Thanksgiving in Arizona

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with the family yesterday.  We kept it to the four of us which under the current status of the knee, I think was an excellent idea.  Kent cooked the Turkey on the grill again this year and it was yummy.  We had more than enough food for the fam, but that just means more leftovers today.  We started the holiday season off nicely.  Some Christmas music, a fire in the fireplace(it is not real of course) some EggNog and a holiday movie, Fred Claus.  Nothing could have been better then maybe some snow!!  But wait what is that I hear? The pitter patter of rain on the roof?  It is raining really hard and loud is all I could think.  So what is the natural thing to do, go check it out.  And what to my eyes see, why miniature little pellets of frozen ice I see.  Yes, we have snow.  Well the closet thing to it in Arizona.  What a memory for us native Coloradoans turned Arizonians, it hails on Thanksgiving.  And that is the best kick off to my favorite time of the year!!!  Merry Christmas

Filling the Box

There are people who pass through you life sometimes that I like to say, Fill you up.  They can fill you up with anything from useless knowledge to spiritual insight and wisdom.  Dan and Melana are the couple who fills you up with everything.  They were a couple who we were in a small group with for a little over 4 years.  I think.  It gets a little fuzzy trying to remember when we started.  We took this picture the night before they left for a new chapter in their life in a totally different world, Rolla MS.  Words can never express what this couple did for our small group and how they changed the dynamic.  We were all fairly young families with little ones still around and Dan and Melana's children were grown.  They are truly missed already in our group with what they gave but I do know that God has wonderful plans for them and He will use them in a mighty way.  That I am sure of.  The only prayer I have is that in our families life, Dan and Melana's goodbye wouldn't be forever, but a until we see each other again.  You will be missed Dan and Melana.

Well here we are again, another Halloween.  This was the first year we weren't together as a family.  Bryttany was invited to a friends house for a little party and trick or treating.  Aubrey had the joy of staying with us.  Every year we go to our neighbors house for a wonderful bowl of Chili and some homemade salsa.  It is a great time because there is always four or five families who sit together and talk about the past year, what we are doing in church and of course this year politics.  We all banned together with our conservative views and enjoyed the costumes.  We only saw one, Sarah Palin, one John McCain and one Barrack Obama(this one I never would have guessed since he was wearing a monster mask, who knew?)  As you can see we live in a red neighborhood.    Aubrey missed her sister which always makes us smile because you would never know how much she loves her big sister if God didn't give us these little glimpses into her heart to remind us how much of a softy she truly is.  So Halloween is over and we are off to bigger and better things, namely Thanksgiving and then my favorite time of the year, Christmas.  And it will be about time to cycle the girls closets from summer to winter clothes,  it is like the changing of the leaves for us.  When we do that we know that Fall is truly here.