So after the last post, I have learned how not to end a post with "we have a surprise for you," because people will think that we have another honey bun on the way. So let me make this clear right now. The honey bun factory is closed. No new Havlirs coming in 2019.
The surprise was that we had an exciting Thanksgiving trip planned and based on an informal poll, Hannah enjoyed Great Wolf "Flodge" the best and Nathan, you had a tough time coming up with a favorite because "it was all so fun!" And of course, I had a lot of fun taking over 300 pics of you guys. (Don't worry, I'm just going to post the highlights here).
Pre-Trip
But before we go into the details from the trip, here are a few memories from before. On Friday we all went and got our flu shots. Naturally, ice cream is always involved when it comes to shots, so we stopped for some ice cream afterwards. Hailey kept pointing towards the ice cream when she realized that she didn't get any. So, I got her a little sample.
Then, on Saturday, we joined members of our church at an outreach event and our family was in charge of leading a craft activity. We had some practice at home and then at the event, Nathan did such a great job teaching the adults how to make their frames. I'm sure I can find some pics from the event from someone at church, but this one from practicing at home will have to do for now.
Saturday morning was absolutely beautiful. While Daddy played hockey, we went to the playground to play for a bit.
On Sunday, we went to church for the first time in awhile because Hailey was napping at 9, making 11:00 service possible. During service, I looked over and saw this cute sight. Hannah, you looked like a little old lady with you legs crossed, sewing.
And then on Monday the whole family went to the dentist! It is now quite the ordeal because while 2 people are getting their teeth cleaned, the other 2 are entertaining Hailey and then we switch off. We pretty much take over the dentist office for an hour. Hannah got her first official teeth cleaning and enjoyed it!
And then in the afternoon, you guys put up the christmas trees and decorated it with all the Perler bead ornaments that we had left over from the sale. That evening we had our friends come over for dinner and that was a lot of fun.
The Trip
Well, overall, the trip went smoothly. We left Tuesday morning, so traffic was surprisingly light and we made it in record time, stopping once at a rest stop and the other time for lunch. Hailey slept without complaining in new rooms, but woke up multiple times at night. Luckily it only took about 10 minutes of nursing before she would just go back down to sleep.
The big kids, you both were very flexible, pretty much excited with whatever sleeping arrangement we had for you two.
We arrived at the Great Wolf Lodge Tuesday afternoon and immediately hit the water. We realized really quickly that Nathan could only stay in the water area for about 1.5 hours before the chlorine started to make you cough. By the end of the trip, you both had tried all the water slides that you were allowed to ride. Nathan did the scariest slide twice!
During the downtime, we played BINGO,
watched magic tricks,
did some yoga,
and went back for some water time.
And then on Wednesday afternoon, we went across the street to the Gaylord to go see their Christmas marketplace. We got to take some good pics.
Auntie Momo even joined us.
And then on the way out, we had an encounter with the gingerbread man. Hannah, you were brave enough to run up to give him a high five! That was totally unexpected.
On Thursday we went to Legoland discover center and had a great time there. Hannah you were so excited when you saw Nya.
Hailey discovered how uncomfortable it is to sit on a pile of legos. But on this trip, you did learn how to climb down stairs by sliding on your belly. Now you want to slide down all the things...beds, couches...
We saw almost all of the 4D movies that they had there.
And the big kids discovered jello cups.
After we were lego-ed out, we went to Auntie Momo's for Thanksgiving dinner. She did a great job cooking a whole meal for our family. Unfortunately, the food was soooo good I totally forgot to stop and take a picture, but I have another family picture later... and then on Friday morning, we headed out to the Arboretum and Botanical Gardens for their 12 days of Christmas exhibit. I think we will be using those pics for our Christmas card this year, so I won't post them here just yet. But you guys had a nice chat with Shakespeare,
almost gave me a heart attack by playing so close to a fountain,
enjoyed the colorful changing leaves,
and Hannah, you must be going through a growth spurt because "I'm hungry" was pretty much all I heard throughout the trip. (And you were eating good at meals too!)
They still had a few pumpkins left over from their pumpkin extravaganza, so we played in that area for awhile.
I tried to take a picture of all three of you, but seriously, this was the best picture that I got....
someone was always turning away from the camera. Example:
So I decided to just take solo-pics, which turned out soooooo much better.
but alas, I had to try just one more time....
Hannah particularly liked this exhibit: The dancing ladies. As you both were admiring the vintage gowns, Nathan pointed out that one of the ladies was carrying a concealed weapon: a plume (feather). I don't think that was a weapon, but you were pretty convinced.
Being in the DFW area we had to stop for some yummy chinese so we went to my favorite dumpling restaurant Jeng Chi and then we went to Gong Cha for some bubble tea. Both did not disappoint anyone.
Then, we were off to the Crayola Experience. I was not sure what to expect, but it was super fun. You both got to make your own labels for crayons,
make spin art using melted crayons,
we made a family art project,
and Hailey discovered giant light brites and was occupied for about 45 minutes. Putting the pegs in, pulling them out. Putting the pegs in, pulling them out. 45 minutes!
Afterwards, we had dinner at Auntie Momo's again. The menu was hot pot. I'm glad I got to take a picture before we dug in. This is our Thanksgiving tradition.
Today we stopped by the National Video Game museum in the morning before heading back to Austin. It was a really cool place. Hannah got to smash buttons, Nathan, you got to play one of Daddy's favorite video games from when he was a little boy,
Hailey got up close and personal with Mario,
and I got a good dose of nostalgia as I saw games and games systems from my childhood. I had Auntie Momo take a picture of the family because we seriously don't have enough.
And of course, before we left Plano, we had to stop by my all time favorite restaurant: Sapporo. It's a Ramen restaurant, but there is a secret Chinese/Taiwanese menu with all of my favorite dishes.
Hannah even tried stinky tofu and liked it!
Well, after an afternoon of being cooped up in a car, listening to audio books and chinese songs, we are back in Austin and will have a day just to get back into the groove before work and school start back up. That's about it for now. I am so Thankful for 3 healthy children and your Daddy who puts up with my crazy antics.
Until next week,
Love,
Mommy
