Thanksgiving in Seattle

After you read this one, you can send the medal of valor to Jeff. He was a trooper and let me plan our holiday. We decided to spend Thanksgiving out in the Seattle area. So we packed up 2 kids, 2 diaper bags, 2 carseats, strollers, suitcases, and our sanity and flew out for a week to go visit Aunt Jean and meet Uncle Russ for the first time. We rented a great corporate apartment in downtown Bellvue and Christopher met us out there as well so we could have a total family vacation. We managed to drag my parents and grandfather with us as well and without them, I am not sure how we would have carried everything. We will be going by tractor trailer next time.

It was great to be together with all the kids and Jean, Mom, and I cooked a traditional Becker feast with all the trimmings. Jean really went all out and we had such an awesome meal. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans almondine, sauteed spinach, stuffed mushrooms, a cheese, fruit and nut tray, little piggies in blankets and 10 kinds of pie. Okay, maybe not 10 but it sure felt like it.

After cooking for 2 days and cleaning for one, we did a bit of shopping, caught a parade and basically just spent LOTS of time enjoying the kids and each other. Here are a few of my favorite pics for the week. Check out E's blog for all the happenings from his view point.

Morning at the apartment in Bellvue:





Kisses from Aunt Jean:



Bowling with the boyz in the hood:




Prepping the day before:




Napping on Aunt Jean's bed:


The boys "hanging" after nap time.


The big day - Thanksgiving at the Phillips residence:




Some of the sharp dressed men in my life:






What? This isn't turkey? I get plastic toys and bananas?



I just have the BEST time:



Here is our Thanksgiving bib and Aunt Jean. The day is done and JT is clean and jammiefied.