Cat decorated the kids' table with flowers from Mema and Papa's yard, then set to work coloring until it was time to eat. Do you see the crown on her left? Mema gave it to her when we arrived and Cat wore it pretty much the whole weekend.
Jack entertains himself before the meal by, ahem, eating.
Cat enjoying her meal with her adorable cousin Levi. Notice the crown.
Climbing in the fig tree at sunset. Again, the crown.
On Friday we met our good friends Tim and Cassie, and their daughters Lana and Madi at Mission San Luis, a historic park rebuilt to resemble its appearance in the 1600's, when it was the western capital of La Florida, run by the Spanish. Here, all the kids admire a hen with some chicks at the friary kitchen.
Cat insisted on wearing this crown the whole weekend. And the staff at San Luis stayed in character as much as possible, so we kept hearing things like, "Ah, we have a princess in our midst! Where do you hail from, young princess?" Cat didn't seem to mind.
The town was mostly inhabited by Apalachee Indians, so the council house was central to the day-to-day activities. This volcano-looking building held up to 3000 people! Here, Cat and Lana are going into not-for-tall-people entrance.
Outside the fort at San Luis.
Estoy casada a un conquistador!
Near the parking lot of the Mission, there was this great hill! Cat and Lana had a blast rolling on it, but unfortunately, sometimes it was hard for them to roll DOWN.
On Saturday we went to Ben's long-time friends' farm for the annual cane grinding. Here, Ben, Cat, Jack, and Papa are watching as the cane juice is slowly cooked in a giant pot over an enclosed clay oven with a fire on one side. It will be syrup before long!
It might be a little too hot for a bath, Jack.
Cat trying out a chunk of raw sugar cane.
Jack liked the sugar cane.
A lot.
Mmmm.... fresh cane syrup over a warm biscuit.
She's getting royal treatment all over the place!
She's getting royal treatment all over the place!
That night we ate hotdogs and roasted marshmallows around a campfire at Mema and Papa's house, then Papa took us for a hayride in his pick-up truck.
Cat with her cousin Cassy, whom she hardly lets out of her sight whenever she's in the same city.
Ben and Jack all snuggled up on the hayride.
We are so grateful for the fun time we had over our Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends.
It was the perfect vacation.
Looks like you all had a really, really good time! Who wouldn't want to wear a princess crown all the time if you could?!
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