We started our Thanksgiving Break with the kids' annual check-ups. I did not have to work on Wednesday, and Boomer took the day off to spend with us. Little did he know what fun he was in for! Luckily we have not had to go to the doctor recently, and both kids were generally happy throughout the appointment. Emmy weighed 40 lbs 12 oz (57%) and measured 3 ft 8 in (78%), and Eli was 26 lbs 1 oz (26%) and 2 ft 10 in (43%). They were so tough when it came to the shots: Eli got two, and Emmy got three! I did not realize that the appointment would also include the hearing and vision screenings for kindergarten. Emmy did great on the vision screening when she had to tell which direction the "E" was pointing. She was a little confused by the directions for the hearing test. Perhaps I should have prepped her better on what she would be doing. I told the nurse that I did not have any concerns with her hearing. Although it is selective at times, she can hear pretty well! I was so thankful that Boomer came along; he makes everything more fun.
After leaving the doctor, we headed to the Science Center. We spent a little under two hours going through the aquarium, the reptile section, and then for the first time, we caught one of the shows in the Omnisphere. Both kids were very attentive through the 30-minute show. Emmy happily posed for photos and even touched one of the lizards called Tazo, a uromastyx.
On Thursday morning, we hit the road around 9AM to head to Virginia. It had been three years since we last made the trip to Woodstock for Thanksgiving, and we were looking forward to seeing all the Kennedy family. Despite our limited travels over the last two years, we seem to have made up for it lately, and the kids have become very good travelers. Both took naps along the drive and entertained themselves throughout the four hours. When it was time for lunch, we stopped at the same truck stop that we have stopped in the past, and we recreated a photo in front of the sign. We arrived in Woodstock around 2:30PM. Since the temperatures were in the 60s, we met Granny and Paw Paw at the park so that the kids could get some energy out while there was still sunlight. We checked into the hotel and then had dinner over at Aunt KK's and Uncle Doug's with Kayten, Shawn, Kolter and Ashlee and their kids Annabelle and Knox. It was not your typical Thanksgiving menu; instead we had hot dogs and ham- (and deer) burgers. We returned to the hotel around 9PM and feel asleep quickly.
On Friday, we woke up to much colder temperatures and even a few flurries of snow! You can just see the flakes through the hotel window. We ventured out around 10:30AM to drive by the farm and see Tall Man. We were able to introduce him to Eli for the first time. We then went to downtown Woodstock for lunch at the Woodstock Cafe. We returned to the hotel for nap time, and then we met the rest of the Kennedy family for the large gathering that evening. Since our group has continued to grow, we are no longer able to meet on the farm. This year we had dinner at the fire station in Edinburg. The fellowship hall was perfect for our big group, and there was also an open area for the kids to run and play games without breaking anything. One of the aunts brought along craft supplies and coloring table cloths, which were a hit. It was so wonderful to be together with family again. After Eli's birth in 2019 and then COVID concerns in 2020, a lot has changed since the last Woodstock Thanksgiving. Boomer's dad gave a beautiful blessing before the meal about the branches on the family tree and how blessed we are to see the tree grow. At the same time, we are saddened by those family members that are no longer with us, like Granny Kennedy and Uncle Bubba. I wish they both could have met Eli. With all the little ones running around, it is a reminder of the passing of time and the younger generation that we are raising.
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