Two Months Later...

So, it has been two months almost to the day that I blogged. Either I have been really lazy or really busy for the past two months. Let me catch up on some "majors" and then I can roll out the rambles of a busy and tired homeschool mom.

Oct...
Noah and Jonah finished out their football season. Both boys played well this year and worked hard to improve their abilities. Jonah says he won't play next year and Noah is already talking about what position he wants to play next year and what he can do in the spring/summer to be ready for football in the fall of 2009.

We hosted our first ever Halloween Party for just our friends. The kids all spent the night out with friends/family and we enjoyed an evening of adults. It was great! I still love to entertain and I still know how to dance - Good thing, or I would have been embarrassed. I just wanna know why I danced alone so much. Where were my friends that told be that we should have music and dance? I look forward to making this a tradition. We had good food and drink and great fellowship!

Nov...
We brought in the month with a surprise party for Gage's 15th birthday. It turned out great. Grandaddy Patrick, Uncle Patrick, Uncle Roger and Uncle Mike sent Gage some great cd's that they worked together to make for him. Joey, Jared, Hailey, Amanda, Heather and Amanda K. came out to celebrate and wish Gage a Happy Birthday. I hope that we made a happy memory
for him his year.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, our family was blessed to join the Pike's for Thanksgiving Dinner. They are new friends to our family, but we already LOVE them dearly. We had a wonderful time of food, fellowship and dishes. LOL. It was amazing to spend the day with their 6 kids and our own in the same house and almost not know they were there. There was no fussing or fighting all day and I even think that a few of my boys like a few of her girls. It was a day that I KNEW what I was thankful for.

Two days before Thanksgiving, Philip, Noah, Jonah, Caleb and I headed to Montgomery, AL so Philip could do a side job at the Sports Authority there. It was Philip's 39th birthday. We drove back home the night before Thanksgiving arriving home on Thanksgiving Day at 5:30am. Everyone went to bed and I dressed the turkey and put it in the oven. Then sleep came for me too.

Thanksgiving Day! Noah's 11th birthday! He was so excited! You see, Noah was born on Thanksgiving Day. His birthday fell on Thanksgiving when he turned 6 and now again. He was excited to see all his family o his birthday. Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Sherri & Uncle Greg, Aunt Sandra & Uncle Chris, Uncle Lofton, Uncle Brandon, Uncle Joe, Jordan, Josh, Hayden and Hayley. It was such a blessed day for him. To top it off he spent the nigh with Grandma and the next day, Uncle Lofton took him to get a new skateboard with his birthday money and then took him skating.

Dec...
Well, I am almost caught up. December has hit full throttle. I told myself and my family that we were going to slow down this year and focus on our family and on Jesus. Today is the 10th and I don't think we have slowed down yet. Today we participated in Craft Day with other homeschool friends. The boys made gifts that they will share with family and friends for Christmas. It was a blessing to see each one of them taking their time and using their creativity to "make" a gift for someone that they love. It is my desire that this year my children feel the presence of the Lord in Christmas like never before. I want them to KNOW that He is here among us and in us. So as I move forward into this day, I commit to changing my focus; to sharing that focus with my children; to showing Jesus' love to them and helping them show it to the world around us; our little world right here in Atoka, TN; our neighbors, our friends and the strangers that we encounter everyday. That is what Christmas is all about: Sharing God's LOVE with others, just as he shared His love with us by sending Christ to SAVE us ! For that I am thankful.