It must be South Texas if your Thanksgiving photos lead with your son swimming in the waves at the beach! We spent Thanksgiving in Corpus Christi with Gail and Grandpa Billy. Here are some photos of our "Black Friday" trip to the beach.

The guys

Bill and Gail's dog Pico -

Our dog Ginger goes for a swim.

Ginger runs free!

Bill and William continue beachcombing -

Ethan gets muddy! Me, Aunt Claire and Ethan walking back from the club after Thanksgiving lunch.

Celebrating Grandma Gail's birthday with cake!


The first night of our two night game of Monopoly (Ethan's favorite board game).

Ethan and Grandma Gail work on Ethan's holiday craft to decorate a tree for his class.

Gail and Grandpa Billy have a Play Station 3 with 4 controllers! Here the group plays a serious match of tennis.

This week was a big week at Ethan's school as the kids got ready for Thanksgiving break. Ethan starred in his 2nd grade class play "A Native American Welcome" by Sandra Widener. Ethan played the starring role of Squanto the Native American that helps the Pilgrims learn how to plant crops and survive the harsh winters. Ethan had the most speaking lines, and he practiced after school for several weeks to memorize all of his lines. The kids made their hats and vests.


In this scene the Native Americans are bringing the deer meat for the Thanksgiving feast with the Pilgrims.

After the play ... With his teacher Ms. Thomason -

With Grandma -

Peeking from behind the tree.

With his friend Felix who played the Pilgrim Edward Winslow.

With other friends from his class -

Ethan's school also had the annual Thanksgiving lunch. We joined Ethan and his class for lunch.

Halloween 2008 - Here is the front tree decorated with spider webs and ghosts.

The patio - Ethan wanted to make it look spooky this year.

The weekend before Halloween we carved pumpkins with Aunt Claire and Rene.

Grandma and Ethan

Ethan designed these pumpkins.

This year Ethan designed his own costume. He drew the picture and called it "red skull" and "evil wizard." Ethan and grandma went to the fabric store together to pick out the fabric and pattern for the costume. Here is a picture without the cape.

Here he is with his cape looking spooky.

Grandma made dad a cape too!!



Ethan looks serious.

Hiding under the cape...

With his friend Zane the ninja just before trick or treating.

Grandma Sharon captures Evil Wizard Dad.

Here is the gang out in the neighborhood for trick or treating.

Ethan and his buddy Felix.

The week before Halloween, Ethan had crazy clothes day at school. Ethan picked this outfit out himself. You will notice most of the clothing is backwards and inside out.

Athens, Greece. We spent three nights in Athens, Greece. We loved Athens. Contrary to what people usually say about Athens, we found it to be clean, easy to navigate, and friendly. Our hotel, Airotel Parthenon, was minutes walk from the Parthenon and on the Plaka (the old town, tourist district). I would definitely recommend anyone visiting Athens to stay at a hotel in the Plaka. Here is a scene from the Plaka.

Here is a dog eating off of a ceramic dish in the middle of the Plaka.

Ethan pets a dog on the Plaka.

Here are me and Ethan in front of the Parthenon.

Here is a close up view of the Parthenon.

Here are William and Ethan in the back of the Parthenon.

Here is a view of the Acropolis.

This is the Odeon theater on the Acropolis.

Here is the Erechtheion on the Acropolis.

Here are the Caryatids (the female statues) supporting the Erechtheion.

Arch of Hadrian

Temple of ZeusTemple of Apollo

In front of the Temple of Zeus

William the photographer