It's official. The holidays have arrived! This means a little travel, some new foods, and lots of family! Thanksgiving in Ohio was a really special holiday for us since this was Drew’s first time in Columbus. We’ve done the Cleveland trip before, but this was Drew’s maiden voyage to what I affectionately call “Buckeye Bonanza.” And it all started with Thanksgiving Dinner at Aunt Diane and Uncle Rick’s House. We also referred to their house as the "Langner Family Circus" as the FIVE children (all 19 months and younger) really ran the ship. But through it all, our gracious hosts kept their cool and even entertained the troops.
Above are all of the mommies with kiddos, plus Jake. In order – Heather with Elise; Kelly with (8-week old!) Kate; Susan with Drew; Mandy with Hayden; and Jake with Isabella. Getting everyone to look at the camera simultaneously was simply not in the cards.
We also had the chance to spend some time with Drew's other cousins - Maddie and Cam! Aunt Julie, Uncle Sean, Aunt Katie and Uncle Derek all helped us celebrate Christmas a little early. And Grandma and Grandpa got to have all of their grandchildren in one place at one time.
Drew was especially excited about the big girls doting on him - and of course about the awesome toys they passed down!
Who doesn't love a guitar that serves as a wagon, AND sings approximately 13 songs, teaches you to count, and has a kickin' Do-Re-Me soundtrack? (Serioulsy, who thinks of these things?!)
Cell phone, or pretty girl? Cell phone, or pretty girl?
It's good to be loved!
Drew's Nana (Sheryl) was thrilled to have us stay with her. And we were all even more excited when we all learned that Drew likes to SLEEP at Nana's house. And I mean SLEEP!!! The first morning the little dude didn't stir until 8 a.m. Usually us grown-ups have had our coffee, walked the dogs, showered, and filed our taxes by that hour. So as we were all well-rested, Drew was in a great mood. We even got to play in a real yard!
Compared to our little courtyard at home, this is paradise!
Our friends Elizabeth, John and James were also visiting family in Columbus. And since John's folks live just a few blocks from Sheryl, it is easier for us to see each other in Ohio than it is when we're all in Illinois. It's a sad reality when we think about - it's easier for us all to drive to Ohio to hang out than to make the trek from Mundelein to Evanston. (Gotta love Chicago traffic!)
James and Drew had a blast pulling themselves up on furniture. However, the most entertaining part was watching and listening as their daddies neighed like horses and bawked like chickens to get them to laugh and smile. Wish I had a video of it all! Oh, the pride we swallow to make our kids happy.
In other news, we are happy to report that our son now performs on demand. Offer him a high-five and he'll repay the favor! Nana taught him how to wave from across the room, and he started playing Peek-A-Boo in the car ride home! It's such fun to watch him discover his new tricks. It is, however, slightly difficult to capture pictures of the stunts in action, so you'll just have to trust us. In the meantime, we did manage to capture this great vision: Drew in his daddy's old Brown's sweatshirt!
(Such a naive smile. He has no idea that as a young Brown's fan, he'll be learning about heartache at an early age.)
Since we were already strolling down Memory Lane, Jeff decided to show Drew pictures of himself as a little guy. Drew was mesmerized!
It was a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now we're looking forward to all of the twinkle of the holidays with our family, and we feel so blessed to have a healthy little boy in this very special season.
Check back again in the near future, as we are working on shots in front of the Christmas tree (before it ends up sideways on our floor), and if we're lucky - a snow scene as well!
