Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving for us was a great time to enjoy family, to get away, to relax, and to reflect on what we are so thankful for this year. When I had to focus in on what I felt I was most thankful for, it was God's provision and peace. Heath and I started 2009 off with a media fast and it was a great time of connecting together, as well as in our relationship with the Lord. I think it was perfect to get us where we needed to be in the challenges we were going to face. It was a tough year economically and Heath's company took a hard hit. There were times where Heath and I looked at each other and didn't know where the money would come from. But God continually provided what we needed. Most of all, on a personal level, He provided me with an inner peace that brought me through the year in a way that I can only attribute to His presence. Things are improving with the company and there are a lot of things on the horizon that we are really excited about. I don't look back on the year as being a hard or challenging year. I look back on it and see where I have grown in my relationship with Heath, where I have grown personally, but in the forefront of my mind I see where I have grown in my relationship with the Lord. It is so exciting to be in a period of growth and learning and my prayer as I approach the new year is that I keep that a priority.

For Thanksgiving we went to Dallas to join my parents and my brother and his family. My sister Valerie spent Thanksgiving with all of our extended family in Massachusetts. We drove up Wednesday afternoon, my brother joined us Thursday at my mom's house, and then Friday we went to my brother's for the rest of the weekend.

The kids were excited for their cousins, Brice, Ashlyn, and Avery to arrive and once they were together they were off doing their own thing most of the time we were there. While waiting on dinner the boys enjoyed playing football, and the girls were in and out playing all sorts of things that only they seemed to understand.

The weather was great for throwing the football outside. Caleb has really been into football this year, watching it and playing it.

Derek is always the assigned carver of the turkey. Kaley was right there waiting for something to fall. It was sad not seeing Hunter there beside her. At one point Derek almost dropped a piece, but he caught it and she was not happy! He did drop one on purpose after that though!

My parent's house overlooks a lake outside Dallas and there are always great sunsets.

The kids enjoyed playing Uno and watching "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving".

On Friday morning we headed to my brother's house for the rest of the weekend. He has a big yard with a creek, swingset, and trampoline so the kids were outside most of the time we were there. They came inside everytime they needed a meal! We did spend some time watching the Alabama vs. Auburn game which Alabama made a little too close for comfort! Denise and I did some scrapbooking and Derek and Heath worked on projects outside.

We left Sunday morning so we could take our time going home and not have to get home after dark. I decorated for Christmas before we left so I was very thankful that I didn't have that project waiting for me when I got home. It was a nice warm day and the next day it was going to turn cold so we decided to spend the afternoon outside after we got home. Elizabeth had tried riding Avery's bike without training wheels so she was ready to go for it on her bike. She was a little unsure at first but it was no time before she was riding around the cul-de-sac by herself! I included a video at the bottom.

All in all it was a great long weekend and we are looking forward to the month ahead. I pray that all of you had a great Thanksgiving and were able to reflect on how God has blessed you.