Timber on Tuesday...and more!

Tuesday was a fun and busy day! Emerson and Benjamin were loving hanging out with all the fam (that's the cool way to say 'family').
Benjamin just loves Sophie...Sophie the giraffe!
Uncle Joshua is #1 uncle to Emerson and Benjamin.
A lot of cooking was done today since Wednesday was to be our Thanksgiving. Grammy was having a different Thanksgiving since she wasn't doing all the cooking! I was wanting her to just relax and enjoy hanging out with the fam!
My sweet guy, the least favorite fan of the Johnston Chronicles, wanted to make sure he was in a photo for the blog...
He got his mom and his wife on each side of him...
Uh-oh....

I made a new family favorite...they will definitely become a tradition when we're all together. Cinnamon Rolls...absolutely delicious cinnamon rolls! One batch was in the oven cooking...and two other pans were rising on top of the stove...balanced on some other dishes....and, well, I opened the oven and we had a bit of a catastrophe...At least they landed upside down on the dishclothes that had been over them! Someone told my guy not to take pictures, but I said it was ok... We're keeping it real here at the Johnston Chronicles...

By the way, the batch that fell were equally delicious! Not that I recommend dumping them on the floor and then doing a second rise, but just don't worry if they tumble.
I couldn't have made them fall on the cuptowel if I'd tried.
Thalia and Erica were enjoying looking through my new cookbook - The Pioneer Woman's - which is where the cinnamon roll recipe came from.
Saddie smelled them cooking...she came sprinting into the kitchen.
I had to inform her she couldn't have any yet...I still had to make the frosting.
She grabbed a basket for her share...no plate for Saddie, no sirree, she'll take hers in a basket.
Grammy was checking out something...
Here goes the last batch, the re-risen batch of cinnamon rolls....
Benjamin, who had watched Tom Hanks dance on a piano, decided he would play us a tune with his feet. It was music to our ears.

Emerson and his Aunt Emily, (GRITS) were enjoying the serenade by cousin Benjamin.
Benjamin took a bow after all the applause.
Saddie wanted to have her 'face made up' for the performance. Thalia was only too happy to do it for her.
Aunt Patti, Aunt Emily GRITS, and Emerson were just relaxing after listening to Benjamin's concert.
Just a happy bunch of people who appreciate good music and good company...
I think Emerson may have told them a funny story...
Thalia was still patiently 'making up Saddie's face'...
After the concert, after lunch, a bunch of us took off for the redwoods. It's one of Thalia's favorite places on the planet. She and Joshua took off down a trail...
Lindsey had to pause and take a photo of her little man and her wonderful husband!
Redwoods...they're giants!
Addison was enjoying looking at these giants too!
Benjamin and fam...
Elizabeth, Patti, and GRITS (aka Emily)...
Patti and her girls in the redwoods...
Benjamin was snoozing in the Ergo...
I told Addison this would be a good facebook photo...
Lindsey, Emily, Grammy, Addison, Thalia, Patti, Joshua, GRITS, Donnie and Benjamin, and Ron...
Elizabeth was taking the same photo as I was...
Thalia always loves to explore the different side trails...
...hiking down the trail...
In my camera, this light on the trees looked like fire...
Isn't a redwood forest beautiful?
Ferns grow so large...
Along the trail are markers...Thalia was reading to us what we were to be looking for at the different spots...
Someone started to bug her...
"JOSH!!!" Thalia knew who it was...
Benjamin was still snoozing in the Ergo...he was all comfy against his Daddy's chest...
Thalia, Addison, and Joshua did a little tree climbing...at least on trees that were laying on the ground.
GRITS was fascinated with their bravery... (just kidding!)...
Mushrooms were everywhere...I don't know what kind they are, but they sure are pretty...
Another good facebook profile picture for Addison...the mountain man!~
Here we are around the big tree...not that there aren't a LOT of big trees, but this tree is one we usually all gather around to have our picture made.
A field of ferns...
Stopping along the trail to listen to Thalia read...
Another photo around 'the tree'...
If one picture is good, two must be better...
...down the trail we go...

These two trees are a bit memorable. A long time ago, Donnie and Joshua both tried to scale these two trees...one foot on each tree. It's a pretty cool spot because both trees are so tall and they just hug the trail. It was being discussed if Donnie should take Benjamin out of the Ergo and try to scale them...Lindsey was encouraging him...

but he didn't.
We just posed instead.
As we were coming to the end of the trail, someone looked up and noticed the half moon rising above the tree tops...
We came to the end of the trail and it was time to get back in the car and head toward home...and food....
But first, my guy led the group, well, he led a few of the group in some stretching exercises... some stretched, some laughed, and some just shook their heads and walked away.
Addison was one of the ones who just shook his head and laughed...he didn't walk away...
Benjamin decided to wake up and see what he had missed...

Never fear, Benjamin, we have lots of pictures to show you...

A fun day in the redwoods...