Warning to fellow bloggers!

There are size limits on the photos you upload - and Blogger does not automatically reduce their size as you are uploading.

Unless you're a Google+ user, that limit is probably 1 GB.  That's a lot of storage - but depending on the size of your individual photos, you will run out fairly quickly.  Did you also know they are all stored on a Picasa web album?


Now, you're probably sitting there thinking - well of course there's a limit.  Doesn't everyone know that?


Maybe they do.  I know I certainly felt like the only turkey out there last night when I got a warning that I had exceeded my limits.  Blogging comes with a lot of learning curves so it's not uncommon for me to feel like a dunce.


But then I spoke with a fellow blogger friend this morning who I consider to be much much more savvy about these things than I - and even SHE didn't know this little fact until another friend told her recently.


So - in hopes of saving someone else out there the pain that I just had to go through.  Here is your warning!  Reduce the size of your photos before loading them to your blog.


And if you run out of space, let me know.  I found a fairly quick fix to the problem.

Cousins

Oh what fun the cousins had together!  I love that these guys are so close in age (Sydney and Finn are only 3 days apart)... it's going to make holiday gatherings like this really special for many many years to come.

They love to pile up in Grampy's chair!

And what would a family gathering with this crew be without a Pat pile-on!

This scene was a bit puzzling.
Me:  "Torr, what are you all doing?"
Torr:  "Playing hide and seek"
Me:  "Who is looking for you?"
Torr:  "Finn"
Hmmm.  OK.

This was Sydney's version of "hiding".  We have some work to do there.

Fletcher tried to get in on the game too.

They shared bedtime stories.

And naps too.

Sisters

The night before Thanksgiving, we Fletcher sisters escaped the chaos of Grampy's house - leaving all the guys to handle the kiddos - and went to Jami's house to prep most of the Thanksgiving meal.


What a fun time we had!  It's rare that the three of us get to have an uninterrupted conversation these days - much less a complete evening together.  


There was some serious cooking - and serious laughing - going on in this kitchen.  

The next day we attempted a sister photo.  And I thought photographing the kids was hard!

I think a girls trip is in order!

THANKSGIVING!

So so so many things to be thankful for!  We made our biennial trip to my hometown of Franklin, NC for Thanksgiving.

This was Fletcher's first time on an airplane - but might as well have been Syd's too since she was too young to remember the first.  

They were soooo good on the plane.  A little iPad and Dora go a long way!

Super excited to see Grampy!

Traditional Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot.  It was more of a stroll really.  35 degrees this year!  

Followed by the traditional turkey fry!

4 generations have eaten on these high chairs!

Finn Finn the garbage bin!  He's our lone veggie eater.

The meat eater.

Post Thanksgiving meal family togetherness.

Homemade bow and arrow for squirrel hunting.

Poor sick Fletcher was not feeling the leaf pile.  But made up for it later in the week after a belly full of turkey!

 

Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday of the year.  It kicks off a whole season of celebration.  Family gatherings, thankfulness and food without the stress of gifts.  The calm before the storm of Christmas.  Time seems to slow down a bit on this one day of the year.  Or maybe that's just all the turkey in my belly slowing ME down.  

It's tough being so far from our families but weeks like these, away from the craziness and distractions of day-to-day life, really help us reconnect.  

We were all especially thankful to spend this holiday with our dad (Grampy) before he went in for major surgery to replace a stint in his abdominal aorta.  He is in recovery this morning (December 1) and doing great.  Thanks to so many who have called, emailed, FB'd and prayed!  

LEAVES!!!

(or, this blog may be more aptly named - the tongue)

Regardless, these kids had fun.  Oh how I remember the years when all we needed was a pile of leaves for hours of entertainment.  Wait - it just happened again - watching them!

Can you spot ALL the kids in the leaves?