Thanksgiving 2008: Christmas Lights Edition

We have been having a really good time here in Idaho. Last night we had a testosterone trip to see Christmas lights. It just so happened that we had an all boys trip to the south hills Christmas lights. Tj's aunts Beckie and Jenni, their husbands Steve and Jay along with their boys, Tj, me, Joel, Vance and Cindy all went up to see the lights. This family has been decorating their house for probably about 15 years. They have a circular drive and they decorate on both sides of the drive and the house. They convert their garage into a winter wonderland village display, pipe out Christmas music and they even bring in a camel that kids can feed baby carrots too. It's really an amazing display.

Tj took me to see the lights 7 years ago when we were first married. It was really fun to take the boys there this year. Joel was SO excited to see all the lights. He was a little weary of the camel but fed it a carrot which surprised me. Vance was pretty laid back about the whole thing and was pretty happy to be carted around while remaining toasty warm in his stroller. And of course having all their cousins around added to the fun and excitement. It was a really fun night!

Thanksgiving 2008: Idaho Edition

Tj's parents arranged for us to be able to come up to Idaho for Thanksgiving this year. It has been a lot of fun! The boys have been having so much fun with their cousins and Aunts and Uncles and of course Tj and I have enjoyed spending time with family that we haven't seen in a long time. We had dinner over at Tj's Uncle Steve and Aunt Becky's house with all the Aunts and Uncles and most of the cousins. It was really delicious and tons of fun! Anyhow, here's a sneak peak of our holiday dinner.

Thanksgiving 2008: Gratitude Reflections

So it's that time of year when I (along with the majority of the US population) sit and reflect on the blessings that fill the lives of myself and my family. This year I feel especially grateful for so many of our blessings.

I am so grateful for my husband and best friend, Tj. The longer we're married the more I see our differences but for these I am also grateful. Tj is so funny, smart, laid back and logical. He truly compliments me and my neurosis. Being apart for such an extended amount of time (at least for us) really makes me appreciate how much he does for our family. He's such a great father and husband.

I am also very thankful for my two sweet boys. Vance and Joel are constantly blessing my life. I know I am fortunate to have such good sons. They are such good friends and play so well together, they both are such good helpers, they're both just so happy and content.

Of course I am grateful for my extended family: my parents, my siblings and their spouses and children. This year we were able to spend some time with many of my brothers and sisters and their families as well as see my parents a few times. I am also grateful for my in-laws. My mother and father in-law are so great and I'm truly fortunate to be able to call them family. Not only do they do so much for us but also for so many other people. They are always thinking of others and are such amazing examples of service. I am also grateful for our other family: aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, ect. This year especially I feel such gratitude towards all our family and for the love and support they have shared with us this year. I have loved staying in touch with so many of our family through blogs.

I'm also grateful for our friends- many who have become a second family. We have been blessed with so many good people in our lives. From the missionaries who served with Tj in Ecuador, to my roommates at U of A, friends and coworkers from our jobs in Daytona and of course many ward members from church that we have gotten to know. While we are far away from many- if not most- of these friends I am grateful for the impact that they have made on me and my family.

I am thankful this year for the niceties that most of us take for granted here in the United States. I am grateful for our home, the food we have in our home, electricity, running water, flushing toilets and so forth. I am thankful for the luxuries that we take for granted: cable, internet, cars, and SO many other things that I could list. We are truly fortunate to live in the United States. When I sit and reflect on our blessings it is humbling and even a little overwhelming to reflect on how much we have. I am also grateful for the opportunities that we have to work and provide for our family. I am grateful for Tj and for his work ethic to provide for our family so that I can stay home with the boys.

I am so grateful this year for the opportunities that we have had this year. I'm grateful for the struggles we've had and for the growth I've had personally from these trials and for the growth we've had as a family. I am grateful for friends and family who have lent support, prayers and love to us throughout this year. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Could Life Get Any Crazier?!

So as I type this post I am anxiously waiting for time to pass so that I can go pick up Tj from the airport- in Boise, ID. Can I say that the last 3 weeks have been the longest and most action packed weeks for us in recent family history. It all started (well relatively speaking) after the boys and I dropped Tj off at the Orlando airport. He flew out to Dallas for a 3 week training course for his new job. Conveniently this was the start of the whirlwind packing and moving fest that would envelope our family.
The following week was my last week at work which was met with mixed emotions. There are a few people that I'm going to miss working with and the sense of accomplishment and recognition that I received while working there was nice. However, I am looking forward to being home with the boys full time and the new adventure that awaits me there. I am also extremely relieved to be done with the drama and politics that are involved in just about any work environment.
I barely had time to breath a sigh of relief after "retiring" before I was in full packing mode. I basically had a week and a half or so to pack our entire house, tie up loose ends on one side of the state and start new housekeeping on the other side all while entertaining and keeping tabs on the boys. I am so blessed that the boys are such good kids and that we had 24 hour a day Noggin (how I will miss Noggin and on-demand cable). Even though I tried to schedule the move as best I could it was still a mad dash at the end. Then it was off to establish our new home on the other side of the state.
Once we got there it seemed to be a series of unfortunate events. I won't go into it but I will say that if anyone ever relocates to the south western coast of Florida let me tell you what rental company NOT to use. So anyhow, we FINALLY started to get settled there and met some really great people at church. I am really excited to get to know these neat people better.
Anyhow, we then left for Boise for the Thanksgiving holiday. We're really excited to spend so much time with the Idaho family and friends. The boys have had a ball playing with their cousins and are doing SO well despite having daddy gone for so long, being dragged all over the country and dealing with the time difference. Anyhow, here are some of the latest pictures of the boys.




Joel visiting with his cousins at Chicago Connection.
(Chicago Connection is a pizza place in Boise that
has the BEST pizza ever, coming from a gal who
isn't that crazy about pizza to begin with.)

Vance likes Chicago Connection pizza too!

Mom and the boys in front of the train at the
Boise Depot. Joel was so mesmerized by the
this train!

Pa and the boys in front of the fireplace. The
boys are LOVING the cold weather. It must
be in their blood. :)

The boys trying on their winter attire in FL.