December 28th to 30th Holiday Trip to Atlanta

 The Armstrongs and Kendricks stayed in Atlanta and visited the Krafts during the last week of the

year.  Here Mason is walking with his cousins, some friends, grandma, mom, and Chaser the golden lab.

 Mason on one of the slides at a park near the Kraft house.

 Of course we have to walk up the slide, too.

 The train is coming!  Mason is geeked.  We stood on a bridge and watched a train

pass under us near the park.

 Here is the train below us.

 Grandma and grandpa had the four grandsons for an evening while the parents went out for dinner and a movie.  Here the cousins celebrate a Steak and Shake meal.

 The Kraft boys have whole rooms full of legos - these are the big ones.

 Fun in the tub with bubbles.

 And with Hudson.

 The two two-year-olds in towel blankets after their bath.

 Grandma got the boys some flannel shirts and pants for pictures.  Here we are pretending to be mountain lions.

 Four boys on the steps.

 Tearing apart something grandpa put together for us.

 More pictures in flannel shirts in Aidan's bed.

 Mason really liked the Chaser dog.

 Grandma found straw hats to play with.

 Cowboy Mason.

 Playing music for grandma.

Mason liked the instruments that made the most noise.

December 15th Birthday lunch at Arnie's

 We celebrated Grandma Carol's and Sophelia's birthdays at Arnie's

per tradition.  Mason really liked the chocolate milk.

 

 Cheesing it with mommy.

 

 Cheesing it with Daravia.

 

The family hard at work.  Grandma Carol and Sophelia got small birthday cakes.

December 12th Toyland and Spring Lake Aquatic Center

 Mason and Grandma Carol played in Toyland with his "raised"

Lightning McQueen and other vehicles from the Cars movie.

 

 OK.  Part of the deal was using the Fisher-Price barn as a garage for his cars........

 

 Grandma, grandpa, and Mason went to the family swim area at the

Spring Lake Aquatic Center in the evening.  Mason liked the little

slide into the shallow water.

 

 The little kids come down the slide, hit the cushion, and bounce

into the water.  Mason also tried running up the wet slippery

slide and wiped out several times.

 

 Here grandpa helps Mason reach the ropes above the water obstacle course.

 

Mason and grandma chill in the shallow end of the pool.  A big

overhead bucket would periodically dump several hundred gallons

of water in front of them causing a small tidal wave.

 

November 29 Day with Grandma

Grandma does Thursdays and today brought Mason to Muskegon

for a late breakfast of 5 eggs and fruit. 

One of grandma's many stuffed moose supervised the meal.

 

Mason now has a tricycle that an adult can help maneuver. 

Grandma and the new biker. 

Inspecting grandma's outside Christmas lights.

Mason really likes the mirror now that he is tall enough to see himself. 

Lots of faces. 

More. 

With a dog nose. 

Even John Deere tractors can be "tipped" by Mater.

November 24 Thanksgiving Trip Family Pictures at the Farm

The whole family traveled to Eastern Illinois to the Kendrick Family Farm.  Each family had

pictures taken,

 

 Here is great-grandpa with all of the grandsons and great grandsons.  This was by far the

best picture of Mason as he had a quality total melt-down.

 

Mason and Hudson play downstairs at Uncle Eds' house with Erika.



November 22 Thanksgiving Trip Playtime

Mason and Hudson play at the table while waiting for Thanksgiving lunch.

 

Back in the room the two-year-olds share an etch-a-sketch.

 

 There is some instruction going on here, but it is hard to follow..........

 

After yet more swimming with grandma and grandpa, the adult kids go to a movie and the grandsons

have a bedtime snack of various crackers - CHEERS!



November 21 Thanksgiving Trip at the Mower Shop

 Mason and his cousins visited Great Uncle Randy's mower shop.

Here Mason explains his new "Frightening McBean" to Aidan.

 

Uncle Randy shows the boys the shop cat "Mower".

 

 The four boys cousins try out the zero turn equipment.  Mason and

Hudson discuss all the new features.........

 

 Anything with a steering wheel is a winner in Mason's book.

 

Aidan trys on safety equipment while Mason drives a large 30 horwepower tractor.

 

 The four cousins in action again.

 

 And if you want a guaranteed picture, just tell them to act goofy......

 

 The two-year-olds took turns pulling each other in the Stihl wagon.

 

 There was, however, much discussion on whose turn it was to pull the wagon......

 

 On your mark, get set, go..........  The boys race on old junk Cub Cadet mowers.

 

 It was a popular race  twisting the steering wheel, pulling all the levers, making noises, and

laughing at each other.

 

And the last one to get off the tractors was...............