A season of Thanksgiving

Ah, I regret not posting more often.  I also regret deleting ALL of the pictures I took of Thanksgiving!  It was a very sweet week.  Mimi and Pa drove down the day after Luke left for SBL and spent the weekend with us.  Although it is sad to not be nearer to grandparents, everyone warms up to each other so quickly, it is like no time has gone by.  Lucy woke up from her nap and couldn't wiggle out of my arms fast enough to run over to jump into Mimi's.  Very sweet.

We spent our time playing, eating, enjoying each other, and opening treasures from their recent trip to Europe including a doll for Noelle, which she continues to adore, kiss, and care for.  I was given a hand crafted Christmas pyramid from Heidelberg.  Very lovely and special!  Lucy hadn't really understood the timing with Mimi and Pa arriving a few days before Shannon's family.  With a brave and courteous smile and teary eyes she told us, "I thought Aunt Shannon and Uncle David and Aubryn and Annelise were going to come, but it's just Mimi and Pa!"

But, alas, on Monday, Shannon, David, and the girls arrived.  The kids jumped right into playing together.  We delighted in Annelise's constant rendition of the "I know you..." Sleeping Beauty song and enjoyed laughing at the way she says "Sleeping Booty".  We were amazed by what a big girl Aubryn is and Noelle was thrilled to have another princess-loving friend to play with for the week.  Isaiah was a trooper in occasionally being a knight or a prince, though he especially enjoyed hanging out with the adults.  One highlight for him and the guys was their trip to Caddo for boating.  While they were gone, the girls spent hours playing play dough and hanging out together.   At one point, we found all 4 girls huddled under Isaiah's tall bed, praying!  So precious.

Our Thanksgiving was full of playing in the leaves, eating, football, and enjoying being together!  We have so much to be grateful for and it was a huge blessing to have everyone here for the celebration!

I didn't manage to delete the pictures of our Thankful leaves.  It was a joy again this year.  We had particular topics of thanks this year, which was helpful in allowing us to see so many things.  The kids also wrote a lot of their own leaves this year.  I love having their thankfulness written in their own words by their own hands.