Thanksgiving

Holidays are a funny time. You wait for them all year with an idea in mind of what will happen--how fun the day will be, the food, the company--your pictures are already taken for you in your head. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), those photographs rarely materialize in a way that we anticipate. Life happens along the way and we usually end up a little surprised at the holiday we find ourselves a part of. Maybe this is for the best. In the end, life is about learning and we do it in a very personal way through our relationships with our contexts and one another. I've recently decided that while perhaps this holiday and the next won't be the ones I've had in my plans, I am grateful for the parts that are still in tact and the joy that they bring me. With that in mind, I feel the need to express appreciation for the many blessings in my life. In no particular order except for the first few, I am thankful for:

1. A loving Heavenly Father and my brother Jesus Christ. I am also thankful for my knowledge and belief in them, and the hope that this brings. I have recently developed a love for a new favorite scripture, Mark 9:24 "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." I know that my heavenly father loves me and that he will carry me across the gaps in faith where I falter.

2. My wonderful husband and son. I am also so grateful that I was willing and able to recognize the meaning that being a part of a family, and loving others brings into your life. Sometimes it is frustrating and exhausting, but it fills my life with a purpose and love that money and self interest could never provide.

3. My family--all of it. I am grateful for my parents and siblings and the love and support they provide, as well as for the family that I have gained through my husband. Life is so much richer because of my family. I am grateful for the perspectives that individuals who have gone through these experiences before can provide. I am also grateful for forgiveness. Sometimes being part of a family and loving others means hurting and being hurt by them, but I am grateful that I am part of a family that wants to stick together and is willing to forgive in order to always have one another.

4. Friends. Sometimes it can be hard to find good friends, but once you do you can find a sense of belonging and fit that makes life so much more fun. I feel grateful to have a few wonderful friends who genuinely care about us. Friends can become a family when other family is hard to find.

5. The opportunity to be educated. The more educated I become, the more I recognize my limitations and how little I really know about most things. I'm not sure why with more education some individuals begin to trust only in themselves. If anything, the more I am educated the more I recognize the need for a living relationship with a heavenly father who is, and provides, the truth of all things.

6. All of our material possessions. I realize this is kind of a cop-out but I really am grateful for the overall ability that we have to live in a wonderful home and have the things that we need. We never freeze, or starve, or go without our needs. We might not have a lot of money to fulfill all of our wants, but we always have enough for our needs and that is plenty.

I'm sure I could come up with more things that are just silly and fun like The Office and 30 rock, Krispy Kreme, and Citizens of Humanity jeans (though I'm not grateful for the price). Maybe I'll wait for another day to list all of those silly favorites off. As for now, Happy Thanksgiving!

This is why parents don't sleep in.

Yesterday, in an attempt to sleep in, I turned on the t.v. and instructed G to forage for food out of "his cupboard" which contains a mixture of treats. A somewhat restful hour later (he kept waking me up to open his fruit snacks), I woke up to find the contents of an entire can of mixed nuts covering the floor. So this is why my parents never slept in.

Our cute boy

Here are some pictures of the funny things G has been up to lately.

I found him like this on our bed Sunday, right after his shower but right before church. Tired?


He disappeared while we were eating breakfast and reappeared as a cowboy in pajamas.


Playing in the leaves with Grandma


His new Helicopter Blanket!

Halloween Pictures

I am a little slow getting these up, but if anyone is interested here are our Halloween pictures.
Also, for those of you who didn't know yet, BAB permed his hair! We have had several reactions but I actually like it. His hair is looking pretty crazy in these picts (particularly for Haloween) but if anyone is hot and confident enough to pull this off, it's BAB.

Carving Pumpkins



Dad and G's Costumes. I actually did wear my Cowboy hat and plaid shirt but I was taking the picture. (I'm proud of myself for trying to escape my Scrooge like attitude toward Halloween. I'm fighting my reinforcement history!)

In case you were wondering about the length of that cape, it was G's costume from last year. Weirdo.