew. Limits are set and we are able to get a really special gift for our indviduals. Adam wasn't quite sure what to do at first and kept trying to help his cousins with their gifts, but once he figured out what was going on... he was all about opening his present. I turned to help Avery and Ragan-- and then the next thing I knew Adam was pulling on my shirt saying "Please, please"... he wanted me to open his Etch-A-Sketch he got from Aunt Taylor and Uncle Eric.Adam is obviously oblivious that we are trying to get a picture of all the grandkids! We tried to get pictures of the kids multiple times (more on this in another post).Grayson's gift from Aunt Ragan and Uncle Brad was awesome!Uncle Kason thought so too!The two youngest (Zachary and Avery) all tired out at the end of a long day.A few days later Adam found some gifts Gigi had gotten him for Christmas. Gigi said he could go ahead and open them early!He is our avid little reader right now! He LOVES his books and takes them EVERYWHERE with him.Then it was off to Austin where the "big game" was being played this year. We didn't actually go to the game (and since we were beat so badly that is okay with me) but we did get to participate in other festivities.

I got to hang out with a couple of my good friends while in Texas. I met up with and had dinner with a good friend from high school- Jori and then while in Austin I got to see a friend from college- Rachel. There are a few women in my life whom I consider "true friends" and I cherish the friendship I have with them. We can go days, weeks or months without talking-- and then pick right back up where we left off.

Rachel meets Zachary... Like their mommies- Adam and James quickly became best buds!I don't know why, but every time Adam looks in the mirror at himself he does this hysterical screeching, happy yell.Not quite sure what they are doing... but they were having a BLAST!Doesn't Ella look a little upset that her brother is holding Zachary?!?The boys...A real cutie!!The next morning we headed out to see Uncle Kason in his band practice. There were lots of buses there, so Adam was very excited. I'm not quite sure why but he has quite the fascination with buses.

Aunt Ragan and Adam in front of a BUS!Dancing to the tunes of the Aggie band...Sleeping to the tunes of the Aggie band...Gigi and Avery!So proud of you Uncle Kason...Pointing to all the BUSES!Aunt Taylor and Ella had had a long night...High fives for Uncle Brad...Waving "bye-bye" to all the buses!Next we headed to the capitol building to get a good spot for the corp parade. I find it so incredible when the Aggies overtake a city like this! What is Uncle Brad doing now?!?Having fun with Gigi...The girls!Big eyed, beautiful, sweet baby girl Avery...Looking for Uncle Kason in the parade...Everyone hanging out at "Justin's house". What a gracious host.After the parade we tried to get some pictures of the kiddos in the most adorable Christmas outfits Gigi had gotten for them. Unfortunately this was a difficult feat but we did some good ones (or at least decent ones) I think. The most wonderful thing of it all... it wasn't to our perfect plan... but the individuality and personalities of the kids are apparent... and that makes the pictures more perfect than we could make them. (See post to come for some of the pictures)

Then the Cokers headed home. Grayson saying bye to his cousins...Mom and Dad went to the game while we headed to the hotel to watch the game. After picking Gigi and Kdan up from their game date-- I tried to head to bed early, but awoke to Zachary crying and burning up. With an early flight out the next morning, we decided to take him on in to the emergency room. I was concerned he might have an ear infection. After 6 hours, chest x-rays, and multiple blood tests (the first clotted, the second got lost in transition, and the third I told them to HAND deliver to the lab), it seemed that sweet Zachary had just caught a bad virus. We had missed our flight by this point in time so we scheduled a later one and then headed to breakfast. With NO sleep we were all a little loopy... I told Kason he was too big for the car seat!All in all it was a great Thanksgiving! For the special people in my life and times like this... I am so thankful!
When we returned, we had lots of luggage to get into the car. And what do you do when you are trying to entertain a 1 year old while you change the 3 month old and get things packed in the car... you let him ride up and done on the moving walkway at least 20 times or so! DUH!