Thanksgiving 2012

I know you've heard me say it before but I LOOOVE Thanksgiving! In the weeks and months leading up to Thanksgiving this year I've had my eyes opened to so many truths about the world we live in and just how extremely fortunate we are as this tiny little percentage of the world's population that enjoy such lavish freedoms and luxuries, such comfort, health, opportunity, freedom, and abundance. My heart aches for the extremity of it all and how we are so undeservingly blessed with so much. I am brought to my knees in thankful prayer. I hope that we will live knowing that none of it belongs to us! It's not ours to begin with and it could be gone in a blink. All that we have and all that we treasure is a gift from God.....a gift that requires our good stewardship and I pray that we will truly be good stewards willing to share and give with love in the way we live and act and use our gifts for God's glory.

I love you and I'm so eternally thankful for you ....my friends, my family!

It was a gorgeous Thanksgiving Day, beautiful weather, soooo much delicious food (not just one, but two turkeys and a ham!....let me just say there was so much food it was a good thing our family thought to bring their own tupperware from home to take left-overs, ha ha ha!!), football, fun fellowship with family and dear friends, texts with loved ones near and far, lots of hugs and laughter and my first experience with Skyping! (p.s.  it was so cool....and yes, I realize I'm a technological dork for letting you know it was my first time on Skype, lol)
We even set up the garage with extra seating, all the desserts, games, our fun turquoise couch and a big screen projecction movie. We decided to leave it set up that way for a little while after Thanksgiving because the kids enjoyed it so much.

Here is a re-cap in photos:

Those of you who weren't here with us in person were certainly here in our hearts and we love you so much! Hope your Thanksgiving was truly wonderful!

Random Ramblings

• Carley's asthma is in check and we don't have to put her back on the daily inhaler routine (just as needed) Yay!
• Zoe's stitches came out lickety split....and it looks like it will heal very nicely.
• ....Just gotta keep the little monkey from climbing and jumping on the furniture!! Ha!
• Football season is over, enjoyed watching the last home game with Jodi and Chris and the girls last night... but no time to take a breath; basketball tryouts started today. Carley tagged along to be daddy's assistant at the gym this afternoon.
• I am photographing a Sweet 16 birthday party tonight. Oh boy a room full of teenagers....not intimidating at all.  ha, ha!! :)
• I have such a good husband and I'm so proud of him and thankful for him! Out of the blue, he washed a giant pile of dishes this morning while I was at a meeting a the church (and I know he hates washing dishes). Such a sweet lovin' guy!
• Twice this week my big girl Carley got up before I was even out of the shower and she picked out her clothes, got herself dressed, fixed breakfast, and even helped her baby sister get up and brush her teeth and hair!
• She is getting so grown up, so mature. Over the past two weeks she has done random things that just make me so proud. One night she was just finishing her snack and noticed that daddy was taking out the trash so without a word and without being asked she got up and returned trash cans to their places throughout the house and just went about her business. Another time she told Zoe, "let's make clean-up a party and started teaching her a clean-up song as they worked together to pick up toys".
• There are so many moments that jump out at me lately and I just have to catch my breath and thank God. I don't want to take it for granted, don't want to waste it, dont' want to miss it! Just want to praise the Lord and be a good steward of all we have been entrusted with.
• Zoe is keeping me in check for sure! Little stinker has been sewing her wild 2yr old oats with some rotten little games of "lets push the limits". Sticking her tongue out or mimicking or making scrunched up fussy faces and yelling "NO". Poor thing is also getting up several times every night with nightmares or wanting milk or just wanting to come to our room because she is "scared of the dark". Oh, boy! .....or in the words of little Zoe "Awww, bumba!" (oh, bummer)   ....let's get this terrible 2 phase over with quickly shall we. I'm ready to sleep through the entire night again, and ready for my strong willed youngin' to simmer down. Even though I love every single bit of her and her strong will is pretty adorable most of the time!
• I especially love it, and all is made right when she crawls up on my lap and snuggles up and hugs and kisses me and says, "I love you....SOOOO MUCH!" ....and then Carley comes and does it too. ..........next, it's Jeremy's turn.  ;-D     LOL!  ha,ha!

Here are my two favorite girls, enjoying the end of Madagascar 3 with a dance. :)

Two Blue Stitches

This past Friday night the girls and I were spending some time with friends when an accident happened that sent our baby girl to the emergency room....

We finished dinner and went upstairs. The girls were all playing and putting on dress-up clothes and the grown ups were about to sit down and talk when Carley cried out a panicked yell from the kids room. I ran to the room to see my baby Zoe on the floor with blood all over her face. I was instantly panicked and almost just as quickly very calm as I grabbed her up in my arms.
She had been looking for a baby doll to play with and climbed up on the top of one of the bunk beds. Zoe has always been a little climber, since she could walk! And she is very cautious. But this time she just happened to loose her balance as she was leaning over the edge awkwardly trying to climb back down. She fell and hit her face on the ladder of one of the bunk beds (there were two positioned in an "L" shape in the room). My friends Crystal and Adrienne were amazing, they jumped into action and got what we needed to clean the wound between her eyes and keep cold pressure on it to make the bleeding stop. They prayed over her. They got my phone and I called Jeremy, who was scouting at a football game. He came right away and we drove her to the emergency room while Carley stayed with our friends. All the girls and the moms prayed for us and Zoe was completely calm and smiling the whole time as we raced to the hospital (me holding a compress over her face the whole way).
She was the best patient ever in the emergency room, just a happy little girl.....with a deep gash between her eyes. The Lord's mercies are so beyond compare! He gave her such a calm spirit and we were all calmer because of it. I hate to think how much worse the fall could have been. We were very fortunate.

They cleansed the wound and used a numbing cream on it. She watched curiously as they poked and prodded and checked her out.

 They wrapped her up like a little burrito to keep her from moving her hands and she was perfectly content. She didn't even flinch when they gave her shots in her face and then sewed in two blue stitches.

 She sat up and smiled when they were done and told them "Thank you for my stitches".

Love this precious, tough little stinker!

It's been five days now and she didn't even get black eyes! Wow!

Today we go to the doctor to get the two little blue stitches taken out.

We will also be seeing our pediatrician about Carley's asthma to see if she needs to start doing her inhaler again, praying that she won't have to.

And tomorrow it's off to the dentist for both girls!

Gee, I think we're getting our fill of the doctors visits this month!

Can we please be done after the dentist?!?

Hallelujah!

Ok, Pastor Zach here's a video you will certainly appreciate!

I actually recorded this the week before your sermon.... you know, the one on letting loose and praising God with our whole heart, and not holding back or quenching the spirit. I think my sweet little Zoe understands what that means without even having to be told. Maybe we could learn a lesson or two from the way our children express their love and praise. ;-)

Trunk or Treating

 

 

All dressed and ready to see friends and gather lots of treats!

 

 

Our church teamed up with another local church (across the street) to put on a huge "Trunk-or-Treat" event for the whole community. They had cars lining the streets all with their trunks decorated with different themes, some even had games the kids could play (one was a Duck Dynasty shooting game, hilarious!).

One of my favorite things was seeing the overload of cuteness in the kids costumes!

This is the type of Halloween I enjoy, not the scary stuff!

They got to decorate candy buckets and take home craft projects, enjoy popcorn, hotdogs, and cotton candy.....there were even pony rides and tours on a fire truck!

 

I think our kids hauled off enough candy to last us from now till Christmas!!!

It's a Boo-tiful Morning

Have a spook-tacular day everybody!

 

Happy Harvest and Autumn Blessings

 

I know I say this every year, but it's true. "I LOVE the FALL SEASON!!!"

 

The crispness in the air (before it gets just plain cold)

The changing colors on trees

Pumpkins, mums and gourds oh my!

The excuse to bake goodies and cook soups and stews

Having autumn scented spice candles burning

The decorations....oooh, the decorations, how I enjoy it!

Crafting & creating for art shows and Christmas (doing a LOT lately!)

Friday night football (Go Coyotes 5-1 so far!!!)

Sunday morning chocolate chip waffles

Hot coffee... or iced vanilla chai tea, mmmm!

Snuggling in blankets watching movies or reading books with the girls

The occasional afternoon nap (very rare these days, lol)

The meals, & get-togethers and conversations with friends and family...

(it's like one long three month holiday from October to December!)

 

Oh, thank you Jesus! Your abundant blessings surround me,

and your mercies are new each day!

I thank you all year long, but somehow each fall I am overwhelmed and reminded to say it more often, " I am so Thankful dear God for your grace and provision."

 

Happy Fall Y'all...ha, ha!

;-)