Thanksgiving

As I have gotten older Thanksgiving has become such a special holiday to me.  It is coming close to taking over first on my list.  I still love the holiday season that we get to share in between Thanksgiving and Christmas though.  Thanksgiving is such a great time to actually sit done and thank God for all of the blessings in my life.  Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the hustle bustle of life and take things for granted.  I hate letting days rush by and not taking the time to enjoy the little things in life because we all know that the little things are truly what matters.  So now for my list of things I am thankful for. (Sorry I don't have pictures for all of them.)

First for my husband, Erin.  He is an amazing man who gives me so much support and love everyday!  He works hard to accomplish his dreams and I admire that so much.

Then we were blessed with Lukas.  I thank God everyday for him.  It still amazes me to this day the amount of love I have for this little boy.  His little smile can make every worry just disappear.  The joys of motherhood were never truly understood until I became a Mommy!

My family has always been such a big part of my life, and I am so grateful for them.  My mom and dad are two people with the biggest hearts I know.  They are always there to help anyone in need and just want what is best for everyone.  My brother and sisters know just how to make me smile.  I love how close we are still to this day! 

Erin's family is so special to me.  I always look forward to spending time with them during the holidays.  I am so lucky to have such great in-laws!

I am thankful for all of the family that I have.  Not everyone is close to their extended families and I feel very special for that.

My niece and nephews are some of the cutest kids I know.  They all have their special things about them.  We love getting to spend time with them and just watching them grow.

I am thankful for all the grandparents in my life!  Since we lost my Grandma Keeley around this time last year it is kind of bitter sweet.  I know she is happy in heaven with Grandpa, but I do miss them both so much.  I am so thankful that I still have my Grandma and Grandpa Schartz to spend time with.

We have such great friends that are a part of our lives.  Some old and some new, but all of them are special to us.

I am thankful that Erin and I both have good jobs to support our family with.  I know there are days that I get frustrated at work, but I still get the chance to help a child everyday and try to make a difference for them.

I know there are many more things that we are fortunate to have.  God has blessed me in so many ways.  I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!   Bring on the turkey :)

Down South

We are back from our quick vacation to Oxford, Mississippi to visit Evin, Kayla, and Maddox.  It was our trip to get away since football is over and basketball is getting ready to start.  It was nice to get to spend some good family quality time together.  Lukas did a great job on the flights.  One the way there he got to sit in his own seat, and he thought that was pretty cool.  He loved to play peek-a-boo with Grandma Beck in the seat behind him.  He was a little trooper.

Friday evening Erin, Kayla, and I went and met Evin up at the school for a tour of campus.  Lukas stayed back at the house with Maddox and Grandma Beck.  Their campus is very different with all of the landscaping and shrubbery that they have everywhere.  We went down to the square to eat and hang out for the evening.  I have to admit I felt quite old when the "loud" music at the bar bothered me cause we couldn't hear each other talk.  We did stay long enough though to outlast the 70 year old lady sitting front row by the band.

Saturday we all went down to the square to look around and do a little shopping.  It was homecoming week, and there were a lot of people out and about.  It was a lot of fun to just look at all the old homes there with the big front porches and their historical character.

Playing in the yard

Erin and his sleeping buddy.  Maddox wanted to sleep wherever Uncle Erin was.

Watching a little Tom and Jerry before bed.

That evening we went up to the game.  Tailgating is a big deal at Ole Miss, but it is done very differently than anything I have ever seen.  I am used to the tents and people playing games in a parking lot.  They have an area called "The Grove" on campus.  It is a large grass area in the middle of campus which gets covered with tents the night before from people setting up camp.  You don't see any grills though.  You hear generators to plugin their big screen TVs and chandeliers.  Not kidding there were multiple tents with chandeliers hanging from the middle.  A lot of people bring in catering for their food.  The students are dressed up for the occasion.  The guys where khaki pants, collared shirts, suit coats or sweaters.  The girls wear dresses and heels or boots.  (Kayla and I agreed the jeans and Washburn shirts were much more comfortable.)  It was very interesting to see and walk through.  Lukas was in awe of all the people.  He thought the stadium was cool too.  He just stared for awhile when we walked out to our seats and saw everything going on.  It was a great experience!

Walking through the grove

Check out the chandelier

Catering

Not a great picture, but we tried

Watching the game

Kayla, Lukas, and I at the game

All in all we really enjoyed just getting to hang out and catch up.  We even got a chance to play some pitch, which Kayla and I did beat Evin and Erin in 2 games to 1.  They don't handle that very well :)  It was a great trip and we can't wait to see them again at Christmas!  Lukas has been asking about "Maa" (Maddox) all night.  Lukas is missing his buddy already.

Weekend Getaway

Mississippi here we come!  Thats right....tomorrow we are flying to Oxford to see Evin, Kayla, and Maddox!  I am very excited to see everyone, but I can't lie I am very very nervous about the flight.  First off I am not a big fan of flying, but worse than that we now have an almost 16 month old to entertain.  One good thing is its a direct flight to Memphis and its only a hour and a half flight.  I think the thing I am worried about is I grew up with a sister that struggles when random kids freak out in confined areas.  She says how she just always seems to be lucky enough to be seated right next to these families.  I keep picturing someone boarding the plane and seeing us thinking, "O great they have a young kid I get to sit by."  Hopefully his cuteness will over shadow any cries.

Wish us luck!

Who me???  Why wouldn't you want to sit by me :)