Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was in Idaho. It was cold, but not cold enough to keep Grandpa Sorensen from showing Brenden all the cool "toys" that Grandpa plays with everyday. Here are a few of Grandpa's favorite 'toys'...

Little red tractor that I have even driven.....yes, it still runs.....and is used to flatten the fields among other things.

Inside the wheel of a combine. I guess Brenden is part Idahoan so it was almost inevitable that he and John Deere would meet.

And the roller. Of course.

At the Grain Elevator. Trent's Grandma says that his Uncle Lynn climbed up this around 5 years old and to get him down without making him scared and fall down, a friend told Lynn that he would give him a soda if he climbed down. Can't even imagine what I would do if little Brenden started climbing up and around this thing.

Not sure what kind of animal this is supposed to be...but it still works.

Hey Brenden, do you want to drive???

Or, how about fly?

I hear that in Idaho, you learn to drive early. Why not fly early? (Trent was 8 years old when he learned to drive the truck. He says there is a picture where he can barely see over the dashboard).

He is not scared one bit when it comes to going into the air 1,000 feet above the ground (7,000 feet above sea level) in a small, one engine airplane, looking down on the cars that look like the toys he was playing with earlier that day. Trent flew with Rodger first, then I went into the front seat to become 1st officer. When I got out to let Sarah and Laura take a turn, Brenden was upset that he wasn't allowed a turn at the wheel to fly.

Captain S. A very safe pilot. He is probably the only reason I let my little 2 year old in maule.

Trent's childhood home, as well as his Dad's childhood home. It has grown since the 1st generation with some additions and more land. Horse arena and according to Trent, excellent football punting yard. Lots of space.

K, bud. Time to get out and let Laura and Sarah have a turn.

Fun cousins Laura and Sarah.

Brenden watching wistfully as Laura and Sarah take off.

Jumps in the driver seat. To race the plane?

When in Soda Springs, do as the Soda Springians. The geyser is a must see stop.

Trent takes his little buddy to see it up close and personal before it shoots up.

Uh oh, looks like the miscalculated how much time they had before it went off. Trent trying to jump off the stone slab in a hurry.

It shoots about 100 feet high

The city put up the nativity during Thanksgiving weekend.....

...and Brenden wanted to see if the Shepherd was alright. Why is this guy kneeling on the ground without a jacket on? It's cold! He must be having a hard day.

Brenden has been fascinated by trains lately, so we took him to see "Old Dinkey"

The thing didn't run anymore, so we took him to see the 'live' train.

That was pretty impressive. I tried teaching him Scotty's old Choo-choo dance, but he wouldn't take 2 seconds to glance over at me while this thing was passing by.

For a little boy, this town has alot of cool toys to play with. Don't know if Kyleigh will be as taken with an extremely large gun as Brenden and his Dad are.

"But the thing doesn't even shoot. It's dead, Mom".


The kid didn't have enough excitement that day, so with energy to spare, he decided to help saw the Christmas tree that they put up.

Oh yeah, we have another child. Planes, trains, geysers and guns don't really excite her, so she stayed home most of the time.


She did get to meet her cousin who was born 2 months after she.

Brenden, you constantly arrange and re-arrange your cars in lines. Even on the trampoline.


Kyleigh, you took long naps, gave us bright gummy smiles and liked to cuddle.


Good trip. Nice to be with family and have a time to give thanks.