Monday, December 13, 2010

Gratitude.

It has been quite a few years since we had spent a Thanksgiving in San Diego and we were very excited to get to head to Grandma's house this year for it. All the girls were coming home as well and GG and Papa made the trek over there with us. Deke had to stay home and work so for the first time in almost nine years of marriage we spent a holiday apart. We had a busy week. We played games, snacked, watched movies, sat by the fireplace, ran around to different places, let the kids play outside and of course stayed up super late every night into the wee hours and just visited. Emma loved playing on the floor with toys and especially loved any time she could get closer to Wilbur. Wilbur is Brenn's dog and he and Emma have a bond. They love each other. She was only about a month old when they first saw each other and he loved her little feet and would always try to lick them. Over the last nine months they have really bonded. Whenever he hears her cry he will come running in to check on her, sometimes if we are tickling or wrestling with her he will come in and start barking at us because he is worried about her. If she is down on the floor then he tries to lick all over her if he can and she loves him so she would happily let him. When he comes into the room she gets all excited and starts moving her arms and legs reaching for him and smiling. They are so cute together. Hunter, Avery and Eden of course were non stop playing with each other. Hunter and Ave also enjoyed lots of playing and snuggling with the aunties which is one of their favorite things. Kimbre, Brenn, and Marley are three of their favorite people. The weather as always was gorgeous there and the leaves were all changing into beautiful colors. Some of the leaves were the size of Emma's head and it was fun to let her hold a few and check them out. On Thanksgiving Day we enjoyed a delicious meal with all the trimmings. Mom's turkey looked beautiful on the new platter that Grandma bought for her. The kids and I had fun making mini cornucopia's out of sugar cones and filling them with Runts candies and mini pumpkin candy. They turned out really cute. The dinner was delicious and so was the dessert. This year one of the pie choices was key lime and it was so yummy I kept going back for mini slices. While we ate Miss E literally entertained herself the whole time in her highchair with a clear plastic cup. It was hilarious to watch her attack it with her mouth and lick it and make all sorts of sounds as she banged it against her mouth. It was such a nice day to eat and relax and be together and reflect on our gratitude for the blessing given to us throughout the year. The next morning we decided to go shopping just us girls and mom for "black Friday" Without kids and with all the girls it was really fun and we ending up finding some cute things. While we went out GG helped the kids make this cute turkey out of a cake and sugar cookies for the feathers. She is such an awesome great grandmother. Not only watching and playing with all four kids but also taking on a project like this with them while we were gone. We also went to see Part 1 of the last Harry Potter which was sooooo good. I can't wait to start reading the books. I want to read all the books and watch each movie again before the final movie comes out in July. We also headed over to a nice little spot with some beautiful red leaves and took some pictures. It was such a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. On the drive home Hunter was in the back drawing a picture on the magna doodle. "Mom, look what I drew for you" he said and passed up this picture: This is a picture of his family. Can you see Ethan and Dylan as angels in the sky with their halos? Or how about Miss E in her stroller? Then of course all of our names written across the top of the screen. My heart was touched. This is what I am so thankful for, put so simply in a sweet drawing by my seven year old. I feel so grateful for the outpouring of blessings Deke and I have had this year for our family. We have been given such a wonderful family as a support system and I am so grateful for the family that I was born into. I love them so much. Grateful for a wonderful, loving husband that makes me laugh, is so attentive to my needs and emotions and is such a tender, involved daddy. Someone that supports me and shares with me in the joy of raising our children. He is such a good man and I love him so much. I can't even explain how many times in my life I have gotten down on my knees and thanked Heavenly Father for Deke. I would not have been able to go through some of the things that I have walked through without him by my side. Grateful for my five babies, Hunter, Ethan, Dylan, Avery and Emma and the joy that they constantly bring to my life. Grateful to have the gospel as my foundation and a loving family to help support us as we walk through this life. Thank you Heavenly Father.


































































































































































































































































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