Thanksgiving 2008

This year has flown by and I can't believe we are already celebrating Thanksgiving. We had a busy day planned. First, I got up early and ran the Boulevard Bolt with my little sister. I haven't been able to run it the past two years, so I was definitely looking forward to it. Usually, the weather is freezing cold and you have to bundle up. This year it was absolutely perfect! We could not have had better weather for the race and the festivities. After the race, we headed to Maymie and Pappy's for our first meal of the day. It was great to see all of the extended family and hang out and let the kids play. We then went to my grandmother's to celebrate with all of my side of the family. Caleb and Caden are the only great-grandchildren on my side of the family and the youngest ones around. So, they are spoiled with all of the attention and have all of my family wrapped around their finger. We played, watched football, and ate some yummy food. It was great to see and catch up with everyone.
I love this time of year as we get to spend time with family and friends and give thanks for all we have been blessed with. There are so many things to be thankful for, and I am thankful for each and every one of you. I hope you have all had a Happy Thanksgiving!!! We love you!!!

Pay It Forward

I just wanted to take this time and let all of you know how thankful I am for each and every one of you. I could not ask for better friends and family. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quickly approaches, and I hear more and more stories of how people are struggling, I couldn't feel more blessed or thankful to have all of my basic needs met. With that said, I have to share with you what happened to me today. My boys and I were at Target getting some items we needed around the house like baby food, diapers, etc. We quickly ran in the store, got the stuff we needed, and hurried to get back out. (It is kind of hard to have 2 little ones confined to a basket for too long when there are toys and other fun items all around.) Listening to the news and hearing all of the stories about people struggling financially is becoming more and more common. Of course I think about and pray for those people who are struggling, and I thank God every day that the people I know and love are not in that situation. With that said, as we were rushing to get to the car and load up, I was approached by a young girl who was in her car. I say girl because she couldn't have been any older than 21 or 22. Her license plates were from Oklahoma. Her car was making a loud noise and looked really beat up. She rolled down her window and started talking to me. She had a baby in the back seat who had to be Caden's age or younger. He was screaming and looked like he hadn't had a bath in days. The poor girl started telling me her story and that she had no place to stay and had no money for a hotel or even food to feed her little baby. She asked if I had any spare money that she could have. I don't know about you, but as for me, I don't ever carry cash because I always end up spending it. Well, it just so happened that a few days ago, I put on my winter jacket for the first time this year. I looked in the pocket and lucky me, there was $20 in there. I ended up putting the money in my visor, telling Shane when I found it that I was sure this would come in handy one day. Obviously, today was the day. I told her I don't carry cash on me, but that I would look and see what I could find. Then I remembered the money I found earlier this week. Was it just luck or divine intervention? So, anyways, I gave her the money and some of the baby food so her sweet little boy could have some dinner. She told me that her daddy was driving through the night to come and help her go back to Oklahoma. As I handed the money to her, her eyes filled up with tears and she said God bless you. As I got back in my car, my eyes filled with tears as I prayed for that poor girl. I thanked God for giving me that opportunity to be able to help her. I have always been passionate about helping people and after today, I couldn't feel more ready to make a difference. I challenge all of you to join me in Paying it Forward this holiday season and remember to give thanks for all of your blessings. Remember that it is the little things that can make a BIG difference!

10 Months!!!

We are just two months away and I can't believe it! It is crazy to think I am about to officially have two toddlers! Caden is growing like a weed and becoming more and more vocal everyday. He has his two front teeth and two bottom teeth and he is definitely experimenting with them! We have started table food and I am looking forward to him eating his first Thanksgiving meal. He is kind of a picky eater, which is something very different around here because Caleb never cared what he ate, as long as he was eating! Caden loves to dance and play music. It doesn't matter what he is doing, but when music comes on, he stops dead in his tracks and starts dancing along. It's pretty funny! He still isn't walking yet, but he is close. He has taken ten steps in a row without any help, so I think he is getting there. He just isn't as daring as his older brother was.
We are looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend to see family and some dear friends coming in from out of town. We hope you are having a great week and getting ready for Turkey Day!!!

Caleb's First Haircut

After hearing several comments from people thinking Caleb was a girl, I finally gave in and took him for his first official haircut. I guess I have put it off for so long because I didn't want him to lose his curls and look so much older. We didn't go anywhere fancy just for kids. We went to Great Clips. At first I was a little nervous because I didn't feel like the stylist really understood what I was wanting. After the first few cuts, I could see she was the expert and I quit worrying. So, now all of his curls are gone and Caleb truly does look so grown up. He was great and sat still long enough for her to cut it evenly. Caleb's reward was a lollipop and he was thrilled. So, we survived our first haircut and will definitely be going back when it is time for another one.

Here is a picture of Caleb from a few weeks ago...as you can see, he has the long, wavy look going on. No wonder some people thought he was a girl!

Here is his new look...(You can obviously see he was s0 not wanting his picture taken).

Daddy got a buck!!!

Yep, that's right. Shane finally got a deer. We are so excited that he was able to get a deer considering he hadn't seen a big one all season. Well, that changed today and we are extremely happy. Way to go Daddy! We are so proud of you. Caleb was super excited to see the deer. (Can you tell by his face in the picture?) Shane has always said that you aren't supposed to smile when you take a pic with your buck...I guess Caleb still has a lot to learn.

22 Months

Caleb is 22 months old! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. He is still talking up a storm and is now fascinated with climbing. He LOVES "his" candy from Halloween and is constantly asking for a piece. We are now limiting it to when he uses the potty. He is getting pretty good at telling me when he has to go. I'm not sure if he really cares...I think the only thing he wants is his candy. At this point though, I'm willing to do whatever works. Anyways, to get back to his climbing, the other day when I was putting Caden down for a nap, I heard Caleb pushing the chair across the kitchen floor. I didn't think much about it until I heard him say "Mmmmmm'. I walked into the kitchen and found him not just up on the counter, but on top of the bar top where the Halloween candy was. That little rascal had climbed up and gotten a starburst and had eaten it with the rapper still on! So, needless to say, the candy has been moved to the top of the fridge...We shall see if he can figure out a way to get up there!

We hope you are having a great weekend!