Following are several blogs that catch up our November. We've had another crazy yet fun month. So be sure to look through all of them sometime. Thanks for keeping up with us.

Reese getting her first haircut.

Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving with my family this year. My parents found a house in Wimberley (outside of San Marcos) to rent that all of us would fit in. It was a good house with a great view. We had a good time cooking, taking walks, opening Christmas presents, getting pedicures, watching movies and laughing. Another Wiggains Holiday down.

Leland and I took the girls on a walk one day.

We came across a horse and goats.

We found a "club house."

And we found a donkey on the way back.

I brought several crafts for the kids to do. Here we are making a chain for the tree.

My dad was great at helping wash the dishes.

We had several performances like this one.

Reese showing off her Christmas Eve pajamas.

Opening presents Thanksgiving/Christmas morning.

Jacey opening the present we gave her.

Another craft making turkeys out of cookies, chocolate balls, icing, & jelly beans.

Reese & Jacey sharing a "turkey."

Taking another walk.

We found the donkey again.

Cousins: Raylee (4), Jacey (2), Parker (2 in Jan), Reese (2 1/2), Keynan (3).

Some of us went to see Planet 51. It was Keynan's first theater experience - he was adorable.

Raylee's 4th Birthday

We got home from our DC trip Sunday evening and Raylee's birthday was Monday. No rest for the weary here. ;)

We began her big day with a tea party with her friends from church. The girls all seemed to have lots of fun. Raylee loved all the presents she received. It was a great little party.

The party goers.

We had my mother in law and her mother in town also. They had come to keep the kids while we went to DC so they stayed for the birthday celebrations. Raylee chose lunch at Spring Creek BBQ (Leland has warped all our kids) after the tea party.

After school was out we took Raylee to Claires to get her ears pierced. She has been begging to get them done for a year now so we finally decided to for her birthday. She was so excited - it was adorable. She did cry as expected, but she loves them now.

Ryland helped take care of his little sister.

It took Dad to make it through the second ear.

That evening we had a family party. We had our neighbors come over and we picked up our friend Donna's granddaughters to join us. Raylee loved having everyone over for her party.

Raylee has decided she doesn't like cake so we had a cookie instead.

Happy Birthday my Raylee girl!

Washington DC

November 11-15 we took a trip to DC with 29 students and 7 other adults. Our point of the trip was to attend National Journalism Convention. It was the largest convention they've ever had, over 6,200 in attendance. It was a good convention.

We flew on Wednesday afternoon and rode the subway to the hotel. We had a few first time fliers which was a lot of fun.

Thursday we began at the capital building. We had tickets to see the House of Representatives from the gallery. We then went tot he Library of Congress and had a tour of it. We then stopped by the Supreme Court to take a peak. We then walked to the National Archives. We had supper at the Hard Rock Cafe before heading back to the hotel to crash.

Friday we began at the Ford's Theater which includes a museum of President Lincoln. We then walked to the Newseum - a museum of news. Of course a group of journalism students enjoyed this place best. It was a great museum. We then let the kids choose between 3 Smithsonian's. We then had supper at Union Station before once again crashing at the hotel.

Saturday the kids participated in the convention for most of the day. That evening we went walking around most of the memorials and the White House.

Sunday we checked into the airport and then went to Arlington National Cemetery before boarding our plane home.

It was a great trip. We saw lots, walked lots, and had lots of fun.

Good kids hanging out in the hotel.

A statue in the capital building.

The capital from across the street at the Library of Congress.

Strolling from one location to another. Thurs & Fri it drizzled but not too bad.

In the Library of Congress.

In the Library of Congress.

Again the Library of Congress.

Union Station.

The "John Hancock" on the Constitution.

This security guard at the National Archives kept this group of girls very entertained.

Outside the National Archives.

Leland and his students outside Ford's Theatre.

Where Pres & Mrs. Lincoln sat at the theatre.

The gun that killed Lincoln.

One of the pillows Lincoln laid on before dieing.

At the Newseum they had copies of MANY newspapers from famous events. This is the paper announcing the assassination of Lincoln.

The Newseum has the largest section of Berlin Wall outside of Germany.

The newspaper from the sinking of the Titanic.

The 9/11 area had over 100 front pages from that day.

The things of the only journalist in the towers. He was with some firefighters when the 2nd tower went down.

The famous hanging chads of Florida.

The helicopter hanging over the lobby was a Dallas/Ft. Worth news chopper.

The Newseum had a section of Pulitzer Prize winning photos. Very moving.

At the American History Smithsonian.

Julia Childs kitchen.

One of Martha Washington's dresses.

Lincoln memorial.

Washington Memorial

All of our kids with their feet on the Washington Memorial.

The WWII Memorial.

The Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Challenger Memorial.