Fall Family Frenzy

I've mentioned it before, but I have a lot of family.  A lot.  See if you can stay with me...my parents divorced, then remarried other people.  The new families each had two boys.  That's a total of four brothers.  My mom is one of twelve brothers and sisters.  I have thirty-five first cousins on her side alone.  
The kids and I flew to Philadelphia Friday before Thanksgiving to visit with my Mom and her family.

(No, I did not forget my makeup.  I don't know why I look like death.)

The boys in the picture...those are my brothers, Nick (yellow shirt) and Greg.  Jingjing is on the bottom right.  She is engaged to Greg.  Jingjing is holding my cat-niece, Cotton.

We were in PA for six days, so I'm not even sure where to start with pictures.  Oh, and by the way, there's more family that lives within forty-five minutes of my mom and stepdad.  My cousin Stephanie and her family live five minutes away.  My girls loved playing with her boys, who are right around the same age.  

One adventurous day we took the kids to Peddler's Village, an outdoor Christmas wonderland.

The best part was an indoor playplace with this huge ball contraption thing that I really can't describe.  They loved it.

MC and Robert opted to stay in the little kids' area with a water table and fire station playplace.

This same day my Aunt Mary and her family came to visit.

My cousin Ellen (Mary's daughter) is studying to be a pediatrician, so she got a little bit of practice with Robert.

Besides spending time with family, the girls did their usual activities with Grandmother, like walking Cypress.

And visiting Grandmother's first grade classroom.  She teaches in an all-girls Catholic school.  My girls fit right in (well, except for the whole uniform thing).

Oh, we also dressed Robert in this Christmas bubble that Robbie has given a big thumbs-down to.  Enjoy this picture, because it's probably the only one of him you'll see in this precious outfit!

We had such a fun time in PA.  We flew back into Birmingham EARLY Thursday morning to spend Thanksgiving with Robbie's family.  I don't have a single picture from Thanksgiving day.  I was whipped from flying with the three kids by myself.  It was a great Thanksgiving, though.  Robbie's mom totally outdid herself with all of the yummy food she made.  It was a low-key gathering with just us, Robbie's parents, Robbie's uncle, Robbie's cousin, and Robbie's cousin's girlfriend.  Quite a change from MY family!!  

The day after Thanksgiving?  MORE of my family...and horses!