texas : part two

annnd here we have the photos taken with the nice cam, which i remembered to pull out every once and a while.

these two little boys are so funny. they were loving playing in the christmas tree box but by the time i got my camera out sam's meds started wearing off and he began hating his life, hence him kicking ben and being sad.

but oddly decided to kindly cooperate when i asked them to hug each other.

that big head of his just melts my heart.

as i moved away from the boys i walked in to find my father playing the piano.

can you believe a few years ago he just decided he wanted to play and taught himself?

so proud of that dad.

then i heard sam crying and found these two faces haha.

i guess the meds were really starting to wear off.

the kitchen brought preparations for thanksgiving

annnd again some sad boys.

ben got sick first and then sam. this is basically what i saw ben doing the whole time i was there, just drinking egg nog since his mouth hurt too much to drink anything else (they both had a bunch of cankers in their mouths :( ..it was awful)

guess my dad got real sleepy from all that piano playing and i couldn't help but take a picture of the tree. tricia let the kids decorate it themselves this year and their placement of ornaments was so funny to me. such a nice mom to let them do that haha

i liked walking in the office and seeing madi and haylee just laughing and loving their life while they simultaneously texted and played games on the ipad. the next generation is just so tech savvy!

then sam and i had a photo shoot in his bed while he watched cars 2.

do you not just want to eat him?

and then all of the sudden it was thanksgiving day!

the morning was spent looking through ads and getting ready

and then i took pictures of the food

and decor

and more pictures of the food

gaaaah i need that food in my body right now.

we forgot to take a picture of the whole gang at dinner so i forced this to happen afterwards.

thanks self timer!

and then sat and chatted and listened to haylee play pretty songs on her violin.

it was a very lovely thanksgiving day and i'm so happy i got to spend it with my texas family!

this is random but i thought it was so funny that the kids loved that they all got their own roll of wrapping paper for christmas presents

and some pictures to show you just how sad baby sam's mouth was

and i was thrilled to see this terra cotta warrior in the front of the chinese buffet place.

and of course had to get myself in there so as to feel like we were taking a picture together.

after chinese buffet the whole fam went to walmart which tricia might have regretted later but i thought it was great. and i don't even feel bad that every worker i passed gave me dirty looks while i was in that cart. hey walmart, i do what i want! 

can you tell who i liked photographing most this trip?

here is something weird about becoming an aunt when you are 6.

it is the fact that at 24 years old my nieces and nephews are getting to be teenagers who drive, date, have jobs, etc so seeing my niece with her boyfriend was definitely..different.

like i said (or think i said?) in my other post i went out with dale and tricia a few times and each time always included dinner and then shopping at walmart or sam's club.

which brings me to this gem! it was the biggest stuffed animal i'd ever seen! i loved him.

i said it once and i'll say it again, i was so grateful sam was happy for a day or two before i left so he would be my friend.

he is the funniest baby!

see? happy sam is the BEST.

annnd that is the end folks. thanks for joining me on a journey through the random pictures i took this trip. go texas 2011!