Thanksgiving in Palatine

After our Great Lakes Region staff conference, we headed to Palatine for time with family and giving thanks.

After five years of hosting Thanksgiving overseas, we were very content being a guest.  :)  (What we're cooking only one turkey?!)

Lia making preparations - baking her pastry puffs.

Lia taking on her Uncle Darren in Blokus.

Meg enjoying someone's tablet.

Grammy and Papa's house was already completely decorated for Christmas which made a warm atmosphere.

Sweet.

Wetlands Bike Ride

We went to a nearby wetlands park for a bike ride and picnic. We had a blast!

Alligator Alley … love it.

We saw our first wild gator.  This seven-footer circled in yellow is a good distance away.  I asked Meg if she wanted to go down to the water's edge, and she said, "NO WAY!!!!"

We saw other gators a lot closer - about 20 feet away.  We didn't pause long enough to get out the camera for a picture.

Other pictures along the way …

After our picnic, we all kicked around the soccer ball trying to avoid the plentiful ant hills/mounds.  Gators and ants … life in Florida.