Spanish Climbing Adventure

**I had a TON of fun with my new camera today**

Emma and Taylor making breakfast

 Thanksgiving leftovers make an excellent picnic lunch!

 You cannot get any further south in Europe than this: 

looking across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco 

 Family picture in Tarifa, Spain

 Chris and Camden heading up the trail to the rock climbing spot

 LOVE these kids!

 Owen flying his rock spacecraft 

Renee and I helping Emma and Camden gear up

 We are ready to CLIMB!

 Belay extraordinaire, Renee 

 Climbing extraordinaire, Geoff

Emma watching Geoff as he sets the route

 Chris and Owen the Oreo Cookie Monster

 Camden has been talking about rock climbing since our trip to Matera.  He was eager to be the first one to climb.

 Next up: Emma

 10 years of friendship

2013

 2003

Taylor's turn to climb

 Owen is the assistant belay

  Huggies, Uncle Chris

 Proud papa and climbing coach

 Go Gavin!

 A love as strong as a rock

 The super silly 6-year olds

The Rhinehart and Kasparek 9 

 Gavin was Emma's first friend...

What a blessing to have them together again!

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

This wasn't our first time celebrating Thanksgiving with the Rhinehart family. Here's a little 9 year flashback...

Geoff and Chris playing some turkey day football in the street in front of our house in Japan

 These pregnant ladies are ready to EAT!

Frosty and Angel, our Elves on the Shelf, arrived on Thanksgiving morning!

 Gavin, Camden, and Taylor reading the note Angel wrote

 Those silly elves found a baby picture of Gavin and Emma and put a goatee and mustache on them!

 Our turkey on the BBQ

 There is nothing like cooking with a friend!

Pre-dinner dance party

Geoff is ready to carve this bird with his Dad's carving knife

Yep, the same one he used to carve in 2005! 

And I think my Italian kitchen is small - it's huge compared to our Japanese kitchen!

 If only I could bottle up this laughter and kindness...

Everyone has a turn helping carve the turkey

 Handsome Camden

 Huggies, Uncle Chris!

 Let's eat!

 Emma gets a turkey leg

Which Tree Should The Rhineharts Get?

Wednesday morning cartoon time

 Jumping on the trampoline 

Everyone chose a poinsettia at the garden store

 Emma, Gavin, and Camden like this tree

 I think this one is perfect!

 Owen getting a lift from Uncle Chris

 Bringing the tree into the house

Emma and Camden are for hire if anyone needs help transporting their Christmas tree! :)

It's A Reunion!!

We were over the moon excited when we found out our dear friends, the Rhineharts, were moving to Spain. In August we booked our Thanksgiving trip to see them in Rota.  We flew in Tuesday night and had a joyous reunion!

Chris and Camden hanging out in the Rhinehart's kitchen

 Renee dishing up her famous Eclair Cake for a late night dessert

Camden, Emma, Gavin, and Taylor are ready for a sleepover 

 To see these kiddos together again warmed my heart!

FLASHBACK

Gavin and Emma Easter 2007

 Camden and Taylor May 2007

 Not only are the Rhineharts in Rota, but the amazing Mishel Flake is also living there!  Mishel and I taught next door to each other my first year at Sullivans. I would have never survived teaching kindergarten without her!

 The CYP dynamic duo