Waaaaay back in the summer we were graciously invited to spend Thanksgiving in Charlotte with John's siblings & spouses. We have been wanting to visit Charlotte for a long time, but between babies and job changes, we hadn't been able to make it work. So, we were so excited to plan our trip and spend a whole week with the Eiselt clan.
Once John and I started talking about packing, we realized were in for quite the feat: flying as a family of five! Three car seats is a lot to pack, but we made it work!
We had a countdown on our chalkboard...the boys were so excited!
Amazingly, our trip from Eau Claire (early!) to MSP, through security and to our gate was our smoothest ever. It was a breeze and dare-I-say: even John was low-stress! Woohoo! We met Bob and Deb at the gate and soon boarded.
The boys couldn't wait to get on the plane. I had their backpacks full of fun activities especially for the trip. Our seats were two-and-two so the boys tried sitting alone in the row in front of us for a bit.
Two thumbs up from Benny!
John and I snuggled with Eden behind them.
(Photobombed!!)
Soon Eden was asleep...
and I even got to stretch out for a few zzzz's.
John watched a movie on the iPad with the boys.
We arrived! And ALL our luggage arrived, too!
We were quite a sight with all our stuff! Jenny and Jessica came to pick us up in two cars. We were so excited to be together.
Our family piled into Jess's car and somehow we fit all the seats across the back!
We got to Scott and Jess's house and were relieved the travel was over. They have such a beautiful home, were so excited to see it for the first time!
And everyone - espeically Auntie Jenny was so excited to meet EDEN for the FIRST time!
There was no shortage of love for Eden from Jenny who waited far too long to meet her first niece!
We really enjoyed Scott and Jess's hospitality...and we just did a lot of relaxing and catching up.
The boys finished their movie with Baggie.
The weather was mild - our Northern kids insisted on shorts a couple days. I guess they were running around the whole time, so maybe they were warm enough.
Logan and Bennett loved spending tie outside with no coats!
They found a gecko!
I couldn't believe they were touching it and grabbing it like that! No fear for these two.
Sidewalk chalk, giant Jenga, some borrowed scooters and the kids were in heaven.
And hockey on the patio of course. We were sure to pack sticks and pucks.
We were in town a few days leading up to Thanksgiving, so it was fun to have time to help prepare. Jess made this cute fall decor that I loved.
We took a lovely walk through the neighborhood and enjoyed some sunshine.
Scott and Jess borrowed some toys from friends and the scooters were superfun.
I was a little chilly most of the time, but the sun was warm and it was great to enjoy the outdoors without being too bundled up. It was actually as warm in Eau Claire as it was in Charlotte for Thanksgiving (60s)! Crazy!
The boys helped their Aunts make some Thanksgiving table runners with craft paper and crayons.
Eden liked playing and crawling around but since she pulls up to standing on everything now, we had to keep a close eye on her!
Lots of art projects this week.
We visited a couple cute stores in Belmont, where Scott and Jess live.
And Jess was quite the hostess. Beautiful gift baskets greeted us in our rooms when we arrived, she had premade all kinds of yummy meals and treats, and she and Scott were gracious and generous. They were wonderful to let our whole family of 5 invade their space for an entire week! We loved it so much!
One evening we got to see John's Uncle Tom and Aunt Julie and their three kids, Jack, Joe, and Kate. Their kids are getting so big! It was fun to see them and they were so happy to meet Eden. Kate was wonderful, as always, and the boys loved the attention they got from her.
Logan kept Kate busy with projects all night!
A little pre-turkey project to keep us busy. Eden hanging out with Baggie!
Scott and Bob carving the grilled turkey.
The table settings were so simple and cute!
And the food was so yummy! I was no help, so I can't take any credit, but Jess did a great job with help from Deb and Jenny.
It was nice to be all together - its been a long time!
After dinner, John and I snuck away for a peek at Mike and Jenn's house in Charlotte (about 20 minutes from where Scott and Jess live). They are renting this cute house that reminds John and I of our first house. It was so fun to see where they live. They have a great spot, right in the city by some cute shops and great restaurants.
Thanks Mike and Jenn for taking the time to show us your place!
The boys took a fun trip to the Aviation Museum while the girls had a little shopping excursion on the day after Thanksgiving.
The plane that crash landed in the Hudson river is housed at this museum.
The boys loved getting a chance to sit in the cockpit!
The little boys AND the big boys! :)
Scott, Jess, Mike and Jenn took us all to the Whitewater Center, where the US National and Olympic Whitewater Teams train. Its a really cool park with lots to offer so we enjoyed hanging around there for an afternoon.
Logan did a little climbing
It was windy and a little chilly!
Along with manmade whitewater rafting courses, there are climbing walls, ropes courses, and other activities.
We walked all the way around the park and got a little tired out!
The next day, we decided we needed another excursion so we stopped at Starbucks and then headed to the Reptile Center.
Our great hosts, Scott and Jess
We walked (a long way!) to the Reptile Center ad saw some pretty cool stuff. It was a pretty kid-focused activity, so it was nice of everyone to come along. The boys enjoyed watching alligators eat, playing games, studying some trees, and looking at snakes.
Logan was all about the "bug", but Bennett wasn't so sure...so Scott took a turn.
And Logan couldn't believe how HUGE this tree was! Amazing!
Eden was not really herself most of the trip. In an unfamiliar place with many new people, I just thought she was uneasy. Finally I decided to give her a little tylenol and it made a huge difference. I wished I had tried it earlier in the week so everyone could have seen more of the happy baby girl we are used to around home. Her teeth were bugging her and she even ran a bit of a fever from it. Bennett and Scott clearly have a connection. Bennett latched to Scott and even preferred him over Mom and Dad! Crazy! I have a feeling Scott and Benny are cut from the same cloth. They were quite a pair.
Finally Eden showed a couple smiles.
The boys loved helping Jess with a gingerbread house - a tradition she said her family always does after Thanksgiving. She has three nieces just a little older than our three kids, so she had lots of good ideas for the kids.
Bennett (and Logan, too!) loved the puppies. Both Raleigh and Oscar are a little older now, but they are very well behaved and were fun for the kids. The dogs are easy to be around, though they spend a lot of time on the deck outside the kitchen. Bennett was pretty sure we should get some dogs like them!
It was such a great trip and we're thankful for everything everyone had to do to get us there! It was so special to spend the time all together and we can't wait to do it again!
