Thanksging 2009...Better Late Then Never!

 As I was going through my camera this morning, I realized that Thanksgiving 2009 has not been documented yet.  So here ya go.....

This Thanksgiving was a little different this year.  Usually we spend Thanksgiving day with my family and then Todd's family on Saturday.  But this year with my parents off on their traveling adventure we changed things up a bit and had the read deal with the Reynolds side on actual Thanksgiving day.  We decided to spend the night the night before so we could be there to help early the next morning.  So this means Kaden and Caleb had there first slumber party together!

Jeff did his usual carving of the turkey

So pretty...and yummy!

The grub!

But we can't eat before we have a little lesson on being Thankful

And we need to pray and thank God for everything he has blessed us with

Kaden and Caleb are especially thankful for granny helping them decorate cookies

I am forever thankful for this guy!

Matt and Christie again could not be with us. But we are grateful for modern technology and the chance to visit with them 

Something is funny but I don't know what

Matt and Christie...we always miss you guys even more during the holidays.....please move baaaaaaack!

Why Go To Church???

 If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you  won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope! Why Go To Church? A Church  goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.. "I've gone for 30 years now, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column........much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this  clincher:  "I've been  married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.  But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of  those meals.. ....But I do know this; They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

 When you are DOWN nothing.......GOD is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank GOD for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! 

"When Satan is knocking at your door,simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?"

Give Thanks To Him!

Psalm 100

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his ;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

On this day of Thanksgiving I am thankful for Gods grace, love and faithfulness.  I am grateful that during the trials in my life, there was only one set of footprints in the sand because he was carrying me through it.  I am grateful for everything he has blessed me with in my life. 

"All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.  Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto Thee"

Sweet Dreams

I don't know if I have mentioned this but I have a slight problem with sleeping.  I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. (What I would give for like 10 hours of straight sleep!) I usually have to much running around in my mind and so at times I will be awake for hours in the middle of the night.  I have tried sleeping pills and sleep aids but I always feel like a druggy in the morning and I feel its not good take all the time.  Finally I discovered this...

Melatonin!!

Apparently its what your body naturally produces so you can go to sleep.  When I take it I am asleep within about 15 min and I get a good 5 -6 hours until I wake up (usually because I have to go to the bathroom...THAT doesn't help the situation!) I don't feel druggy in the morning and I feel its safe enough to take often.

I am grateful for a better nights sleep because of it!

They Make Their Mama Proud!

Today I am feeling grateful for how very well-behaved my children are.  I can not express how thankful I am that I don't have to deal with tantrums and wild crazy behaviour.  I can take them places without getting stressed out or angry.  Whether it be the store, a resteraunt, church, other peoples house...they are happy, well- behaved children who listen to their parents.

I am such a proud mama!

This Life So Far...

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you made different choices or followed a different path? I am not saying that I don't want to be where I am in my life but I just wonder why He chose this path for me.

I also sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I had totally made different decisions.

What if I was more out going instead of the shy wall flower growing up?

What if I would have actually finished college and became an architect?

What if Todd hadn't needed a part time job?  Would we have met?

What if THIS hadn't have happened to me?

What if I was still single?

What would my life be like if I had not had that miscarriage and we had more children then we do?

Would I be happier then I am now?

Would I have eventually ended up in same place where I am now?

Even though I sometimes think about these kinds of things...I do know that everything happens for a reason. God has a plan for my life and this is what he has chosen for me so far.  I do wonder what the rest of my life will look like but I trust He will lead me down the right path. This life has been up and it has been down but I am soooo very grateful for it!

Ahhhhh Distractions!

Today is a day to be grateful for distractions and girls night out!

Yes I am a Twilight junkie and I have been looking forward to the movie for quite sometime.  I enjoyed going out with the girls and talking about it without anyone rolling their eyes at us.

Thank you for not disappointing us!!

Assistance When You Need It

Even though it's been a hard year for us, I am grateful for getting help when we need it.  I am grateful for the resources available to us that I am not ashamed of accepting.  We are hard workers and we try to do things on our own without asking for help from anyone but sometimes things are just out of your control.

I am not one to try and take advantage of the system but these days we really need a lending hand so I was able to get us food assistance each month and my kids get free health insurance....all through the State.  It's been a huge help while we are trying to get back on our feet and trying to figure out where to go from here. I am grateful to know that I am not taking advantage of the system because we are working people and obviously we would rather be in a situation where we didn't need this but for now...I am just grateful :)