Thankful

We packed a lot into a few days of Thanksgiving vacation...but we are beyond Thankful for the people we were surrounded by and the memories that were made.  There are lots of pictures...and they are not in the right order...but that's ok!

In life so many things are determined by the "where" you do things or "why" you do things...but Thanksgiving reminds me that the "WHO" is more important!  In the end...who we spent our lives loving on and being loved by is what matters...

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family...it was a great day, a different Thanksgiving for all of us...but one that I think we all needed. Grateful for family that is diverse but who all love everyone!

A favorite picture...we visited my grandmother Myrl...and were able to sit and sing with her...this is my mom and Myrl together...two women who have been an example to so many of what is really important.

Out of order like I said...Mommy and Brynlee waiting to watch Reese and Hadley in their Thanksgiving Program at school.  (she loves to wear her glasses and does not take them off...or smile while they are on...she is just too cool)

Hadley, our little Indian getting ready to sing her little heart out!

Our big Kindergartner...Reese knew every word of course...and sang a duet to "Our God is an Awesome God"...I cried...shocking!

Back to our visit with Myrl...Caitlin played the piano for her while the three little redheads danced crazily for her!

The second cousins together...we met little Colin for the first time and he is so cute.  

The girls loved him!

My Uncle Kerry getting lots of love from the girls...Brynlee sat by him at lunch and they were soon best buddies since he gave her everything she wanted to eat and more!  

The girls getting ready for a feast at Bebe's table!  

 We took a day trip over to South Carolina to hang out at my Aunt and Uncle's lake house and see lots of family!  Here Reese and Hadley are hanging out with their second cousin Elle.  The girls had such a great time playing with all of the cousins and eating lots of great food!

 It was cold but beautiful on the water...Reese was too busy playing to join us for the picture.

We had an incredible Thanksgiving this year.  Getting to be with my entire family, Bebe, Ashley, Jonathan, Caitlin and Pop; plus all of our extended family was the best gift ever!  We are beyond grateful for our family...and missed the ones we could not be with!  

Down, but not Out

While our little Bryn here really is "down and out" regardless of what is going on...things around here have been a little crazy...but while we may have been feeling down...we are not out!  :)

I laugh sometimes when I run into people who follow our blog and they talk about how cute our family is and say all of these wonderful things...for while I think that is true...let's be honest there are a lot of pictures and things that don't make the blog because...well, screaming children aren't pretty!

That being said, here is a peak into the past few weeks...our house was broken into in the middle of the day...it was pretty devastating and totally filled me with fear!  Thankfully, the promise of scripture has been a source of hope and peace for me, as well as some incredible friends here in Birmingham who have taken care of us...flooded with calls, meals, fixing windows, sending notes, prayers, and so much more!  We spent one day at the pediatric emergency dentist because Hadley slammed into the metal front of the stroller (it sounded horrible and the blood was enough to stop my heart), and then we spent the following day at the after hours pediatrician's office because Reese was doing gymnastics on my bed (yes, I know) and ended up hitting her face which resulted in a tooth going from the inside of her lip to the outside...yes...ouch!

In the midst of all of this, the fighting with the three redheads has hit an all time high...way too many tears...from me:)

And, finally, to be honest I was at a low point last night after the results from the Election!  I know that there are lots of friends we have who are happy with the outcome, but not me.  I spent about an hour early this morning just feeling sick...and then I remembered what I had told Reese and Hadley after we voted..."Yes, we want Governor Romney to win, and if President Obama wins we will be sad, but we will be respectful and pray for our leader and our Country."  I meant what I said...and when I saw this it  really spoke volumes...

Regardless of who you voted for, you have an opportunity to demonstrate that your hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

If your candidate won, don't get too excited. Jesus is still on the throne. There is still a lot of work for you to do. Love your neighbor, serve them humbly, and tell them about Jesus. Only His Kingdom brings full healing, lasting peace and true prosperity. (Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 32:15-17)

If your candidate lost, don't get too depressed. Jesus is still on the throne. There is still a lot of work for you to do. Love your neighbor, serve them humbly, and tell them about Jesus. In the meantime, do all things without grumbling or complaining (Phil. 2:14), and remember to pray for your leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2), even the ones you didn't vote for.