A Snowy Day

Well, it's about time we had a December snow! We awoke to a snowy morning last Saturday, and we bundled Ava up and took her outside to play and explore. I've mentioned before that she LOVES to be outside and often cries when we bring her back inside. She would stay out and explore all day if we let her!

She really had a ball and looked like a little snow bunny. Here are a few picture to enjoy from that afternoon.

Surprise! Snow early in December!



I couldn't resist bringing in some snow after breakfast for her to play with.







Almost ready to go outside!



Where's Ava?



Ava and Bear sharing a moment. He was so happy to have some company on this cold day!





Uh, oh.



Ah, nothing like warming up with a mug of hot chocolate and a sippy cup.

Running As Fast As I Can!

Heart-Deep

Hey, everyone,

I'm so sorry I haven't posted pics since Thanksgiving! I've been heart-deep all week in preparing my testimony to share with our class tomorrow. I finally completed writing about eight years of my life, and I'm ready to share. I'm so glad to finally have it written! It's a long story... :) To God be the glory for the great things he has done!

I'll be back to post some great pictures from our adventures recently!

Oh, and it snowed last night! We had an early December snow - unusual for around here, but everyone was thrilled. Miss Ava went out and played for a little while today and had a ball.

Happy December, everyone! Hope everyone is drinking egg nog. :)

Thanksgiving and Gratitude

We had a wonderful Tennessee Thanksgiving this year! Our morning began early as I got up early to prepare our 15 lb turkey. He was a handsome fellow, and I cross-referenced no less than six recipes to decide what to do with him with the amount of time I had!

I ended up buttering him with a rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper rub and stuffing him with half an orange, a head of garlic with the tops cut off and a few springs of fresh rosemary. I never realized that my kitchen could smell SO good! It reminded me a lot of being at my grandmother's house and smelling the turkey cooking as a little girl.

About 1:30, we took the turkey to my Mom and Dad's house to join the rest of my family. Our elderly neighbor, Miss Peggy, came along and joined in the festivities. We all had a wonderful time being together and celebrating our many blessings and eating delicious food! Here are a few pictures from our time together that day. I'm working on uploading a few more, but I can't get to them right now. I'll keep working on it.

Ava and Daddy check out Mr. Turkey. Fine looking bird...



Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade has been a tradition in our families for a long time. Ava enjoyed watching the big balloons and the marching bands go by. I still run to see Snoopy. :)



Turkey is prepared!



15 lbs into the oven...



Ava had a fun morning playing and watching the parade. We looked up at one point and found her wearing this hat.



Ava and Daddy watch the parade together.



Ben said that when his brother, Vince, was little, they used to tie a string to him and hold him up in the air like one of the balloons in the parade. Ben decided to try this with Ava!



The bird is done and ready to go!



The famous Thanksgiving feast. Yum!



Our Thanksgiving table. From left to right are my Mom, "Mimi" and Ava, my cousin Katie, Ben, me, our neighbor, Miss Peggy, my Aunt Syd and Uncle Lonnie, Aunt Jill and Uncle Rick, my cousin Wes, and Daddy, "Papa." My other cousin, Lacy, is in New Jersey dancing this year and couldn't make it home. We really missed her!!!!

Many of the Thanksgiving traditions that we enjoy were started by my grandmother, Ruthie, and this was our first year without her being there. There will never be a Thanksgiving that I don't remember her. We truly missed her this year. What a feast she must be having in Heaven!



I am so grateful for my family, each and every one of them. I love you all!

Thanksgiving Coming Up!

Hey, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've taken a few days absence from the blog just resting and enjoying good food and family. Ava has also had a little stomach bug with a fever but is feeling back to her normal fun self today! I'm going to post Thanksgiving pictures hopefully tomorrow, meaning Monday.

Yesterday, I was asked to prepare my testimony for our class next Sunday, and, well, I'm a bit nervous. I've told many people bits and pieces in the grocery store or in the P.O., and those closest to me know the moments of sorrow and pain very well, but I've never really written the whole thing out. I've wanted to for awhile, so I suppose it's time. I've always told the Lord that if He wanted me to share my story that I would. There's a lot to tell, and it's all in my heart and mind catalouged in different places. Some of it, I haven't thought about in awhile. Remembering is exhilarating and difficult at the same time. God has completely healed my heart, but I still remember the details, some of which are very hard to think about and remember without tearing up. So....

As I remember the details, please pray that I'll articulate what it is that God wants me to say. It's His glory, not mine, and I really want others to hear and see that.

Lord, please take this where you want it to go. You have the floor, not me.

The turkey pics will hopefully be up tomorrow sometime!

Then and Now

I love to look at photos from last year and compare what Ava was doing then and now. My, how she has grown and changed!

This time last year, Ava was learning to hold her head up.



This year, she is learning to climb anything and everything and pretend play!







She is a very gregarious and adventurous 15 month old!

Refrigerator Raid

I've mentioned before that Miss Ava is a climber. I seriously think that she would be in a tree if we weren't looking!

She spent last weekend with Mimi and Papa while Ben and I went on our adventure, and they had lots of fun together eating decorated turkey cookies, going for walks and playing in the leaves. Oh, and Ava was delighted to play with Leo, her favorite little feline buddy. Right before we left to come home, she got in their refrigerator and browsed. She went for the ranch dressing - like father like daughter.

We're busy preparing to celebrate a Tennessee Thanksgiving with my family this year, and I'm in charge on the baked turkey for the first time! Wish me luck! I'll post again soon.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!