Please share...

If you have any funny stories after being with relatives all weekend, please share!!! I'd love to hear.

With Thanksgiving

We had a perfect Thanksgiving except for that D's mother was not with us & my baby brother and his new wife were with her family. Otherwise, it was perfect. We finished eating and everyone helped clean the kitchen. Mama was still in the kitchen after the rest of us had left the room. Everyone adjourned to the living room. Suddenly we heard a big crash and everyone thought Mama had dropped a dish. We waited until the dish quit making noise, and I called out, "Mama?" She didn't answer. I looked around the room and everyone's face registered the exact same thought that I was having. Something was wrong. I yelled, "Mama!!" one more time and 4 adults ran to the kitchen. I was screaming, "Call 911! Call 911!" All of our hearts stopped when we reached the kitchen and no one was standing there. We assumed the worst. I was frantically thinking that I don't really know CPR. We looked around the corner, and Mama wasn't there. My sister-in-law had dialed 911. Suddenly, Mama walked into the room and asked us what we were doing.

Thankfully, she was just fine and the platter had fallen on its own. We all assumed that she had fainted or had had a stroke. Her father, my grandfather, had died at age 64 of a stroke. We were all shaking, yet so thankful that Mama is just fine. It was a good reminder that every day is a gift. We should treasure each minute, hour, and day. God is good.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to be reminded of what is most important in life... our Lord and our loved ones. It is a time during the year to reflect on our blessings before entering into the season of "I want I want I want" & "Give me Give me Give me". We lost my sweet father-in-law 11 months ago, and it makes me even MORE thankful for the time I have with loved ones. I read somewhere today that the only promise of time spent together is what we have at the moment, so enjoy your time with family and extended family!! You never know what the next day or year will bring, and this time is a gift!!!

It's easy to get all upset over little things like a relative's comments or a fussy baby or a still-frozen turkey, but what is most important is just being together. HAVE FUN!!!

And, if you have to bite your tongue over the holiday, please come and post the stories here in my comments section!! I'd love to hear!!! :)

Email from Hubby

"I want you to know, sweets, how thankful I am for you. I wouldn't make it
without you. I love you so much. Can't wait to see you tonight."

This is the sweet email DH sent me this morning. I just love him. I told him I need to hear that. A LOT!!!!!!!

Christmas cards

I usually use a great local printer to make our Christmas cards... and I also love themes where we all dress up like characters!! With the move, it was very difficult for me to change my expectations and just do a normal Christmas card. We have a beautiful picture of the 5 angels from my brother & sister-in-law's wedding, so I used that & tried Shutterfly for the first time. They are running a free shipping special & 20% off most cards right now. I even found another coupon code online for $10 off! This year Shutterfly has designers like Stacy Clare Boyd, Boatman Geller, and Fontaine Maury. I chose a precious FM card & ordered it last Monday night. I had it IN MY HANDS ON THURSDAY AT 5pm!!! Can you believe it?! So, don't procrastinate & order those cards!!!

LL Bean Adventure Duffle bag

A week ago I wrote about the Adventure Duffle that I was ordering for the children for Christmas as a gift from my mother. I decided to order one first to make sure it was correct, even though LL Bean said they would take back the duffle even if it was monogrammed!!! It arrived MONOGRAMMED in less than a week!! It is perfect with the rolling feature & cute monogram. We also received a gift card for $10 off a purchase of $50 or more! Guess what I will use towards the next duffle bag order?!!

My DREAM HOUSE

Everyone has their idea of a dream house. Perhaps yours would have a room for cubbies for each of your children, or the craft or sewing room you have always desired, or a beautiful closet fit for a princess. Maybe you desire a fabulous cook's kitchen where you can make culinary delights each day for your family. I am so thankful.... I live in my DREAM HOUSE!!! Our house is not the biggest on our street nor is it the smallest. We do not have a wine cellar, silk draperies, or surround sound (we're surrounded by the sound of children, yes, but not the kind of surround sound you buy!). However, THIS IS MY DREAM HOUSE. THIS is the house where all of our dreams were made!! This is the home where each one of our precious children came home from the hospital. This is where three premature infants shared a room with three cribs lined up in a straight row. This is the home where three 2-year olds happily welcomed a baby sister. This is the home where our MH and four precious angels welcomed home another baby sister just 2 days before Jesus' birthday!! This is the home where DH(Dear Hubby) and I have prayed, dreamed, wept, loved, danced, sang, worried, laughed, and grown. THIS is our Dream House. For that, I am so thankful.

It is true that by the standards of many, we need more bedrooms, or more space, or different colors. Thankfully, we have been filled with contentment in this home. We LOVE this home. Now I must leave this precious Dream House. Some days I don't know if I'll be able to handle it emotionally. After all, THIS is our dream house... this is where all our dreams were made!

On those days, I cling to Scripture, and the promise that unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Clearly the Lord is moving us to a new home, a new city, a new state. And, once again, He will lead us to our Dream House, just as He led us to this one. I don't think I'll ever love another home like I have loved this one, but I can trust that a new home will bring new dreams. May we rest in HIS sovereignty over all things!!!!