thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving happened by accident this year, and it was fantastic! We originally planned on my family and Bekah's family together at Stock Gap.  But about 3-4 days before Bekah had the idea to meet up with everyone at our great Aunt Barbara's mountain house in Lake Toxaway North Carolina.  Then it just mushroomed from there, both of my brothers and their families came too and my father and grandparents and my aunt and cousin Sarah.  

When we got there my dad and Jen pawpaw and grandmaw had just left to take pawpaw to the hospital. Right before we had gotten there Pawpaw's dog and Sarah's dog had gotten in to a fight and pawpaw tried to break it up but ended up getting bitten and knocked to the ground.  He was completely fine but they took him in just to be safe.  We waited until 2:30 when they all got back to eat, except that we fed all the kids at 1.  We were all hungry but happy to wait!

The weather was perfect and the scenery was so lovely. My sister in law asked me to take pictures of the twins since they are graduating in May! I ended up having the sweetest conversation with them where they told me the things their parents have given them and taught them over the past 18 years.  It was incredible to hear them speak and gave me such great faith in the kind of men they will become.

It was a great day full of family togetherness. I loved meeting my new niece Maddison, it gave me baby fever to have another daughter. BIG TIME.  I still have faith that the timing of our next baby will be when the time is right.

I am so grateful for our blessing, there are so many, too many to even enumerate or count.  The Lord is so gracious to us and blesses us in a way that could never be repaid.  That is my prayer every night, complete awe of the beautiful and happy and blessed life we are living.

friendsgiving

We had our Joy School Thanksgiving feast this past week.  It was so fun to see these little people talk about the things that make their hearts say thank you.  They went around and said something they were grateful their body could do, Evie said she is grateful her feet and legs can move. We made little pilgrim and Indian hats and danced around to Dulaman, a musical favorite my children are loving these days.  Evie will close her eyes and slowly move her arms and hands to the music while Avett just yells "AGAIN!" each time it ends. 

Holidays are so much fun with children! 

advice.

I had a tender moment a week or so ago that I want to write down before I forget.

My grandparents came over for Thanksgiving and I was so happy to see them here because we weren't sure they were going to make it seeing that my Pawpaw had just had neck surgery.

After Thanksgiving lunch I had a moment outside on the porch with my grandfather.  I was sitting on the coffee table and he was in a little chair in his usual position with his skinny chicken legs crossed.  We were talking about EJ coming and all of the sudden he got a little quiet and he looked up at me.  He said, "Rachel, you don't know it yet but you are about to enter the happiest years of your life."  I had to hold back the tears. 

There is something really sweet and tender to me about advice from him.  I trust his words so much.  They are filled with life experience and knowledge from all of his years.  He worked hard for his family to give them the best that he could and provide for them.  I am proud to have come from him.

He went on to tell me, "You know the golden years aren't so golden sometimes.  Most of the time it feels a little bit more like rust.  Your body starts to give out and it can be very frustrating.  So, enjoy these years of your life now for all that you can.  But one thing that will make these years golden for me is meeting my first great-granddaughter.  She is going to be such a beautiful little girl."

I hope I can remember not to take these years for granted.  I am so grateful for the sacred blessing it is to become a mother.  I think it will be the hardest and best thing I will ever do.

Here are just a couple more picture from Thanksgiving.  I'm sharing them fashionably late since I just got them from my sisters camera.

we are practicing our labor faces

Ok, on to Christmas...no more talk of Thanksgiving, for real this time.
Can't wait to share our Christmas tree tomorrow, its pretty fan-dan-tastic.

grateful.

This Thanksgiving I have so much gratitude in my heart. 

i am grateful for my incredibly selfless and hilarious husband, i love him so

i am grateful for my baby girl growing and kicking inside of me

i am grateful for the sparkling pumpkin spiced cider chilling in my refrigerator for thanksgiving dinner

i am grateful for a family that loves me despite my pregnancy mood swings (i cry pretty easily these days)

i am grateful that tomorrow Mr. Murphy is putting up EJ's crib after we eat til our heart's content

i am grateful for the joy that The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to my life
i am grateful to snuggle in bed with my little sister and her babe even though she won't let me put my feet on hers
i am grateful for music
i am grateful for my disappearing belly button

i am grateful for bosom friends

i am grateful for a warm home to live in, clothes to put on my body, and food to feed my belly

Happy Thanksgiving to all

you and me from here to there

In just 17 short hours...

me

...will be taking a 23 hour road trip from Atlanta, Georgia to Walsh, Colorado.

Our trip will consist of:

singing at the top of our lungs

eating more junk food than we should ever consume in a 23 hour period

reading scriptures in the car

crossing many-a-state line

a lot of hugs and kisses

wallowing in the love and laughter of our nieces and nephew

makeovers with nieces

fart contests with nieces

cooking

an enormous amount of card games

jamming with our children

sleeping in an old hotel from the 20's now remodeled in to John's Mother's home

eating exorbitant amounts of delicious thanksgiving goodness

seeing the new harry potter movie

more jamming

spending holiday time with cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and friends

feeling gratitude

being thankful