Many Thanks

We went home to Iowa and spent Thanksgiving with my extended family. It was a fast trip, but we crammed as much fun as we could into 4 days. We arrived at my parent's house in Baxter, Iowa on Tuesday afternoon. It is always fun to drive down their gravel road and watch their house get closer. I love pulling into my parent's driveway and seeing my mom's smile there to greet us. That look on her face alone makes the 13 hour drive worth it!


On Wednesday, Mom had to work, so we slept in a bit and then I took the kids over to my Aunt Berna's house so that we could have a visit over coffee. My aunt is very special to me. Growing up, she was more like another mother. It was so lovely to sit with her in her living room and just chat. No matter how long it has been since I last saw her, it always feels like I was just with her when we are together. I guess that is how family is suppose to feel. To me, it's a beautiful gift in my life and I treasure it. She has cancer and is waging a courageous battle for her life. So, I cherish these moments with her now more than ever before. She gave me a cross necklace that she wore around her neck when I was a little girl. My eyes filled with tears when I opened the box. I shall always think of her when I wear that necklace. Somehow, it makes it seem as though she isn't so far away.


Wednesday evening, we all gathered at my cousin, Minniette's house for a little pre-Thanksgiving cooking. Minniette is really more like a sister to me than a cousin. When we get together, it is nothing but giggles. Of course, we did get a little cooking done in between laughs and Karoeke. She and I like to sing "Copacabana" together. I only sing it with her! Ha!

Thanksgiving Day, we did a bit more cooking at Mom's house. Then, we were back at Minniette's house for lunch. Truly, we were not lacking for food!

My mom put Sofie and Dad in charge of the Deviled Eggs. It seemed an appropriate dish considering how ornery these two can be.


I got to see most of my extended family, including cousins that I had not seen in a very long time. Looking around at the house filled with people, I thoughtfully gave thanks for the people God has placed in my life to mold me into the woman I have become. My favorite memory this Thankgiving was watching Minniette teach Jack to play guitar. He had wanted to try to play for quite some time. To his delight, Minniette got her guitar out and taught him a few chords.

Before long, he was playing the intro to "Smoke On The Water". When my Uncle Dennis heard Jack playing, he offered Jack his guitar to take back home with us. Now, all Jack can talk about it playing guitar. I am so excited he has found a new hobby that can grow with him as he becomes a man.

We wanted to spread a little Christmas cheer before we returned back to Texas. So, on Friday, we put up my parent's Christmas tree. I can't remember her tree ever looking so lovely.

This year, we started a new tradition on Mom's tree. Each of us have a special ornament that is the first letter of our first name. I surprised Mom with the ornaments. She loved them!

On the long drive home, I couldn't help but be mindful of my many blessings. The pictures I have in my mind of this past weekend are memories that I will carry with me for all of my days.

Madilyn and Lily having a little girl bonding time. They are so funny together. Lily really looks up to her older cousin.

I cannot believe how much Sofie and Madilyn resemble one another. It's like looking at Maddy and "Mini Maddy". They both have the same sweet heart as well.

The kids had fun "kidnapping" Minniette's Iowa Hawkeyes gnome, named Mr. Winklebottom. They texted her demands for his safe return as Minniette having to wear Iowa State attire for Thanksgiving.

Mom loves baking with her girls.

My nephew, Noah, and Sofie enjoyed snuggling while they admired Grandma's Christmas tree together.

This year, I am especially grateful for my Iowa roots and my Texas wings. For each I give many thanks.


Happy Thankgiving!

Tigerthon 2011

Today was the annual "Tigerthon Fun Run" at Glen Oaks Elementary. Each year, the school where the girls attend has a fundraiser where the kids run laps and take pledges. Neither of them were all that excited to run for an hour, so I did what I could to make it more bearable, including letting them pick out new sweats at Justice.



Marty and I and their Grandpa Arbuckle walked over to cheer for the girls. They seemed to be excited once they got out to the field and heard the music playing.



Lily and her classmates were ready to run!



Lily and her friend Chloe had fun keeping the pace together through most of the race.



Sofie and Molly cooled down together.



There was such a great atmosphere it made me almost wanna join them. ALMOST!

HONK!

Last night, we were privileged to watch the Dowell Middle School presentation of "HONK!", the Ugly Duckling Muscial.



Jack's grandma and grandpa "Tina" from Iowa sent him this cookie bouquet to cheer him on for opening night. They were sad they couldn't be here to watch the play. But we will take the video with us on Thanksgiving so we can all watch it together. I know they are excited to hear him sing.



We dropped Jack off at 5:30 for costumes and make-up. As we walked into the school, we saw Jack in the hallway with another cast mate. They were so excited and were being goofy to work off some pre-preformance gitters. I love the friends that he has made in the drama department.

Jack was Greylag, the goose military commander and he was supurb! I was amazed at his poise on the stage and his confidence in front of the audience. He really brought his character to life and had such a wonderful stage presence. And his singing was marvelous!



After the show, we were able to catch a picture of Jack with one of his best friends, Reid. They both did an amazing job in their parts. The girls were flocking over to them and they were loving the attention. I know I am biased, but I think his scene was the best of the play. I think our J-Man has a big future ahead of him in the performing arts. I guess I better learn to be a good "stage mom".

Halloween 2011

Chili. Hot dogs. Fritos. And candy. LOTS of candy! Once again, we spent Halloween with our friends the Recks. Our friend, Tracy Branson, and her daughter, Gracie, joined us as well. It was a great evening full of trick or treating fun. Jack had drama rehearsal until 7:30, so he chose to stay back and hand out the candy. He told me it was just as fun as trick or treating because he got to pick out the best pieces of candy for himself. ha!

Lily dressed up as a witch and Sofie was a police officer. Aren't they adorable?! Lily's favorite book right now is about a witch who eats children, so Lily called herself Faye Hollidary after the main character. Too funny! My neighbor's sister is a police officer in Houston, Texas and kindly gave Sofie an HPD badge for her costume. It was perfect!



The girls could hardly wait to hit the pavement!





It was a beautiful night, so many folks were sitting out together to greet the trick or treaters. What fun!



When the sun started to set, things started to look SPOOOOOOKY!



Here, Lily is enjoying a few treats. We plan to send some of the loot to the troops in Afghanistan. But tonight, it's all hers.



While we were out trick-or-treating, Sofie bumped into one of her best buddies, Landon. I love that they got to spend a bit of Halloween together. Sometimes, neighbors truly are the best friends. In this case, that certainly seems to be the case.



After over two hours of trick-or-treating and hitting nearly every house in the neighborhood, the kids are still smiling. Happy Halloween!