Giving Thanks

We've been giving thanks in big ways and small. Small ways...making a choice to have a heart attitude that is grateful and big ways...gathering up lots of family in one place and having a celebration.

In keeping with tradition, my side got together at my sister's house the weekend before Thanksgiving. I couldn't help but remember last year on this day Shaun and I headed down to Urgent Care in NYC because I was on chemo and had spiked a fever. I ended up getting admitted and missed the whole party. It was pretty not fun, though the dude nurse did the best job accessing my port of anyone before him or since. I digress...!

The girls were willing helpers in the kitchen as we prepared food to bring.

It was a nice quiet, easy day, it was just disappointing that my brother had to miss. He was attending the funeral of a fellow (young) chaplain who had just died from cancer. So sad. And hard to hear. A poignant reminder to give thanks for this day, this moment.

Flowers by Amy...she's amazing!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to His name.

Project 365, Week 48

I sat out the last two years of Thanksgiving, sidelined with chemotherapy, so this year I was so grateful to be back at it. It was a crazy week of work and preparation and life. Yes, I'm grateful...and admittedly exhausted after these last five days of partying.

November 21

After working more than 12 hours, Shaun came home to children begging him for a poker game, wanting to warm up their skills in anticipation of Nana coming. So as he oft does, he sat down with a warmed up plate of food and helped them with their game skills while naturally weaving in life lessons.

November 22
The sweetest presentation of ABC's of Thanksgiving by the 1st and 2nd graders, ending with Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart. Heart melting seeing Aiden stand up there and read clearly and singing loudly and with feeling!!

For no apparent reason, his line mate burst into tears and ran to her mom. Aiden didn't miss a beat. :)

Aiden is tearing through chapter books. Its so funny to go looking for him, only to find him curled up with a book. :)

November 23
So much prep and work and I wouldn't want it any other way. Just beyond grateful for health, for our home, for the means to be a blessing to many.

Let the games begin! My kids have no idea how amazing it is that they get to play with (and get beat by!) their great-grandmother.

November 24
Full house, full heart.

November 25
Annual day-after festivities. (Also, always helpful to have a dog right in the walkway. :)

November 26
Cousins all day long.

November 27
We got to witness our newest nephew being dedicated to the Lord. He was a star!

After, everyone came back to our house for a luncheon. So sweetly, Nathan and Laryssa ordered Gavin's dedication cake to say "Happy Birthday Amanda".

Yes, Amanda had her 10th birthday amid all the chaos. She thought it was special to share the day with Gavin and was a really good sport about it. Amanda is ten...that is just crazy!!

Project 365, Week 47

We are still adjusting to the time change, fighting the urge to crawl in bed at 6pm. Grateful for these last days of fall before winter settles in for a good long while.

November 14

The younger kids were off from school. Aiden has a new love of reading as he's discovered the world of chapter books. His very first one, Thank You, Squanto. He did his best to tell me about the story and describe the ways Squanto helped but finally he said, Mom, you would just have to read the book. :)

November 15
Love how he comes down every morning with bedhead and fully dressed.

November 16
Morning exercise for all.

November 17
Shaun spends most of his non-office hours over at the other house, mostly finishing up the roof. The kids enjoy being up there and Shaun has even had to tell Aiden to stop running up there.

November 18
I got to spend Amy's 40th birthday with her. We saw An American in Paris. The show was good and the set was amazing.

November 19
It was sweet to have a couple helpers in the kitchen with me, getting ready for Thanksgiving #1.

While we were there, H was in our capitol city, serving with a group of teens from church. He handed out toothbrushes in the park and sorted World Vision toys. He came back glowing from the experience.

November 20
I was taking a big u-turn when picking him up and we happened upon this amazing playscape. We were under a deadline, but the kids snuck in a quick 15 minutes.

Rehearsals for Prince of Peace are ramping up and on stage now.

Friday Favorites

This was a week I needed this...it worked! (changing my heart, that is ;)

November's 10 on 10

10 pictures on the 10th day of the month (Thursday).

{Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day! }

I threw a party the night before and it made a huge mess of my kitchen, which I can deal with very temporarily, but not if the coffee pot is blocked! 

H and I do a devotional together each morning before he heads to school. He's generally up before I'm really ready to share my morning so I just try to make the best of it.

Once I get him sent off, the next batch wakes up. We find Aiden with his nose in a book quite often these days, and I couldn't be more proud. :)

A perk of my new job is sometimes my nephew stops by and needs to snuggle with his auntie. :)

Such a pretty view on the walk to school for pickup.

Last year we bought H a cheap bike, not sure if he'd take care of it/keep track of it. He did, but the bike gave out so we replaced it with a better one.

Exercise for the dog and kids.

We don't have a good view of it where we live, but clearly somewhere the sunset was quite amazing this night.

Homework, drawing, poem writing.

Almost without exception, I read in bed at night. Sometimes its five minutes, sometimes an hour, usually somewhere in the middle....at any rate, its a nice way to close out the day.