Turner's 5th birthday and Thanksgiving in Louisiana 2012

Turner started her birthday in just the manner she desired - fishing with her Daddy off Grandpa's pier in Louisiana.  She's been counting down the days to our trip to Granny and Grandpa's house

We got dressed and headed over to Natchez, Mississippi to treat Turner to a special day filled with things she loves!

We headed to one of Turner's favorite eating spots, Dairy Queen, for her own specially created birthday lunch:  chili cheese dog, salad, and an oreo blizzard!

We did some shopping and played a few games in the mall arcade and finished up our celebration with cupcakes and a special "5" candle.  Turner was pretty exhausted, but I think she enjoyed her special day!

On Thanksgiving morning, Turner and her Daddy did lots more fishing while we waited for the arrival of Mark's extended family.

The family arrived and the house of 6 people quickly turned into a house filled with 28 people - from over 80 years old to two years old and everything in between!  It has been around 3 or 4 years since all these families have gathered together in one place, from as far away as Michigan, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, and Louisiana.  It was a sweet time to visit and reconnect with those we don't see often enough.

Turner and cousin Ellie hit it off quickly and these two spent most of the day playing and squealing!

And of course there was a lot more fishing when the rest of the children arrived...

Check out my big girl baiting her own hook with a minnow!!

Turner was dying to get in the water...sticking her feet in would have to do for this visit!

Cousins Jackson and Drake

The swings next door were well used throughout the day!

Much to our surprise, amid three tangled lines from fishing pole that were left out during lunch, we found a nice sized fish on the hook when we went down to the pier.  Turner was determined that they were going to cook and clean that fish - and her sweet Daddy and Grandpa granted her request!

A beautiful ending to a beautiful day of giving thanks and enjoying family.

LSA Thanksgiving Party

We got out the old sponge curlers this past Sunday and Turner's hair was super curly for our Thanksgiving celebration at church.  I couldn't help but snap a few pictures before church!

Turner's class invited all of their parents to a handmade Thanksgiving feast this week. We were treated to yummy foods that they had worked for several days to prepare.  They started the celebration by performing (in costumes) several of the many songs they've learned this year and by telling us what they were thankful for.  It was a fun celebration with new school friends!

 

They prepared green beans, cooked cranberry sauce, corn, acorn cookies, and even baked a whole pumpkin with yummy seasonings inside!

Wendy, Turner, and Mrs. Leonard

And afterwards, Turner wanted to show off her skills on these super curvy monkey bars!  She has developed some impressive callouses on her hands, compliments of this playground equipment!

Here's a video of the songs we were treated to during the party!

Busytown Bowling 5th Birthday Party!

Sunday, November 11th was a busy and fun day for our family! All four grandparents were in town for Turner's birthday party, so it was special that Turner's His Kidz group was performing in church for Veterans Day and all the grandparents got to enjoy the show!

We headed home after church for lunch, and the opening of family presents in celebration of Turner's birthday a little early (since her birthday party was that afternoon at 3:30).

She's been wanting these Twinkle Toes for months...the LED lights in these shoes are bright!!

A Cinderella Barbie from Aunt BB was a treat since we accidentally beheaded Barbie a few months back!

And since Turner's personal camera stopped working, Granny and Grandpa replaced it with a new purple camera that's all her own!

Her birthday party theme was a "Busytown Mysteries Party at the Bowling Alley".  This awesome Huckle cake was made by a friend of mine from school.  If you are interested in her work, check out Cakeapotamus on Facebook!

I found these bowling pin water bottles online and they were the perfect party favor that's actually useful after the party!

Turner is blessed to have sweet friends and we were thrilled that so many could join us for her special celebration!

The biggest cheers came from the lanes where Grandpa, Mrs. Norma, Aunt BB, Daddy, Pop, and Tootsie were bowling! This video is just a small picture of my mom's swagger...she's a career PE teacher and can teach anyone how to play a sport. But you'll also notice her incredible competitive nature, and her strut when she cleans up with a spare. This video makes me laugh!

By the time we had bowled and eaten, many had to head home.  But, never fear, Francie and Turner had a ball opening presents in the floor before we left the bowling alley!  It was fun to have a friend squeal with as they opened and saw fun new things.

We had such a fun afternoon celebrating our sweet and kindhearted daughter!  Turner is an amazing blessing and we are so proud of her for everything she's learning and the ways that she's growing in knowledge!