Best Thanksgiving Ever!

Little Pilgrim Girl Clara

I don't think I've ever had a more enjoyable Thanksgiving Day than I had this year!

Chris, Kelsey and the kids spent the week camping at Dinosaur Valley State Park, and Dan and I drove up there on Thursday morning to meet them and enjoy an outdoor Thanksgiving meal, just like the Pilgrims! Dinosaur Valley State Park is just outside of Glen Rose, Texas, only a couple of hours from our home. They say that this region has some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world.

Fall colors set the scene for our Thanksgiving dinner

Chris and Kelsey's camp trailer

We arrived at the camp site in time for the noontime Thanksgiving dinner, which was scrumptious . . . baked ham, fire-baked sweet potatoes, pasta salad, pinto beans, green bean casserole, hot rolls and pumpkin pie. For the kiddos, who aren't so fond of pumpkin pie, I brought along a batch of snickerdoodle cookies. Kelsey set the picnic table with a pretty fall-colored tablecloth and festive decorations and name tags, handmade by her and the children.

Baking sweet potatoes

Later in the afternoon - after Robert's nap - we celebrated his third birthday. Kelsey baked and decorated some cute cupcakes and organized a little scavenger hunt for Robert, designed to lead him to his big present from Daddy and Mommy - a kid-sized drivable Jeep! It was a big hit, and he spent much of the afternoon learning to maneuver the Jeep around the trees at the campground.

Dinosaurs (what else?) were the birthday theme

Big sis, Clara, read the scavenger hunt clues to Robert

The Jeep was hiding behind Grandpa and Grandma's car

Robert wasted no time before hopping into the Jeep and taking off

There's room for two in the Jeep

Dan and I opted to "camp" at a nearby hotel that night. The birthday bash continued into the next day (which was his REAL birthday) with a visit to Dinosaur World, located next door to the camp ground. Dan and I almost backed out of going because the temperature had dropped and there was a stiff wind that morning, but in the end we decided to give it a try. Once we were inside the park we found ourselves sheltered from the wind, the temperature was comfortable, and we were so glad that we hadn't been party poopers. It turned out to be the highlight of the two days.

Oh oh! Clara was swallowed by a dinosaur!

The beast was hungry enough for a second serving :-)

Watch out everyone! There is a mama dinosaur behind you.

Two ferocious kidosaurs

Kelsey and the kids

Digging for fossils. Each child gets to keep three of the fossils they uncover.

My two sweeties!