I didn’t realize I was quite so behind in blogging. First of all, I wrote a 10 month/11 month post that somehow was never published. So scroll down for that one. Then I realized I never posted about Thanksgiving, or anything beyond! Be forewarned. This is a LONG post, maybe the longest ever for me…and it’s full of both fun and sadness. Here we go…
We had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving early with David’s family and then went to Roanoke for the holiday weekend. Somehow no pictures were taken and I am especially sad about that now. The kids had a BLAST running around outside, even when it was dark and cold. My cousin Danielle was scheduled to be induced the next day so most of the ladies sat upstairs and chatted with her while the guys watched football and took turns hanging out with the kiddos. By the way…she had a beautiful baby boy the next day…his name? Jaiden 
I love that we now have Jaida, Jaiden, Gracie and Graceyn in our family! And he is SO CUTE!!!
When we got back, it was time to decorate! See below for pictures of the fun I absolutely LOVE Christmas and everything that surrounds this wonderful holiday. I am so excited to have a daughter that shares that excitement and joy. What fun we had this year!!! Graceyn made an Advent chain at preschool so every day we took off another loop and she’d say, “Mommy! That means we’re getting closer to Christmas!” She and I made chocolate chip pumpkin bread to give as gifts, she helped me wrap presents, and we talked a ton about how all of this was to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. We read books, watched Polar Express, and drank hot chocolate.
Tall enough to reach by himself this year!
She almost fell in! Jaida had a great time climbing on the boxes and pulling out everything she could find
Our very special manger scene. My Grandaddy made the stable and the pieces were my moms. I always loved how tiny Baby Jesus is and now Graceyn does too.
Rylan and Keegan came over and all 4 kiddos had fun making the snowmen sing.
Both sets of grandparents and Aunt Allie helped us buy the girls a new playset for Christmas. We got a great deal on craigslist so we surprised Graceyn with it a couple of weeks before Christmas, when David had time to set it up. Both girls LOVE it!!! Jaida is quite the daredevil already and wants to go down the slide head first. Mommy is not a fan but daddy thinks it’s great
On Christmas morning, we had our traditional Christmas breakfast of French toast casserole and baked fruit. I skipped out on the sausage/egg casserole this year because we had so much going on and knew we’d be traveling. The girls each opened their books and ornaments. Fancy Nancy and the Splendiforous Christmas with a Winnie the Pooh ornament for Graceyn. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (with sounds of course!) and an ornament with a boxer that looks like Jake for Jaida. She also got a “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament. Then we read the Christmas story together and got ready for church. After church, we went to Manchester for a fun celebration there…lots of yummy food, more presents, kids playing, and Call of Duty for a few certain adults When everyone was worn out there, we loaded back up and headed to Virginia. It was a long long day for David and me but it was nice to travel while the kids were sleeping. The next day we celebrated with my parents and sister…more yummy breakfast and lots of presents again! My mom’s sister and her family came that afternoon as usual and we celebrated once again with them. Pictures to follow as soon as we figure out what’s wrong with our desktop.
And that’s where our holiday fun came to an abrupt end. As we were cleaning up the kitchen, my dad got a shocking and devastating phone call that my Uncle Rick had died suddenly that afternoon. Apparently he had a heart attack at work. This is the 2nd brother my dad has lost in 8 months and we’re all just a little numb from it…doesn’t seem real at all. The rest of the week was a bit of a blur as we walked around feeling lost and just waiting for arrangements to be made. I’m so thankful we were there for my dad and for us. It’s amazing how much you need to be with your family in times like this. The service was absolutely beautiful and absolutely what Uncle Rick would have wanted. We were up on his mountain on a beautiful day with family and friends all over. My sweet David did the service and it was just perfect. We laughed and cried…his oldest 2 children spoke, as did my dad and Uncle Mike, and 2 other friends. It was such a testimony to his life…a man who loved God, loved his family, loved his dogs, and loved his land. A man who would do anything for anyone…and often did. A father, a son, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a hard worker who is deeply missed. As we drove up to the country, I was overcome with sadness. For as long as I can remember, we have been to his house on Christmas Eve. This year they moved it to Christmas Day but still, we were too late. We knew we would be but didn’t realize how much we would regret it. My dad said they had a great night together and for that I am thankful. He was happy. But driving there for his funeral, instead of for a fun family gathering, was so much harder than I’d imagined. Walking into his house broke my heart. He was supposed to come walking into the room at any moment to give us hugs and welcome us in. Instead I found myself crying in the arms of his ex-wife, also a big part of my memories there. After the service, we stuck around for a bonfire…a tradition in their family but the first one I had been to with them. He would have been so happy to see us all there together. Uncle Rick, I love you.
And that my friends was quite a post. But that’s how life has been these days…lots of ups and some major downs thrown in the midst. David and I spent New Year’s Eve at home on the couch while the girls were tucked in bed. We needed some down time and that’s what we got. We have much to be praying for as this year begins…I’m anxious to see what God has in store!
