Thanksgiving

We took a trip up to Birmingham for Thanksgiving and had a lovely week with family. The weather there was spectacular for playing outside and the boys enjoyed the cool temperatures and the fall leaves. There is always something fun to discover at Grammy and Poppy's house in the woods! They also had a great time playing with their cousins!

Grammy and the boys out for a morning walk.

Building a fort in the woods. 

Laura had a great time on her first family vacation!

The familiar stare down...sizing up the competition.

Cousins!

Cousins! (And Rachel and Laura were so over taking pictures!) 

Golf with Poppy

I feel overwhelmed this year with all I have to be thankful for. It has been a tumultuous, exciting, hard, and wonderful year. There have been many changes and many blessings. I am so thankful for the work/life balance Robert now has with his job in Tampa. We get to see him every night. The kids get to chat with him and play with him every day. He is able to take the boys to school in the morning and put them to bed with me at night. We had not had that for several years and I am truly overwhelmed with the invaluable blessing of the presence of my husband and my children's daddy. I don't ever want to go back to the way life was in Dallas. 

I am thankful for the beautiful home and city we live in. We love seeing the water when we drive down the street in the morning and we love being able to drive down to the beach for the day on the weekends. 

I am thankful for the work of adoption the Lord placed first in Robert's heart and then in mine and for the amazing blessing of Laura Catherine.

I am thankful for my sweet, incredible children who I love more than I could even write in words. 

I am thankful that the Lord took me to China and there I met some other mommas who I consider my people. Who have blessed me by helping me get on track here in Tampa and find some groups to get plugged in with. It is nice to have people! 

All in all, my cup runneth over. I got teary eyed several times during the week of Thanksgiving as I considered my many blessings. I am so honored and humbled to have been given so much.