a day to give thanks.

Although this wasn't my year with my kiddos for Thanksgiving, there is still so much I am grateful for, in my life of course, but also the chance to have a Thanksgiving Day we've never experienced....

My parents farm and also raise cattle, and recently moved to the farmhouse, a place I have so many memories.  My older sister and my baby sister were both out of town for Thanksgiving (and were missed VERY much) so for the first time in my life, I think, I celebrated Thanksgiving Day with my mom, stepdad, my two brothers, and my love.  When you're one of five...this doesn't happen often :)  It was an incredible day, spent as family. 

(and because bullets are easier than paragraphs...(to quote my friend, Kim)

I have so much to be thankful for, and I could never make an exhaustive list...but here are some things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving:   (in no particular order....)

• I am grateful for laughter.
• I am grateful for euchre games with my dad and brother...(where they were thouroughly beaten :)
• I am grateful for my mom's amazing cooking
• I am always grateful for the health of Katie and Carter
• I am grateful for all the love in my life
• I am grateful for Eric and our life together and our future ahead
• I am grateful for my sisters, each one unique, each one cherished
• I am grateful for grace

Perhaps Jodi Picout says it best, who I know I quote frequently...she is my favorite author...when she says:

"What if it turns out that a life isn’t defined by who you belong to or where you came from,

 by what you wished for or whom you’ve lost, but instead by the moments

you spend getting from each of these places to the next? "

We've traveled a long way...all of us, but sometimes, just sometimes I rejoice in putting it ALL aside, and living in the moments.  The moments that get us from one place to the next.  The family we could never live without.  For all of this, and so much more I am grateful.

my mom doesn't do anything half-way
orange cranberry relish ala jodi

hand painted wine glasses that always make their appearance during the holidays

my stepdad and my baby brother, Cole, about to lose horribly :)

my older baby brother.  so hard to believe that he will be a senior next year.
so excited to see all the life ahead of you.

cole thinks everyone is looking at his cards...

speaking of Cole, this is his dessert plate.
haha, I love it.
it was ALL delicious.

the first picture of my mother and I that I have loved in years.
(thanks babe)
She is the strongest, most faithful women I know.  I'm proud she's my mom.

Eric was nice enough to the the photographer for a family picture with Rita, from our church, who joined in our celebration. 

these are the moments I will remember all my life...

five fat turkeys!

Katie's very first Thanksgiving program in kindergarten.  After hearing "Five Fat Turkeys" in our home for weeks, I think we were all glad to hear it one last time on stage!

 

Five fat turkeys are we.

We spent all night in a tree.

When the cook came around,

We were no where to be found

And that's why we're here you see!

there is something so big that just swells up in your heart as a parent when you see your child finding you in the crowd and grinning....

so cute

we are so proud of you, our big girl

Afterwards we all got to visit KJ's classroom and visit with her teacher and friends.  She was thrilled to show us her Thankgiving projects.  This was her Pilgrim thankful sign hanging outside her classroom.  Yes, my little girl is thankful for thanksgiving.  She's adorable.

And while Katie finished her day at school, my little man headed to Bob Evan's for chocolate chip pancakes and some mommy/bubby time. 

LOVE THIS GIRL

I am so thankful.

homework!

It was a particularly stressful day, I'm not going to lie.  I had something due in ALL of my classes, and it was one of those days I just really needed Carter to cooperate so I could work.  I always knew I had a sweet boy....but his heart is just SO big.

I was at the kitchen table surrounded by notebooks, folders, handouts, you name it.  I was overwhelmed and frustrated and begging Carter to pick a cartoon to watch before naptime (YES I was using the tv as a babysitter...shoot me).  I heard some rustling around in the playroom, but I was so immersed in what I was doing, I didn't pay attention right away.

Until...my little guy walked in with HIS whole collection of notebooks, folders, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser and paper...a big cheesy grin on his face.  I asked him what he was doing, and what cartoon he wanted to watch, and he says "I don't have time to watch tv, mom, I hafta do my homework with you." 

Be still my heart.

So there we sat...working away, every once in awhile looking up to catch a smile from the little boy that makes me smile and makes all my days brighter.  Thanks for doing your "homework" with me, little buddy.

just a reminder...

kj's date

(yes, this was during fall break...ridiculous amount of back-blogging needs to take place :)

it so rarely happens with my little munchkins...they are so close in age, and in every other thing possible.  Until two months ago they weighed the EXACT same thing, they wear the same shoe size...(too bad they can't share clothes), etc, etc.  Where one goes, the other quickly follows. 

One distinct difference for us as a family this year is Katie being in kindergarten and Carter being in his last year of preschool.  It has opened up some one-on-one time with my kiddos that I never knew I missed so much.  There is something so wonderful about getting to see your kid's personality, completely unadulterated and pure.  I want to put their joy in little bottles and keep them in my purse so I can pop one open whenever things seem just a little too heavy.  Cause their laughter...it makes it all feel lighter. 

This particular day...my Katie Jade was on fall break, and after taking her brother to school and going in to say hi to her old preschool teachers, KJ and I headed out on our first "date."  And, whoa, was it a cool girl's day.  Katie got her hair cut in a big girl chair, went to the store and picked out her very first tube of LipSmackers (which she promptly lost :), and a special toy.  She reminded me just how selfless she is when we were walking to the check out lane, and she looked up at me with those beautiful, big brown eyes and pleaded to get Carter a toy, too..."so he won't be sad, momma."  I am blessed.  After haircuts, and a trip to the store, we went to the nail salon for KJ's first manicure.  Cute beyond words.  I let her pick her color, and was astounded at how still she sat.  She even got adorable little flowers painted on her thumbs.  Oh, the girly wonderfulness.  We ended our date with lunch at Arby's, and went back to school to pick up Carter.  Of course, he had to tell his sister right away that she looked beautiful.  And she did.

So, so beautiful. 
This was a good day.

mom had four whole inches cut off!!

(I straightened it too, which I shall never do again...one because it takes eight hours and two because it makes her look WAY too old.  cute, nonetheless)

oh, such a dollface
she doesn't love the camera at all

pretty nails

thanks for spending the day with me baby girl

holding SO still while they dry :)

all smiles...

yep, there's the barbecue sauce.
a meal for Katie really wouldn't be the same without it :)

I hope you had as much as I did, sweet girl.

"Suddenly, through birthing a daughter, a woman finds herself face to face not only with an infant,

 a little girl, a woman-to-be, but also with her own unresolved conflicts

from the past and her hopes and dreams for the future...."

Elizabeth Debold and Idelisse Malave

i love this dog...

"We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults.
Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment."

(George Eliot)

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.

robbie's superbowl

(disclaimer: this post is WAY overdue...but I must share :)

Eric and I are SO proud of Robbie and his Little League Football team that made at all the way to the Superbowl this year!  For a kid this age...believe me, this is a big deal.  They get to play under "the big lights," have real refs, the whole nine yards (no pun intended..lol). 

We went all out as a fam for his game....KJ and Carter were uber excited to get to cheer for Robbie and talked about it alllll day until it was time to head to the game.  I made shirts and posters, brought my camera (of course) and lots of jackets to keep warm.

Even though Robbie's team lost...it was still such an exciting night, not just for Robbie and my amazing sister who was the Assistant Coach for his team, but for the kids, too....we didn't get home until way after their bedtime and they were so wired.  They absolutely adore their cousins. 

Robbie, you make your Auntie CoCo and your Uncle Eric very very proud :)

Katie and Carter modeling the shirts we (I) made..
(they were the Vikings if you can't tell)

even purple and yellow ribbons for pretty pigtails

Are they not so cute?  Seriously. 
I want to do this kind of happy dance.
Every single day.

they even had special sleeves :)
(ok, so I'm just kinda a dork and like the crafty aisle...it's cool)

so handsome

pregame warmup

Katie wanted to be front and center with our "Go Robbie" poster.
She was the cutest cheering for him.

He was in such awe.
This will be you soon enough, little guy....

I still find it hard to believe that they play in full pads and everything. 
They're just little kids!
(he would tackle me right now for saying that...hehehe)

opening kickoff

unconditional love

proud momma

one last team huddle...

our adventures with mr. teddy

The assignment is simple:

Katie's kindergarten class has a "Teddy" bear that goes home with a student each night and the student then journals about their time with Teddy.

The excitement is not simple.  No, no.  The excitement is unabashed, unequaled. 

She rushes off the bus, curls flying, lugging something behind her....

Mom!  Guess what?What, sweetheart.
Mom, I have Teddy!  (said in the same manner you might say you have found a million dollars).

So, it was Katie's big day.
Teddy came home to our house, and oh the adventures he had.

First, Teddy had a snack with KJ when she got off the bus...

then he "played" a little piano with Katie...
(he was quite the musician :)

KJ decided that she wanted to dress Teddy in her beloved butterfly fairy princess Halloween costume from last year.  She did it all by herself, and even put the wings on.  So, for the rest of the evening, and even onto school the next day, Teddy became a butterfly fairy...

Even Carter loved Teddy...

Katie and I had fun writing in the class journal about our adventures with Teddy.  Of course I had to be that mom that goes to Walgreens at 11:30 to pick up real pictures to illustrate the journal.  Oh dear...  Needless to say, some members of our house are very eagerly anticipating the re-arrival of Teddy.

Oh, to never lose the heart of a child....

katie jade

Someday you might hate that I write down things I just know I'll forget, but I want to remember you...just like you are, today...my sweet and sardonic five year old drama queen.  So, my sweet KJ, this is what life is like for you at five (and a half) years old...

You absolutely love, love, love school.  That makes this teacher's heart happy.  You are eager to learn, so eager to explore.  You are already starting to read.  So far you've sucessfully mastered Go Dog Go (also the first book I ever read) and many of the books your teacher sends home for you to work on.  You love practicing your sight words.  You giggle and your eyes get all sparkly when I tell you how proud I am of you when you get them all right.  You know all of your color words and are already showing more promise in math than I probably have :)  I volunteer in your classroom whenever I can and I'm not in class, and I love to watch you interact with your peers.  You're not bossy, in fact you tend to go along with what the others are doing...but you are so sweet and compliant to your teachers.  I love your tender heart. 

You're becoming more independent in lots of ways, but you're also still a momma's girl.  You always let me pick out your clothes, fix your hair, give you baths.  You love your blankie...although I can tell that you don't need it like you used to.  You still nake naps after you get home from school, sometimes you are so tired, I think you would sleep until 8 o'clock if we let you.  You are still such a string bean, only 36 pounds, and barely out of a 5T.  It's impossible to buy you pants.  Impossible.  I suppose this shouldn't really come as a surprise, it's also impossible to buy myself pants.  This is our lot in life, sweet girl.  We're still working on staying dry all night.  I'm okay with this.  It's not time to freak out about it, yet...I'm trying lots of different things to help.  I wish you would eat more...oh my goodness you fight us at every single meal over what feels like every single bite.  If you could eat macaroni and cheese and barbecue sauce only until you were six I think you would be happy.  Really happy. 

You love your brother, and not just in a I have to love my brother because he's there...but because you REALLY love him.  He's your best-friend....the two of you are rarely apart.  If he is crying, you are concerned, if you think he's getting more than anything of you, you are FAST to let mommy or eric know.  You fight, but you are quick to hug, sometimes are just plain mean to each other, but even quicker to stand up for one another.  You are a good big sister. 

Five has been such a changing year for you, my baby girl.  All of a sudden, you aren't my baby, but instead you're a big girl, capable of so much more than I probably ever give you credit for.  You fell asleep in my arms the other night, and I felt your hot breath on my neck, and I remembered what it felt like to hold you in the NICU, to hold my breath so I could hear yours.  With every breath, I am so grateful for you.

I'm so proud of all you are...
so excited to see all you'll be.