November Happenings - ThanksChristmas Adventures

November was a blast and our trip to Arizona/California was a great way to kick off Shawn's slow season.  We love when we get to have him around more often.  The kids were AWESOME travelers.  As we loaded up into Shawn's car to hit the road, Kimber expressed her excitement by proclaiming: "Wooo!  I LIKE this car!  It's so very FANCY!"

Flagstaff -  Our first stop was Flagstaff, AZ to visit Aunt Tami, Uncle Tom and crew.  Our first day there our favorite Auntie Tami took me out grocery shopping to make sure that we had Kimber safe options for each meal and snacks.  It helped me relax so much knowing that other people were aware of Kimber's special needs and were keeping an eye out for us.

Kimber loved staying in Uncle Tom's big house and even figured out how to operate the shower one afternoon while dad was "watching her".  We had a very soggy Bean!  Each night she curled up in front of the fireplace to fall asleep.  On the last day however I could tell the novelty was wearing off for our little homebody.  She woke up and told me "Mom, this house is TOO big.  I'm just ready to go back to my little house now."  Yikes!  Our trip had just begun!

She loved seeing the Christmas lights at the Little America Hotel.  She helped Aunt Tami make a pumpkin cheese cake and had her first taste of hot cocoa.  Brady was all giggles for Aunt Tami (some of his first!) and loved chilling with Uncle Tom talking politics and business with "the men".

 

Mesa - We had a quick trip down to the valley to meet the Keith Clan.  We were SO happy everyone was able to come together for a Sunday afternoon.  Kimber LOVED her Grammy Great and thanks to a very nice neighbor who let us feed her calf and pet her animals, she is now convinced Grammy Great is quite the farmer.  We loved the warm weather, good food, and lots of fun story telling and laughing.


CALIFORNIA BOUND!

Man I'm so SO grateful for these happy little travelers.  We got to California in time to pick up Kaleb from the very crazy and busy Las Angeles airport.  We got to our beach house in time to get settled, grab dinner and turn in for the night.

The next day (actual Thanksgiving) Allen siblings were spending the day with their mom so Shawn offered to watch Brady so that I could take Kimber to the San Diego Zoo.  It was SO much fun and great weather (until it started to rain just as we were calling it a day).  She walked a lot of the zoo and loved the animals, especially the tiger and snakes!

 




All the Vallens were united the next day and we enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal, games, surfing, and LOTS of laughing.  We watched "Inside Out" that night and Kimber was GLUED to the TV.  It's the first full length film she's sat through.

The weekend went way too quickly and before we knew it it was time to say goodbye and get back in the car for the long drive home.  It took poor Kimber a few days to adjust and figure out who actually came home with us and who stayed in California.  She asks to go to the beach all the time (especially when she is in trouble and thinks Aunt Mikayla would get her out of it).

In addition to our traveling adventures, the kids have done so much growing this last month.

Kimber's vocabulary continues to expand and so does her ability to keep us laughing.  Some of the classic "Beanisms" for this month include:

"Mom, your elbows are so cute..."

While making tacos with me the other night she had the following conversation with the tortillas she was "saving" from being fried.  Kimber: "Don't worry ta-to! I save you!" Kimber's Taco (as narrated by Kimber: "Oh tan-too Kimber."  Kimber: "You wel-tom ta-to!"

And then there was this conversation when I asked her to stop twirling to get ready:

  "Kimber you need to stop twirling so we can get ready or you are going to have a time out."

  "Ummm... Ok I need a time out."

Kimber goes and puts herself in time out.  I'm sitting trying to put together what just happened when she yells from across the room "Ok mom!  I'm ready to obey now!"

She really is one of a kind!  We have been working hard on ripping paper and have been doing different art projects to help her see that ripping paper isn't always "breaking it" and that it doesn't have to be perfectly straight.  These are things I didn't think I would have to teach my two year old but I would change it for the world!

Brady is three months old now!  He's figured out how to use his hands and has the cutest little giggle, although the sound scares him and makes him cry.  He's a busy little fella and I'm lucky to get a combined two hours of naptime out of him during the day.  He can drool a river and loves the bright action of a football game!  We absolutely love him and are enjoying seeing his little personality emerge!

That's our November!  Love all you wonderful people!  Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!