Our "Road Trip" Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving! First of all my birthday is right before this holiday and its so much fun to be around family on my special day. Secondly, its our best holiday since Ryan is a pastor. Its the holiday that we can actually be out of town and for the weekend service Ryan can find a volunteer to teach for him. So, it makes for a nice long road trip. :)

This year we headed to the Panhandle for a week. We stopped on our way in Ft. Worth/Dallas area to break our 10 hour drive up. It was wonderful as I was able to be with my mom and dad and my sister and her family on my birthday. The next day was extra special as I had coffee with one of my dearest friends I've known since we were 16 and sophomores in high school. She is a hoot and still makes me laugh hard! I treasure her humor and joy and most of all her friendship. By Monday, we were trekking across the top of Texas toward the Panhandle. I love going there believe it or not. Its peaceful, no traffic, no rush, super nice people, and some really amazing sunsets that you can see forever, and very cold, cold nights.

Thanksgiving is a time for me to get away, spend time with my family, no schedules, yummy food, and most of all tell God how much I love Him and how thankful I am for his grace and unending, unfailing love he lavishes on me.
Thank you Lord for it all!

Happy Birthday to Me....

I Got a new Kitty! Meet Herschel our new Maine Coon kitty cat! :)
(in honor of our sweet Hobbes)

A New Adventure!!!

A couple of weeks ago, as a family, we were able to take a trip to the Panhandle of Texas via airplane. This was the first time the girls have been in a plane and actually remembered it. Addie and Avery were babies the last time they flew and Annalise had never stepped foot in a plane so it was quite an experience for each of the them.
The highlight....was ordering a coke from the airline stewardess. :) Great memories!
Enjoy some fun pics....oops, i didn't get one of Annalise and dad, they were sitting behind us! ;)

For One Reason or Another....

I would really like to meet, sit, and have a conversation with some of these ladies! For many reasons, these ladies spark an interest with me and share a part of life that I connect or have an interest in. Some of them I know via blog and facebook and have enjoyed sharing life with. Others, well, they are high profile and I would love to pic their brain on their journey, strengths, and success, etc.
It would be so cool to know a little more of these ladies. I hope this dream will come true someday! :)

Katie Couric (New York City)
Steph Thomason (Oklahoma)
Lisa Deese (Nebraska)
Lori Wilhite (Las Vegas)
Brandi Wilson (Nashville)
a 911 victim's wife (where ever they are)
Laura Bush (Texas)

Its Beginning to Look a lot like......

CHRISTMAS!!!!
Yea, I love this time of year. It just brightens your day as you go places and see, and smell, and hear the sights and sounds of Christmas. Its joyful, fun, exciting, soothing, and simply colorful everywhere you go. I love it!
I love the fact too it reminds me of the song from the David Crowder Band, "O How He Loves Us". O, how He loved us, that He sent his ONE and only Son, in a manger to be the rescue from ourselves and the rescue of the world. I am grateful for this joyful holiday that is upon us. Thank you God for your son,a baby in the manger.

I Miss my Hobbes....

My Heavy Heart....

Today my sweet, awesome Maine Coon cat Hobbes is gone. I am so sad and have such a heavy heart. I will blog soon on just how cool this 12 year old cat was! To sad to do so right now. Here are our last pictures today with him. I had my camera in my purse so I had to get one last picture with my favorite cat.