{Thanksgiving}

My Thanksgiving Feelings

Since I have had this blog I talk about the same thing every year at this time, how I feel about Thanksgiving!!

So, without further adue...

Thanksgiving doesn't always get the proper recognition, it seems we go from Halloween straight to Christmas, no fair, Thanksgiving is simple, doesn't require gifts and all the hoopla, but if offers tons of great food that we otherwise don't eat except for Thanksgiving, cooking, being with family, watching football!

And, one of the things that I love the most is waking up on Thanksgiving morning, having some coffee, getting all the preparation started for whatever I am cooking, then as the family rolls out of bed, we watch the parades, I LOVE the parades, they make me so happy I could just bust, and I love it when I hear my family say "look it's Snoopy or whoever it is that we're so excited to see!!  and I am very stingy about always wanting to be the one to make the green bean casserole, when I open up that can of french fried onions I totally feel the Thanksgiving spirit!!! and now my Hannah girl feels the same way!! ha

Since this year is a little different with my dad's situation so many of our family members are pitching in and doing the turkey and dressing for us and my sis and I said we just had to contribute so we are doing some casseroles and salads, I can't wait!!

I am so thankful for our many blessings, wonderful family, jobs, food, our homes, and most of all that we Jesus in our lives, what in the world would be do without him??  My dad acutally got in the shower today, that is a big step for him, and my brother wheeled him down the hall to look at the sunshine out the window, what a blessing, that precious dad of mine. I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

{Family}

I am trying to maintain a sense of "normalcy" in my life,  as I sit here all proped up in my cozy bed watching Food Network, the kids are "staying out of mom's hair today" ha! instructions from their dad, it was my night at the hospital and sleep is not real plentiful there, so I am kinda tired, Jim has to work today so he made sure the kids understood the rules for the day!! Dad is hanging in there, no better, no worse, going back home today, and instead of getting into all the details, it's all in God's hand at this point, he has and is being very well taken care of, our family, well, we take care of each other.  It's a good fall day today, misty, cool, foggy, just plain cozy, we have some pinto beans in the crockpot with a ham bone for some great flavor, today is a home day for me, this is a day for me to take care of my family, our home, connect again, you have to do that when you are taking care of someone who is very ill,  so today I will relish in "us" Jim, Stacy, Cameron, Hannah & Kirby, I need to love on this great family of mine, and be thankful for us.  Tonight we plan to watch Jim's fav college football team "Notre Dame" and enjoy our pintos together, sounds good to me, as always continue to pray for our family, we do feel the love you know and appreciate that so much! Enjoy your family!

I would appreciate your prayers right now, my dad just isn't doing well, please pray for peace for my dad and for my family.

{Christmas Card Love}

If any of you are like me and start picking out your Christmas cards at the beginning of the fall season then you will really want to go here and start shopping!! Shutterfly has the best selection of holiday cards, there is something for everyone.  What I really like is how easy this website is to use, so user friendly, all you need to do is go here  and pick out the card you like it gives you instructions on how to upload your pictures, dropping it in the photo spot,  and it places the card the direction it should go, so, if your not a photoshop type genius this will be great for you, it does the work for you!! yeah!! 

I put alot of thought and time into the details, I want the colors of our clothing, the scene of where the picture is taken to coordinate with the card that I choose, and once the picture is taken, which is always the most difficult task with kids, and you sit down and look at it you can then look through all the different styles of cards that will match your style!!  this year I am thinking of going with a religous style card, I want to portray a christian message and I have already picked out the perfect verse for our card, I am so excited!  In fact, as of yesterday I have already decided what I "want" the picture to look like, this year it will be just the kiddos and I already know what they will be wearing and where I want to take their picture, they may grumble about this, but I can hardly wait!  Give Shutterfly a chance, you will be so happy!

{Changes}

My how things change, life is crazy, but in this case, it's a good kind of crazy, my father never needed to be on hospice, the hospital really gave up on him and sent him home to die, well, God had other plans, he will always have a sick heart, is fragile, but ready to "check out" no he isn't.  When your lifelong cardiologist comes to your home to see exactly what is going on and says "wait a minute, something isn't right, if you will let me check you into the hospital here and do my own evaluation we'll see what's going in, well test have been run and, well, let's just say we are very shocked, relieved, emotions are running crazy for everyone, you get in a certain mindset of gloom and doom and then this, it's alot to absorb, you want to understand what exactly happened, where did it go wrong, what, what, what??? but, we'll take it, and with some rehab and another plan for him he can begin to heal and refocus and we will be right now with him every single step.

{Falling Back}

Well, we are hanging in there, Dad is doing pretty good, appetite is good, sleeping better, good spirits, we are leaving all of this in God's hands, our God is an awesome God, always! The weather has been so nice, my sister and I took our kids and nephew to the park to play today, they had soo much fun, and so did we, we needed some fresh air and change of scenery, watching kids enjoy themselves is GREAT therapy.  I can't believe it's already November, seems like I was just welcoming October, ha! I took my Halloween down on Monday and replaced that with some turkeys, they are so cute!! By the way, I love this time change, my dad and I have always acknowledged this as a holiday "Happy Time Change" we like it when it gets dark earlier, we have always been goofy like that, and he is still his witty, quick self, which we are so thankful for, he was very weak on Friday, but has been perkier yesterday and today, so Praise! like I said, its all in his hands and we trust him.

This is a very difficult post to write, but I need your prayers, I have been in Austin again this week with my father, he is not getting any better, he came home today in an ambulance, he is now under the care of hospice and my family and I are heart broken, please lift us up in prayer as we go through this difficult time.

{Our Trick or Treat}



My Pirate Girl (who loves to pose)



Frankenstien aka Cameron

Camerons friend Hunter looking super freaky scary

Cute cousins being silly

Brother inlaw (Joker) and Spiderman