Thanks A Lot!

There is something surreal about entering into a holiday season that has been a norm my entire lifetime and realizing that next year we will be living in a country that won't even pause for Thanksgiving Day. Realizing that fact has been very sobering for me. Just like going to my husband's Christmas party Saturday night and knowing we won't be there next year or wanting to spend an inordinate amount of money putting lights up on our house because we won't have a house for several years to come.

I have to wonder what kind of things I will be thankful for next year? Obviously, those that are most important to me......God and His Son, my husband and boys.....those will remain the same. It's the other stuff I wonder about. I hope I can be thankful for new friends. I shudder to think I may be thankful for fried octopus. It's unlikely I'll be thankful for neighbors that are just a wall away.

My prayer is for contentment. Happy to know that God has given us an amazing opportunity and being grateful for that. My prayer is that I don't spend so much time looking back at what we've left behind that we miss what God has in store for us in the future.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and can honestly look at where God has placed you right now and be thankful for it. Asking God to allow you joy in your current circumstance knowing that He is sovereign and loves us so very much that nothing in our lives is without purpose.

As for me and my boys? We are going to have a house full of Aggie/Longhorn/Cowboy loving fans with a spread that includes tamales, red and green chile, and loads of dessserts....much like last year. It will be loud and unorganized....the house will stay a mess for days on end and I'm going to enjoy every single second of it knowing that next year will hold something brand new for us.

I'm In Love

Ahhhhhh.......the weekend. How I do love Saturdays and Sundays. Of course it does help that I survived speaking at MOPS yesterday morning (more on that later), had a wonderful time at our church's Holiday Dinner last night, and a glorious morning of sleeping in. Yep, I am officially in love with the weekend.

I was a bundle of nerves yesterday, but absolutely loved the time I got to spend with our MOPS group. I did cry during my talk, which is unfortunate, but other than that I made it through sharing with those sweet moms what I felt like God wanted me to share. The great news is that I get to do it again next Friday. Maybe I'll do a better job keeping my emotions in check this time around because there is nothing more uncomfortable than watching someone who is speaking try to keep from launching into the ugly cry.

Our Holiday Dinner last night was located at a wonderful facility that has a stadium for local football games along with banquet rooms and an indoor arena. So while I was enjoying time with 600 of my closest friends from church, my boys were at the high school playoff game happening at the same location. When our banquet was over, I high heeled it over to the game to catch the last 6 minutes. There is nothing more inconspicuous than a 6 foot tall woman in black pants and glittery jacket, rhinestone earrings and smoky eye make-up making an appearance at a high school football game where khakis would have been considered dressed up. And nothing more painful for those high heeled feet than walking up and down ramps to get to our seats..........should have remembered to bring my flip flops!

Scot leaves again today for a whirlwind trip to Asia - gone only a week this time so he can be home for his company's CHRISTMAS PARTY next Saturday. That's right, next Saturday, before Thanksgiving.......Christmas party. Wonder if they'll serve us turkey, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie at the party.........

I hope all of you fall in love with your weekend too!

Oh, one more thing, if you are looking for an incredible way to teach your kids about money management, check out my wonderful and creative friend's post. I love, love, love her idea!

Top Nine

Nine years old......how is it even possible that you are nine years old? I have spent the morning taking a walk down memory lane looking at a ton of old pictures of you. I want to cry for how much I miss the "little you", and yet I am so excited to be a part of the "bigger you".

It has not been a dull year so I am going to try my hardest to pick some of the Top Nine about the past 12 months.

9. For the first time (that I know of) you had a little girl writing "I love Nathan" in her notebook. Lord help me, I am quite certain it won't be the last.

8. Your official record for "controlling your emotions" was about 3 days. We will keep that little item on our To Do list.

7. You took a nose dive off your razor and ended up with some awesome looking injuries to your face. I think you milked that one for all the attention you could get out of it! You then learned how to ride a Ripstick and I pray every day you don't kill yourself on that thing!

6. You scored your first touchdown and got your first mohawk!

5. You went to your very first concert with Aunt Cyndi and me. I loved watching you wave your arms in the air , sing along to the songs, and covering your ears when things got a little too loud!

4. You were so engrossed in a book series this summer (when you weren't burying your brother in the sand) that you were actually in a full out funk when it was over. Oh, how I can relate to that!! I envy you all the reading adventures you have waiting for you.....

3. You took your first helicopter ride without thinking twice about doing it.

2. You were elected to represent your class for student council and I must say that your speech really rocked! I wish you had actually done the whole thing for your class, but I totally get how nerves can get in the way of a well rehearsed speech. I loved working on it with you and I LOVED when you stood on the kitchen chair and practiced your speech so emphatically.

1. I had the honor of sitting next to you while you told Pastor Thomas exactly why you want to be baptized. The simplicity and honesty of your answers to his questions brought me to tears (big surprise) and I was once again astounded at how pure your love for God and His Son is.

This next year promises to be a big one. Our little family is getting ready to embark on a huge adventure! I am so excited for all you will see and experience in the coming year.

I love you so much I don't think my heart can hold it all. Happy Birthday Buddy!!! I am honored to be able to Do Life with you.......

Just a Note

Tonight Scot and I celebrated our anniversary, which was actually on Wednesday, at Chuys. A restaurant we frequent often with friends and our kids......most definitely not a romantic night out. I had all sorts of aspirations of writing an amazing post about our marriage in honor of our anniversary, but I never got around to it.

We've been too busy Doing Life.

Our anniversary was spent at the ballpark watching G play. We have a birthday celebration tomorrow in honor of N turning 9 that promises to be all kinds of interesting. Scot leaves again next week and I am speaking the next 2 Fridays to our MOPS group at church.

Whew!! Life can be exhausting lately I have found myself more and more not wanting to do the work I am supposed to be doing because it's all just....well......exhausting.

I will say, in honor of 14 years of marriage to my incredible husband, there is no one else on this planet I would rather be negotiating the twists and turns of this life with. NOONE. We fully get how intense this past year was and we most certainly have patted ourselves on the back for surviving, but the reality is that we have chosen, together, to Do Life with our eyes constantly on the One who holds all the answers. It is the only way to survive!!

Now I am rushing off to bed to fully enjoy a night's sleep and the gift of not having to be anywhere until 11:00 tomorrow morning! YIPPEE!!! That makes this tired girl very happy!