OREGON & THANKSGIVING

     We finally got to come to Oregon and let's just say we've stayed busy and the kids have had the time of their lives as the following photos will show.

Charlie's first moments at Grandma and Grandpa Baker's.  She was a good girl on the long drive.

Cousin Lottie.  She's cute and quite a fashion guru;-)

And this is cousin Jackson.  He's soooo cute and so good.  I've only heard him cry once this whole week and that was after being dropped by his big sister so totally appropriate.

Aunt Marie got some snuggles with Charlie right away.

And Jackson can honestly say that Charlie bit his finger.  Too CUTE!

An afternoon at the ranch riding 4-wheelers was a dream come true for the kids.  I have a very generous uncle who made a point of coming up and obliging us spur of the moment.  (There's a reason Mark was named after him.)

Brock was in HEAVEN!  

This event was a prayer answered for Carter, literally!

Isaac's at that awkward age where he's a bit big for this four-wheeler but not quite big enough for the larger version but he loved every minute of his riding time.

And of course Mark couldn't be happier.

And between Kayli and Greg McClane got plenty of riding time too.

What a manly man!

And Charlie and I enjoyed just watching and soaking up the sun!

I had to take a quick photo of the man of the hour, my all time favorite uncle Mark.  

A rare moment with all 7 kids gathered together.  (Don't you just love Carter sporting Grandma's glasses?!)

Thanksgiving morning with Grandma taking a brief break from working hard to have a quick snuggle with Charlie.

Here's the three of the four newest 'Baker' grand babies.  We sure wished little Kirra could have been in this photo to even out the numbers.  Boys are definitely winning in this gene pool.

A glimpse of Thanksgiving dinner.  30 bodies in this house was a bit much but the food was still delicious no matter where we had to sit to eat it.

When Jackson attacks!

The majority of the cousins spent an afternoon at the playground of Ferguson Elementary and had so much fun.  Thanks to Uncle Tad for making up some fun obstacle course races for them to do.

How cute is little Kari?!

The day after Thanksgiving we had a big potluck at the church with a portion of my Budden family.  It was fun to see so many family members that I haven't seen in awhile.

Most of my siblings and the spouses went bowling without the kids and had such a good time.  This is one activity I hope we can make a tradition whenever we're together.  (Sorry about the lighting but it was black lit on purpose.)

Charlie and grandpa having some snuggle time.  This outfit is courtesy of Aunt Marie and I can't get over how cute it is!

And for one of my birthday gifts I bought Charlie these darling pearl earrings.

And Greg did his best to make my birthday special and helped me purchase this awesome watch.

Then we went and visited my friend Joy who I went to high school with and her cute daughter, Riley let all the kids have a horseback ride.  Here's Mark and my friend Joy is on the right and her daughter Riley is on the left.

Kayli and McClane went together.

Brock couldn't stop smiling.

Tad made balloon animals, swords and belts for the kids who all thought that was pretty awesome.

Brock requested a poodle.

And everyone wanted a sword and belt.

Dyrin spent a good deal of time holding Charlie, which was a huge help.  He's a good boy and one of the favorite cousins for sure. 

And we can't forget the plane rides Grandpa gave to the four oldest kids the first official day of our trip.  All four did at least 2 barrel rolls each and loved every minute of their flights!  Carter is clearly a happy boy!

Kayli's turn.

Mark LOVED it.  I wish I had access to the photo of him at the age of 4 in this same spot to compare.

     I don't have a photo of Isaac in the plane because he got the first ride and Greg wasn't at the airport yet but hopefully I'll get a photo from my dad soon that I can post another time.  He had a blast even if I don't have a photo to prove it.  This whole trip has been so fun and we've done at least one fun thing each day and the kids have been so happy to be here.  The time has gone quickly but that's nothing new.  One more official day here to visit a few more family members before we head home on Monday.  I'm so glad I got to be here for my birthday and have my mom make me my grandma's cheesecake recipe.  If only my sister Jackie and her family could have been here it would have been the PERFECT visit but maybe next year.  I have countless more photos but these were the highlights of most of our activities.  Thanks to everyone who made this week so much fun!!