Eden was surprised when her great Aunt Beverly got to come down all the way from Washington, DC and see her for the first time!!!
Of course, she came bearing gifts - this is Eden's new hedgehog pillow (and very soft).
Beverly also brought Eden gifts from Eden's great Aunt Denise ... a singing Aubie and some new Auburn clothes! Eden was quite excited ... especially since I let her open them (ripping paper is really quite a fun experience).
Of course Eden was the hit of the party. She got to meet LOTS of new family including ...
... her second cousin Anna (who has 4 kids of her own) ...
Of course, there were LOTS more ... and Eden will be able to name them all when we go back next year (child prodigy perhaps?!)
After meeting all the new family, it was time to get in our family groups for the rounds. In our family, we have a lot to be thankful for, and we like to share these joys with each other every year. So, immediate families get in groups, appoint a spokesperson, and share what happened in the last year.
My dad was our family spokesperson this year. He started by introducing everyone then saying that the best thing that has happened to our family this year was the birth of Eden Brooks Bodie. When people started clapping, Eden joined in ... it was PRICELESS. She had a HUGE smile on her face and her hands kept clapping together (think the timeless monkey with the cymbols doll). SO CUTE! She just this past week started clapping her hands when you say "patty cake" or "yay!" to her. It is amazing to see that she really understands what we're saying.
At dinner, Eden tried Turkey for the first time ... she wasn't sure about it but at least she tried it. Then it was time for dessert ...
After lunch, my sister (Sarah) and my Mom wanted to introduce Eden to swinging. She ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. As soon as she sat on the swing, her face lit up, and she gave everyone a BIG SMILE. She grabbed onto the ropes, started kicking her legs, and propelling herself higher (of course, the cautious grandmama did not let her go too high).
When you grow up the youngest of three as my sister Sarah did, you would think that you would learn when to say "No!" So, it was surprising that Sarah's answer to, "Hey. Let me see how high I can push you." was "Yes!" Go figure! As a big brother, I could not pass up that opportunity!
Of course my mom was yelling "Gra-h-a-a-a-a-m" the whole time, telling me not to push Sarah so high (you can see her arm in the side of the photo below). Guess a mother's instincts never quit.
After Eden decided she had had enough of the swing, it was off to the see-saw. She held on tight and started bouncing up and down to show everyone how much fun she was having.
I think my mom forgot how much work it takes to push a grown woman up and down on the see-saw ... after about five minutes, she tired out and had to call it a day.
After all that play, Eden got a little sleepy. Luckily, we had her pack 'n' play in the trunk. She curled up on the front porch, had a good 45 minute nap, and we all got to relax on the swing and rockers!
After she woke up, it was time to make the drive back to Mobile.
On Thanksgiving night, Eden also began to scream - not out of anger but out of enjoyment. Yep, she has started yelling (rather loudly) just for fun. It has become a little game we play, to see how long we can get her to do it for - plus it seems to tire her out (a good strategy when she is having trouble getting wound down for bedtime).
The next morning (Friday), Eden was entertained with plastic bowls ... you know, the kind you put leftover food in ... just goes to show you that expensive gifts are not always the best ones!
Overall, it was a nice trip. Eden talked about it the entire way to Mississippi (when she promptly fell asleep for an hour or so prior to us stopping for gas in Hattiesburg). That story and "Thanksgiving: Part 2" to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment