Hello! If you're reading this, we can assume that you too have survived your Thanksgiving holiday. We had a great time with the Carlsons in Lindsborg on Thanksgiving Day, and then got to go on to Great Bend to be with the Haneke/McKinney children crowd on Friday and Saturday. The kids had a great time playing with each other and with family, and Dad and Mom actually found some time to relax and enjoy conversation with family.
The Thanksgiving in Great Bend was certainly different without Grandma. We had some extra folks join us for our big meal, so the hole wasn't quite as noticeable as it might have been otherwise. We certainly missed her special touch and knack for making everything come together just right, but Grandpa and Craig are plugging along and making the best of a rough situation. It was amazing how she was there with us as we all gathered together. I teared up as we turned down the drive to their house--it's painful to see the place where so many memories have been made and know that she's not there anymore, but it was actually a comfort to step inside and see that even though she wasn't physically present, Grandma was emotionally present in all that we did. As I scrubbed dishes and helped stir gravy, I knew that Grandma and Mom were happy that we all came together as a family. Christmas will be hard--it was both women's favorite holiday--but I hope to draw strength from their legacies and make the season extra merry and bright in their memory.
Prior to leaving town for Thanksgiving, we had the distinct pleasure of watching Connor as he participated in Second Friends' Thanksgiving Celebration. He and his class sang songs and fixed a delicious snack of muffins, fruit salad, and popcorn that we all enjoyed together. Connor did a FANTASTIC job of singing and did the majority of the motions for each song, too. He was dressed up like a little Indian and looked absolutely adorable. We were so proud of him and thankful to be a part of his first school program. Here are a couple pics of him singing and us together as a family prior to diving into our snacks.
It was great day at home for us today--we decorated for Christmas and the kids had a great time helping. We did have to take some liberties as we decorated to allow them to utilize their own creative approaches for embellishing things. For example, Connor thought that the nativity scene wasn't complete without Lightning McQueen and Mater attending the Christ child's birth right alongside Mary and Joseph (see picture). As Connor was playing with his own nativity scene, he drove Mater around to the front of the stable and bellowed "Jesus, open the gates!". Brandon and I laughed hard at the thought of our Savior paving the way for Mater to enter into the Holiest of moments (nevermind the fact that He was an infant at that time and would probably not have even been physically able to open the gates by Himself--maybe Mater would have done better to employ the help of the angel or the donkey).
When we were picking up Connor from school today, Kylee asked where we were going. I replied "We're picking up Connor from school". She then said "Connor, my friend?" I said "Yes--is Connor your friend?". She said "Connor is my best friend--I love him". Awww. She's in a stage of a thousand questions--"Where's Daddy?" "Where's Mommy?" "What happened?". It would be really cute except for the fact that she asks these sorts of questions approximately a thousand times. Therefore, it's cute for the first 12 times, but after that, it starts to lose its luster. Good thing for that absolutely adorable smile!!
At the Carlson Thanskgiving, we were asked to share what we were most thankful for. I am thankful that our children have wonderful grandparents and great-grandparents, and that we have not just one, but several families to celebrate holidays with. I am thankful for my amazing husband and his patience, wisdom, encouragement, and kindness. I am thankful for two beautiful, healthy children who are growing more and more each day and forcing me to grow right along with them. I am thankful for God's grace and unconditional love.
And, I'm thankful for folks like you who take the time to read and look at what is happening in our corner of the world. :)
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