Bigger or Better: Life outside of Texas

Thanksgiving happened quickly. One minute I was getting on a plane in Houston, and the next I was getting off a plane in Houston. Obviously that's not what occurred, because I have photo evidence saying otherwise. Or actually Mark does, because he took more photos. One would think that lots of photos meant he really enjoyed the trip, but actually he found it a little stressful. My family is...loud. I didn't ever realize it until Mark commented on it. And then I discovered, yes, my family--especially my siblings--is intense. Playing games involves a lot of shouted semi-dramatic arguments. Group conversations involve talking over others, loudly one-upping the others in the discussion; and apparently the louder it is, the funnier it is (guessing from the laughter). ~~~~~~~~An Aside on the Games~~~~~~~ We played several rounds of Telestrations , where a word is drawn, then with the next player written, then with the next drawn, etc. I took pics of the most artistic/outlandish ...

After 4 months, I am finally back at work. But let's rewind to 2 weeks ago when Mark and I traveled to see his family. The little guy, being in charge Before going up to Idaho by bus, we saw his brother's family in Utah. Actually, it's sort of a habit now. Oh, we're flying into Salt Lake? Let's visit David and company and then they can pick us up from the airport . They are long-suffering. Mark and I get to be "uncle"and "aunt" there, which is always fun, because it means that I am liked just for being related. Good smiles and fall colors I listened to the older boys tell me about their dragon game, and stacked blocks and read books with the youngest. We got to go with them to Cornbelly's (a fall family fair) and eat s'mores over a fire, but I think their favorite part was when Uncle Mark played Halo with them. He loves pumpkins. I love his hat. So we're friends. My favorite part was the fair. There was a swing...