Prayer Request

I have so much to be thankful for on this Thursday night.  We had a great Christmas, David and I had a wonderful date last night and today while his parents kept Audrey, and tomorrow I get to celebrate my birthday with my two favorite people on earth.  However, my mother's heart is struggling this evening.  For the past several weeks, we've had serious sleep issues with Audrey.  She has been a model sleeper since nearly day one and has slept through the night with clocked regularity since five months of age.  Her bedtime and sleep routine were set in stone and her sleep schedule was unbelievably predictable.  However, the past few weeks have been horrible.  With very little exception, she's taking an hour or two to fall asleep, with fits of crying and calling us back.  Then, she wakes up anywhere from one to seven times during the night crying for us.  On top of that, she's waking up earlier in the morning and napping shorter in the afternoon.  We've done a myriad of things to try and fix this and today, while she was away, David and I spent almost an hour mapping out a plan to handle this that we are going to consistently stick to come hell or high-water.  Well, let me just tell you as I was lying on the bathroom floor with the doors closed to drown out the noise, bawling and praying while David stood outside her door consistently and sternly dealing with her as she was screaming her heart out for me, it was hell.  


I know there could be a multitude of reasons for this behavior, but my top two guesses are excitement about Christmas and anxiety about the new baby coming.  Of course, we've played our part by going back to her again and again and thereby reinforcing her behavior.  Regardless, it has to end before this entire household goes insane.  And before we add a newborn and all the sleep depravity that comes with one to the mix.   


So please, please pray for her and us, dear friends and family.  Pray for wisdom and the discipline to stick to our plan.  Pray for peace for her and patience for us.  Pray for SLEEP.  For having you to ask that of,  I am thankful.  

Home Stretch, Baby!

Tomorrow marks the start of my third and final trimester.  Final, final, final, trimester, because as I've mentioned before, unless God surprises us, we're done.  And as soon as the little booger is a bit older, we plan on ensuring against such a surprise.  In fact, I'm trying to talk David into getting it done while I'm in the hospital so we can recover simultaneously, but he's not going for it.  (Kidding...sorta.)

Overall, this has been a great pregnancy, as my first was with Audrey.  I was sick the first trimester, but not as badly as many women. And except for some sleep issues, I have felt relatively good during the second trimester.  Still, even with such a great experience, I am not one of those women who just love being pregnant.  I struggle quite a bit with my weight during pregnancy, which in turn means I struggle mentally about my looks, lack of physical fitness, food, etc.  I love feeling life inside of me, but I don't particularly enjoy putting my body and my mind through all that pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding require.  Obviously it's worth it, though.  That's a given.

So now that we're in the home stretch, I'm finding myself more relieved than freaked out.  I feel like we'll be as prepared as we can be as far as having the house, room, and baby stuff ready.  What's left is the anxiety over things you can't do anything about.  Those nagging questions like,  "When is he going to get here?" and "Holy cow, how on earth are we ever going to manage two?" and "Will we ever be able to give them both enough attention?" or "Will we ever be able to give each other and ourselves any attention again?  EVER?"

Of course, there is a little sadness mixed in there as well.  I don't want to wish or rush these last couple of months away.  Every kick and punch reminds me of how incredible it all is.  Every time someone asks me what we're having or when I'm due, I remember it's such a special time. 

So, bring it, third trimester.  I promise to try and enjoy the blessing of it.  Just be good to me...and don't overstay your welcome.    

Thankful Thursday

We've really been trying to slow down and soak up the final days of the season this week.  We got to spend some good time with family and friends this past week and have even more great celebrations coming in the next few days.  However, for some reason, likely because we have this gigantic life-changing event just on the horizon, it's been a little more difficult for me to get into the Christmas spirit this year.  Christmas is usually the last show-stealing event until Spring, but knowing we have Baby Boy's arrival to continue preparing for and anticipating steals a little thunder...in a good way.  (AND, I'm still bitter about the warm weather, too.)  Still, we've done some awesome things as a family and made some sweet memories this month.  More on that later.  For now, enjoy this week's list and make sure you didn't miss the post below!


1.  A good doctor's report.  We went in on Tuesday for my 28 week check-up.  Baby Boy is doing great and measuring a little ahead, as Audrey did.  The doctor predicted he'll come around 38 weeks, which would be two months from this Sunday.  Egad.  This from the same guy who was "so sure" Audrey wouldn't come until he got back in town.  False.  Only God knows, and we'll be as ready as we can be.  Still, I wouldn't mind shaving those last two weeks off.  At all.  Just no Leap Day, pretty please!!!

2.  Christmas movies...and the down time to enjoy them.  We've let Audrey watch a few this year - The Grinch (cartoon), Charlie Brown's Christmas, Rudolph, and Frosty - and we've even enjoyed two or three ourselves.  Nothing says 'Merry Christmas' like watching Randy Quaid empty the family camper's sewage pump in his too-short bathrobe.  (Funny side story to prove the power of pregnancy hormones:  I sobbed like a baby at the scene in "A Christmas Story" where Ralphie is beating up the bully and his Mom comes and pulls him off.  Weird-o.) 

3.  Teeny tiny newborn diapers loaded in a handsome new diaper bag.  


4.  The color red, in many forms this time of year:  Red reindeer pajama bottoms, red bows in a pretty girl's hair, red festive toenail polish, red wrapping paper, red (and green and blue and yellow) Christmas lights, and red tongues from candy canes, to name a few.


5.  Listening to Audrey sing Christmas carols has been neat this year.  She has several of them down pretty well, and it's awesome to belt them out with her while driving down the road.  This last Christmas song post is my personal favorite.  It's of her singing a medley of her favorites...with a little personal remixing and verse combining thrown in:

Merry Christmas, y'all!  I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating with your loved ones.  Check back next week for a rundown of all of our festivities!

The News at 30 Months (2.5 years!)

Shame, shame, shame on me.  I haven't posted one of these updates about Audrey in five months.  It is NOT looking good for Baby Boy ever having hope of me recording his life and milestones.


Ah, well.  What you can when you can, right?  So here:


At two and a half, she is simultaneously becoming more independent and dependent by the day.  She can do so much by herself, but she also longs for a lot of interaction and socialization, specifically with adults.  She is incredibly verbal and talks constantly, so she prefers having someone who will listen and respond to all those thoughts in her little head!  


Her vocabulary, verb conjugation, and overall verbal ability never cease to amaze me.  She uses past, present, and future tense correctly about 75% of the time.  Most of the new words she's using lately astound me mainly because they illustrate that she's also grasping a difficult concept.  For example, she'll explain that she "accidentally opened the wrong day on the advent calendar" (which she did when I left her unattended with it) or that one out of the three dolls she was playing with sits up the "easiliest"  (okay, so she didn't quite have the exact phrasing correct, but it still impressed me!)  She also uses pronouns and possessive nouns (she vs. her, his cup instead of him's cup, etc.) correctly most of the time.
Her slang and casual vocabulary are pretty funny to hear as well, especially when she refers to David as "Dad", as if she's just too grown to say "Daddy."    


Another crazy thing for us to witness developing is her memory.  You cannot say anything you don't mean because she'll hold you to it.  She's always been one to harp on things continuously, but the difference is that now she could go weeks or months in between bringing it up and is still able to recall it with accurate clarity.  Yesterday, for example, we went to meet some friends at Chick-fil-A.  She told me how the last time we saw them was at their house and the time before that (about two weeks ago), they came to our house.  That time, Mrs. Karen went to go get Chick-fil-A and bring it to us and her friend cried while her mommy was gone and then we played play-dough.  She also remembers our beach trip in September (and wants to talk about it all the time), our visit to the pumpkin patch in October, our trip to Savannah in November, meeting Baby James in the hospital (totally to our advantage so we can remind her of that when our time comes!), etc.  And Lord help you if you skip a page or say the wrong words from a book.  She knows most of them by heart and will correct you immediately.


Potty training has markedly improved, though I still wouldn't say we're there yet.  Her record is five days without an accident, but then she'll have two wet incidents in one day out of nowhere.  She still sleeps in diapers and we're still taking her at regular times - before we leave the house, after meals, & once every hour when we're out - so I don't think that really counts.  I think the truth of the matter is that we're finally trained.  I will consider her fully there when she can take herself to the bathroom, go, wipe, flush, wash, and dry without my assistance.  I expect that'll happen by the time she's ten.  At this point, I'd just settle for not having to remember on her behalf and her taking ownership of it.  One day.  


She still loves to sing and dance, read books, play with her dolls, and be outside.  The past few months, she has also really gotten into helping me cook.  She'll drag a chair over to the counter, climb on, and help add ingredients and stir.  Her imagination is thriving and I would LOVE to know where she comes up with some of the stuff she does (see quips and quotes below.)  She makes up words, songs, and dances all the time.  She enjoys doing mazes, is getting great at counting objects (though she still skips 15 almost every time), and even has a vague concept of things like time and addition.


Her overall personality is still a mix of both David and me.  She can be shy, especially in a large crowd (David), she's very observant (David), and inquisitive (David).  She likes her order and routine, sometimes to a fault (me), has a temper and gets frustrated with objects (me), and is impatient (me)...hey, wait...why is all the negative stuff from me?!?!  Truthfully, I think it's easier for me to spot areas in her that I know she'll struggle with because they're my battles too.  Though she doesn't have a sibling yet, I can see many first born traits emerging:  she's a leader, she's a perfectionist about many things, she has a strong sense of right vs. wrong and a desire to please us.  She likes rules and boundaries, and she really likes making sure others follow them as well.  In fact, her stuffed animals seem to get put into time out a lot.  Her caring and nurturing heart is so precious, but as a two and a half year old, she's obviously still very self-centered.  So, as long as she doesn't have a boo-boo too, she'll be more than happy to doctor yours up and fuss over you.


Speaking of self-centeredness, we've tried hard to instill a sense of gratitude and the desire to help and serve others since before she could walk.  Lately, she's been able to earn a coin, usually a nickel, to give to our church's Feed 5000 project every time she helps us empty the dishwasher.  (We are firm believers in doing chores and helping out because you're part of a family, not for an allowance or reward, but we thought it would be good to have one activity she could do to raise money for a project our church was doing.  We'll tackle saving, spending, and tithing down the road.)  So, for a few weeks, she collected all the coins in a box and we kept stressing why she was doing it.  When people would come over, we'd let her show them her box and explain that she was going to give it to the church to help them buy food for people who needed it.  Let me just tell you that few things have warmed my heart as a mom as much as watching her tiny hands carry her little plastic bag full of coins and dump it into the bucket at church two weeks ago.  Of course, she has since asked for it back, so we've started another round of collecting for the church.  


To balance all my bragging and boasting, I will add that her whining is still an issue.  It's not necessarily when she requests something, so it's more than just asking her to rephrase it in a big girl voice.  Instead, she'll whine if  she doesn't want to eat something, we don't respond right away, or we are taking too long to pay attention to her.  It is nails on a chalkboard to me and I haven't found a good solution for it yet other than consistent reminders and time-outs when needed.  Just leaving her and going for a drive, though tempting, seems a little irresponsible.


Her eating and sleeping habits haven't changed much in the last six months to a year.  She eats most everything, though we're keeping her off of peanut butter and peanuts because it appears to cause a little rash around her mouth.  Some day I'll take her in for an allergy test. Her favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, pizza, and cookies, though I assure you those are enjoyed sparingly.  She still naps from 2pm - 4pm, goes to bed around 8:30pm, and gets up at 8am.  She has been taking a long time to fall asleep at night, so I imagine after Christmas we'll be adjusting her to a shorter nap.  This makes me sad, but I know Baby Boy isn't going to sleep for longer than an hour and a half or so once he gets past the first month, so I guess it'll get me readjusted to those shorter naps.  




Here are some funny quotes and quips from her over the past few weeks and months:


 - "There are no clouds in the sky today.  They must be on the ground somewhere.  I'll use a stool to put them back up and then fly, fly, fly back down into your van, Mommy."


 - She's learned to "do a secret" as she calls it.  She puts her little hands around her mouth and whispers just quietly enough so the neighbors can't hear.  


 - Me:  "We did a great job cooking dinner, didn't we?  AJ:  "Yup.  You're welcome."


 - She calls the scar on my forehead a music note.  Because it's actually two scars right beside each other - a chicken pox scar and a vertical line - that's what it looks like to her.


 - A few months ago she told a random sales lady that "My parents don't play with me because they're older.  And they don't pay any attention to my brother and sister."  WHAT in the WORLD?  Nice, kid.  


-  AJ:  "Can you toss me a grape, Dad?"  (David obliges.)  "Thanks."


 - I was explaining to her that I wasn't sure her Daddy was going to let her do something. She answered, "Yes he will! I'll say 'pweeeeeeese' [batting eyelashes] and he'll smile, and laugh, and say, 'Okay!'" Oh boy.


 -  When answering her about what was for dinner I said chicken. She said "No way, Jose" with feigned shock. Guess getting the sarcasm gene was inevitable.


 - Words she says incorrectly that are too darn cute to correct: Burriteo (burrito), pennio (piano), and "bless yous" are sneezes.

 - When we asked her what we should name her baby brother, she replied "Zeke."  It's the name of one of her dolls (a girl, no less) and I believe she got it from the show Sid the Science Kid.  


 - She's very complimentary of other people and, sometimes, their attire or accessories.  She told one sitter she "just loved" her purse and told her Grandmom that she "loved her socks.  They're so cool!"  


 - In addition to throwing out the compliments, she's very gracious at receiving them.  Whether you compliment something she's wearing or something she had no part in (our Christmas tree, for example) she'll say "Thanks!"


 - She is obsessed with different things - stuffed animals, her fingers, her food...whatever - having Momma and baby pairs.


 - I knocked over some picture frames at a store the other day (thankfully none broke!) and I said "Oh no!" as I bent down to pick them up.  She came rushing over, patted me on the back and kept repeating, "It's okay, sweetheart!  It's okay!"  


 - When we use the "big potties" at stores, I squat down beside her and let her lean on me a bit to stabilize herself.  Sometimes I'll scratch her back to try and get her to relax.  When it's my turn to go, she'll ask, "Can you lean on my shoulder now?" or she'll come around and scratch my back.  A very sweet moment, albeit in a disgusting public restroom.  


 - She's loved learning all of the Christmas songs.  Her favorite is "Jingle Bells" to which she sings "In a one horse soap and sleigh."  She knows those aren't the right words, but she'll just say, "I sing it wrong don't I?  I'm so silly!"


 - She's very concerned about her Grandmom "having a friend" when her Granddad travels.


 - Her bedtime prayers are so precious to hear.  They range from being about Baby Brother (and I think something to the effect of "do everything for him".  Maybe so we don't have to?!) to being about her Granddad's travels to specific people and their boo-boos.  


 - She loves saying the wrong word on purpose or making up silly words.  It cracks her up when David uses different fruits for the book "Ten Apples Up on Top".


 - After bath, she runs into our room and does the hotdog dance from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while she's naked.  It's hilarious.


 - She's becoming more aware of different emotions and will tell us when she's mad, upset, tired, etc.  The other night she even told us she had started to fret about something.  

 - One night during prayer, David peeked down at her and saw her using her two pointer fingers to cover up her doll's eyes.


 - Manners have really started to stick without constant reminders.  She's pretty good at "please", "thank you", and "excuse me".  Of course, she still has trouble with tone sometimes as she demands that you "please do x right now!"


 - She constantly wants to be a part of the conversation if you are rude enough not to automatically include her or speak to her directly.  We must hear "What are you talking about?" a hundred times a day.  


 -  She and I have a thing we've started doing where she'll tell me I'm the best and then I tell her she is.  We argue back and forth until I usually relent first.  Still, I know she is...by far. :)


We are so proud (obviously) of what a sweet big girl she is becoming and, though we are a bit nervous about handling two little ones, we know she's going to mature quickly when Baby Boy arrives and be an amazing big sister!  

Thankful Thursday

It's been a little bit less hectic of a week, at least as far as what's been on my plate.  Poor David, however, has been working like a dog, including quite a bit last weekend.  I've never been a super sympathetic and merciful wife when it comes to him working on the weekend, but cross me in December when I'm also pregnant and it gets u-g-l-y.  Sacred family time, folks.   Still, in between him running up to the office to do tests for blessed customers, we managed to squeeze in a little holiday fun last Saturday.  We made a gingerbread house (which consisted of as much monitoring Audrey's candy consumption as it did actually decorating) and watched The Grinch cartoon.  Then the week began and has flown by with play dates, errands, food bag assembly, final playroom touches (maybe I'll post pics of the redo some day), dinner with friends, a little nursery decorating (again, pics to come at some point), appointments, some "final, final" shopping (I've been on "the last gift" for about two weeks now), etc.  


The first of our many family celebrations kick-off this weekend, so however hard to believe and ready or not, it's here!  Now if only the temps would drop and it would actually feel like Christmas.  Though I have enjoyed not having to bundle Audrey up and getting to let her play outside and at the park, I would much prefer that the month of December be cold!  But enough of my complaining.  This is a thankful post, after all. Here ya go:


1.  My Dad, whose birthday is tomorrow.  He's one of my biggest fans, my fellow business mind, my instiller of humor and music and good driving.  I am so thankful God made him my earthly father to exemplify His heavenly love.  Happy Birthday, Dad!  We love you! 


2.  The gift of laughter...especially when it comes at just the right moment.  Last night I awoke to AJ screaming and crying. I rushed to her room, expecting to find her violently ill or injured. The crying stopped immediately and her tiny voice pleaded, "Can I have a Boogie Wipe, please?" Repeat scene 5 minutes later with, "Can I have a trash can to throw it away, please?" Then, 20 minutes later with, "Can you help me hum, Mommy? I can't hum with a stuffy nose." Needless to say, it became a battle of manipulation and wills after that. At least she's humorous and polite in her dramatics.


3.  Lil' Critters gummy vitamins  Despite my previously listed item, Audrey has gotten over her cold amazingly quickly and I attribute it to prayer and those little jewels.


4.  The self-serve kiosk at the post office.  You can buy stamps and mail packages and rarely have to wait at all.  In fact, today was a record wait time for me of approximately 90 seconds.  


5.  This week's Christmas song selection is "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night) by Mannheim Steamroller.  I'm obviously trying to branch out from the usual top ten, and this is definitely a unique favorite.  Sometimes the instrumental ones like this offer a nice break to pause and reflect on Christmas without having to drown out Mariah Carey to do so. 







Please pray we sleep and stay well and that we get some family down time this  weekend to soak up the season.  Hope you do too!

Thankful Thursday

Well, I thought this week would be less crazy, but it didn't shaped up that way.  I posted the following status update on Facebook on Monday:  "The house is clean and decorated inside 
and out, cards are mailed, all shopping is finished (for all 40 people), and except for the last 
two gifts that should be delivered soon, it is all wrapped. They really should bottle up pregnancy hormones and sell them. Now it's time for the real fun to begin: Parties and   
celebrations, baking, watching Christmas movies, etc...YAY! Work hard, play hard!"


Then, Tuesday hit.  It was a whirlwind of grocery shopping, baking for David's work luncheon (complete with two desserts because I ruined the first) and my ladies' Bible study brunch, shopping for birthdays, making returns, printing pictures, etc.  In the middle of all of it, one Bible verse kept popping into my head, "Pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall."  That'll teach me to be boastful about how together I have it!  Thankfully this weekend looks to hold some real family chill time, though I'm certainly not going to be bragging about it if it turns out that way.


Here is this week's list:


1.  A wonderful ladies' small group.  We had our end-of-semester celebration yesterday and I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to help lead these women for the last twelve weeks.  Getting into God's Word always proves fruitful, but doing it with such a great group of encouraging and godly women is a true blessing.  My Wednesdays won't be the same until we meet again in February!


2.  Getting to organize the nursery a little bit. I'd been looking forward to it for a long time (uh, since the pregnancy test turned positive!), and finally got to break out my label maker and get to work this week.  Serious. FUN.      


3.  Crock pot meals.  There is such a moment of joy when I walk downstairs after getting Audrey up from nap and, instead of feeling panic about what on earth to make for dinner or dread doing it, I realize it's already done.  The only thing better is leftover night.  


4.  A great trip to see Santa.  David met Audrey and me at the mall today for Audrey's visit and then we went to lunch afterward.  She was apprehensive and shy about seeing him, but didn't cry.  She just kept nodding at his questions, including when he asked "Don't you look gorgeous?"  Biased as I am, I must admit she did.  She told him she wanted "some treats" and then sorta smiled for a few pictures before she got a sucker.  It was totally worthwhile.  (And, lest I forget to post my thoughts about it later:  Yes, we are "doing" Santa Claus in our house.  We keep it pretty low-key and instead make sure our main focus is on teaching her about the real Meaning of the holiday.  No, I don't think it'll ruin her later, give her trust issues, or make her doubt the existence of Jesus Christ.  When kept in perspective, it's magical, fun, develops the imagination, and lets kids be kids for the short time they get to these days.  And to those whose main argument against it is that it requires you lie to your kids, check and see if that task doesn't happen before noon on most days about some issue.  K...rant over.)


5.  This week's Christmas song was difficult to choose.  I think everyone has that one treasured Christmas album that they grew up listening to.  In our house it was "Alabama Christmas" by Alabama.  I cherish every single on it, including "Thistlehair the Christmas Bear." (Nope, not kidding.)  When my brother sent me a picture of his reindeer out in the yard, it was settled about which song from the album would make it on the blog this week.  Forgive the video message from a random YouTube poster, enjoy the cheesy song, and have a taste of my childhood:







Be sure to check out the two new posts below and the gallery for Thanksgiving pictures!

Food Bag Donations

As I previously mentioned, I have just started volunteering with a ministry that helps pack weekend bags for low-income kids in dire need of sustenance over the weekend.  For winter break, they will be sending home larger bags for students who normally receive weekend bags from the ministry.  If you would like to help, you could either donate food from the list below or, if you’d like, you could build a bag of your own.  If you build a bag on your own, please use the canvas reusable totes as opposed to plastic grocery bags.    


You can drop items off at my house or I will be more than happy to pick items up from you!  I know it's last minute, but items for winter break bags are needed by Tuesday, 12/13.  Donations are welcomed and appreciated after that too of course!  


Winter Break Bags:


• 2 cans ravioli or canned pasta (pull top)
• 1 cup applesauce and 1 cup fruit (like peaches/pears/etc.)
• 1 can large size soup (pull top)
• 1 ramen noodle type soup
• 2+ granola bars
• 1 pkg. pop tarts
• 1 box raisins
• 2 packages instant oatmeal
• 2 individual servings of microwavable mac n cheese
• 1 individual sweet item (pudding, little debbie, crackers, cookies, etc)
• Jar of peanut butter
• Jelly in plastic jar
• Full size box of cereal instead of individual ones
• Regular size box of macaroni and cheese • Box of spaghetti noodles
• CAN (not glass jar) spaghetti sauce
If you choose to only donate items rather than fill your own bag, fruit cups, pop tarts, and 
raisins are the greatest needs right now to stock the food pantry.


Thanks so much!

Thanksgiving 2011

This year we spent Thanksgiving Day in Alabama with David's mom's side of the family.  We drove down  that morning, ate a gigantic and delicious feast for lunch, and celebrated a few family members' birthdays (complete with more food in the form of desserts).  After the table had been cleared, David's cousin called Audrey into the living room and went through a sweet presentation asking AJ to be her flower girl for her wedding next June.  She had bought a coloring book with pictures of brides, written a poem that she'd crafted onto paper, and let Audrey decorate a page with stickers of a bride, groom, and flower girl as she explained how it all worked.  She even bought silk flower petals for her to practice throwing.  If I recall correctly, Audrey's response to her asking was, "Yeah!  Sure!" as she slung petals around the room.  It was so precious and I'm thankful that Audrey will get to play a role in that special day.  It could go hilariously off-plan and she could run away in terror when the moment comes for her to walk, but regardless, it'll make for a great story.

After we laid Audrey down for a nap, the womenfolk gathered around the kitchen table and looked through Black Friday sales ads.  While we were chatting, I shopped online and got a ton of cute clothes for Baby Boy at ridiculously low prices from my favorites, Gymboree and Crazy 8.  The menfolk watched TV, slept, ate some more, and then a few went out to shoot guns.  It was a fun all-American Thanksgiving afternoon for sure.  

When AJ woke up, we played around a little longer and then packed up and drove home.  David and I had already assembled the tree and he'd put lights on it, so it was ready and waiting for us to decorate on Thanksgiving night, as is our tradition.  We ate leftovers and then got to work.  Audrey was really into it this year, and especially enjoyed her first mug of hot chocolate while she worked.  We lit the angel on cue with the Macy's Tree on TV and then scooted her off to bed while we pulled out the leftover desserts.  Pumpkin pie, ice cream, and hot apple cider...YUM.  

On Friday, we woke up and drove to David's aunt and uncle's house to celebrate with his Dad's side.  More delicious food, more birthday celebrations for that side.  The best parts for Audrey were seeing their two dogs (one of which is a gigantic Pyrenees) and the huge Mickey and Minnie Mouse dolls his aunt had (she's a Disney fanatic.)  We visited and caught up while watching clips of the Sing-Off.  Having been out the whole day before, we didn't stay as long and hit the road in time for AJ to catch a short nap on the ride home. 

Saturday and Sunday were filled with decorating outside, watching football, shopping (we knocked out over half my remaining list, about 20 names, in two days!), wrapping, and church.  It was busy, but it was fun and such nice family time.

Another wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, food, and fun.  We have so much to be grateful for, especially knowing that next year we'll have another Little Turkey to celebrate with!  Check back for pictures soon. 

Thankful Thursday

What a week.  I wish I had the energy to write about it, but my pregnancy insomnia robbed me of another good night's sleep last night, so I'm going to quickly post my list and hope I'll be able to update more later.  I know I'm overdue for a Thanksgiving post, too.  Maybe this weekend will present some time to catch up!  I've been dying to sit down and write about all the things going on with us lately!

This week's list:

1.  The most wonderful time of year.  It's finally here.  YES.

2.  Hot showers.  Our hot water heater went out last Saturday and, two frigid showers and $800 later, was replaced on Monday.  There are a lot of luxuries we could do without...hot water ain't one of 'em.  Be sure to come over and see where your Christmas gift money went, y'all.  It's a real beaut.

3.  Friends.  Friends who keep you and your kid company while the hot water heater replacement takes much longer than expected, even going out to get you lunch because you've run out of Thanksgiving leftovers.  (Thanks KE!)  Friends who drop by with beautiful Christmas ribbon because two years ago you admired theirs and they haven't stopped hunting for just the perfect kind for you since then.  (Thanks AP!)  Friends who laugh and lament with you.  (Thanks EG!)  Friends who pray for you, with true caring hearts and without judgment. (Thanks LS!)  I am truly blessed.

4.  A new service opportunity.  I've started volunteering with a ministry called Nothing but the Truth.  They do a lot of different things in the community, one of which is to assemble weekend food bags for kids in several local elementary schools.  These kids are in dire latch-key situations, many with little or no supervision for various reasons.  They receive at least one hot free meal while school is in session, but many go hungry on the weekends and during breaks due to finances or neglect or both.  This ministry collects food, puts together the bags, and delivers them to the schools for the counselors to hand out to the kids on Fridays.  Since they began in January, they have committed to serve 45 kids in three different schools, but are hoping (and needing!) to expand quickly.  I am excited about helping out and will be posting more info soon about how you can get involved and/or make donations if you're interested.

5.  I'll be posting a few of my favorite Christmas songs here this month, beginning with Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven".  Beautiful lyrics.


  
Last but certainly not least, please be in prayer for my brother, who was in a car accident today.  He is sore, the car is totaled.  Ask God to provide complete healing for him and a replacement vehicle quickly. This is the one that just had our nephew James, so they have quite a lot on their plates already.  Thank you!