It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

Okay, I know everyone will laugh at my picture and how excited about I am about our Christmas lights! I have never lived in a house that had Christmas lights, so I love our lights! You can't really see them very good, but they are beautiful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Clayton
Cooper
Kenndall
Three Cowboys fans ready for Thanksgiving dinner and the game!
I am thankful for God, my family, and my freedoms.
Go Cowboys!

Almost Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving Day will be day after tomorrow. Wow! It seems this past year has flown by. I remember last year at this time, we were meeting our new step family for the first time. It was crazy. None of us knew anything about them at all except that our dad loved this lady name Janet Lewis and she had three girls that were around our age. I laugh thinking about it now. All of us were a little apprehensive, just because we were all a little clueless. But, we should have just trusted God. Because, in this past year, my step-family has become so precious to me. I always wondered why God didn't let my parents have any other girls, well now I know, He knew I would be getting 3 great step-sisters! It has been such a wonderful experience to watch my kids love Janet (Gammy). I could not have picked anyone better for my dad. My kids have 4 new cousins that they have bonded with and grown to love in just a year! Kenndall always asks about Taylor and Britten. It makes my heart so full of joy to know that they will grow up loving these cousins. I posted a few weeks ago about the death of my mother. One of the incredible things that I have realized is that God took away one person from my life and a year later added 10 people into my life that now I can't imagine life without. God is so faithful and gracious. I cannot thank Him enough for His blessings. Dad and Janet's anniversary is on the 29th (thanks Allison for reminding me!:)) As I reflect on their 1 year together, the one word that I can say is, thankful.

Corn Maze Fun

At the Corn Maze they have one of those little things that you put your face in and take pictures. Well, we got all the kids in this one. Cooper, Taylor, Kenndall, Clayton, and Ryan. It was funny.
The kids liked to stick their heads all the way through.
Kenndall and Taylor
Cooper and Kenndall
Kenndall
The kids
Kenndall playing in the leaves outside our house.
Clayton playing in the leaves

November is flying by. We went to Memphis Saturday to celebrate Caleb's 9th birthday and Tracy's birthday. The kids had so much fun. Cooper wanted to stay with Aunt Tracy, he and Kent had a great time playing together. Kenndall wanted to go home with Aunt Wendy. Anyway, it was a good little mini-vacation for me. Coby and Garret are so helpful with the kids, sometimes I wish I could take them home with me!
Sunday we went to the Corn Maze with Dad, Janet, Ally, Dustin and thier kids. It was fun. We did 1/2 of the corn maze. We were all sweating and most of us were carrying or pushing a kid. Yes, sweating in November. It has been unseasonably warm here. Anyway. Dad bought us a couple of buckets of KFC. So we had yummy food, and fun walking around. I had never been out to the corn maze, so I was pretty impressed. It is a neat place.
This week we don't have a whole lot planned, but next week is busy, busy and then the next week is Thanksgiving. Wow!
Yesterday at church we talking about service in class and small group. The lesson was about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Jesus created an example for us in this story. He saw an opportunity and took it. God creates opportunities like this for us, will we be ready and waiting for His leading, or will we be embarassed or scared of rejection. Everyone can serve. There are few people that cannot serve someone else in some way. God gives each of us a gift that we are called to share with others. We can all write a card to someone, call someone on the phone, send an email. Don't just encourage that person, find a way to serve that person. Offer to come help them with their children, offer to cook them a meal, offer to help them clean, offer to take them to dinner, etc., be creative. Each of us knows what our friends have to do on a daily basis, how wonderful would it be to be able to serve our friends like Jesus served His own friends.

2 years.....

No it is not anyone's birthday. But, I just wanted to look at this photo and remember someone's birthday. My mom's birthday was in June, on June 5th. We always had a nice summery party for her, usually a cookout, some type of outdoor activity, and a homemade cake. We would wrap her presents in the Sunday comics, and she would always be so appreciate of the smallest gifts. Even if it was junk, she would never throw it away, but always keep it and look at it and remember happy birthday memories.
2 years ago, yesterday, my mom died from cancer. It was one of the worst days of my life. November 5th forever shall be jaded in my memory. When I think of it, I think of grey. A grey room, grey cloudy light filtering in a grey shade through a grey window, the smell of grey medicine, and grey skin. I am sorry if that is too much for some of you, I know usually I am more cheery. But, I am giving myself a day to grieve, a day to hurt, a day to remember the pain. That was yesterday. November 5th will NOT be the day that I remember the good things, because there was little good that day. I remember good things about my mom everyday of the year, but not November 5th.
I encourage any of you who have lost loved ones, especially parents, brothers, sisters, and children, give yourself a day of grief. Yes, death for a Christian is only a temporary goodbye, but there is no harm in tears, in pain, in remembering the hurt for a day. There is something cathartic about hurting over the loss of someone you love. One day a year, let it out, give your hurt to God. Let the healer take your hurt and pain as your head hits the pillow. Wake up refreshed, relieved, and strong in the knowledge of a new day, a day of happy memories, a day of thankfulness for those He has given you.

Clayton's 1st Birthday!!

Opening the singing purse from Aunt Kim.
We got her a chair like the other two kids have.
Clayton checking out her Pooh bear.
Clayton and her favorite present, a pushing/riding princess car from Papa and Janet.
Opening her talking book from Aunt Wendy.
The icing was all over her

She did NOT like her cake, or the feel of the icing on her fingers.
Clayton and her butterfly cake.
Clayton wondering why everyone is singing to her!

Clayton is 1 year old today! Wow! My precious little box of sunshine. I love this baby! One year ago I was sitting in church 9 and a half months pregnant wondering when my little girl would make her arrival. About 2 o'clock I started having pretty regular contractions and about 4 I realized this was the real deal. So we took Kenndall and Cooper to Wendy's house and after 9 hours of labor, at 11:14 pm, Clayton Kass made her appearance. This baby has smiled more in her first year of life than some people do in their whole lifetime. I can always count on her to cheer me up, no matter what. She has been the easiest baby and I thank God for her every day!
So, what is Clayton doing at one year. She can say Mama, Dada, "Guck" for duck, book, "uce" for juice, "na-na" which is no (maybe), Bubba for Cooper, and various other words. She tends to say the word once and then not say it anymore. However she loves to say duck and every animal is a duck. She of course is walking everywhere, and not just walking, more like speed walking. She doesn't go anywhere slowly, she walks as fast as she can. She is always interested in whatever Cooper and Kenndall are doing and tries to be a part of it.
I took her to the dr. this morning and the weighed in at 17 and 1/2 lbs, 5% for weight. Her height was 29", which is 55%. So she is about average height and she will be a skinny minny like her sister. The dr. said she looks good. And I am about to start weening her off the bottle, yuck. I am not looking forward to it because she doesn't like milk, so what to do, what to do. The dr. gave me a couple of suggestions. I am just excited that I don't have to buy formula any more! Praise the Lord!
Clayton had a great birthday party, our house was full. She had a purple butterfly cake. Her favorite present was from Papa which was a riding/pushing Princess car. She has played with it a lot. I cannot wait to see what the next year holds for my sweet baby girl.

Halloween

Halloween Pictures! Cooper was Luke Skywalker, Kenndall was a duck, Clayton was a butterfly. They all looked precious! We started Halloween festivites at Superkids, the kids dressed up and they had a little carnival for them. Cooper and Kenndall got tons of candy! Then that evening we went with Brian's work to the Villa ( an assisted living facility in Wolfforth) to give candy to the residents, it was a reverse trick or treat. The kids were so sweet going in to the residents rooms and saying, "Happy Halloween". Then Friday night we carved pumpkins. Saturday we went to Trunk or Treat at South Plains. It was so fun to see all of their little friends dressed up. Cooper really got the hang of trick or treating this year. At the end, he was pretty much telling the people what he liked and didn't like (it was kind of embarassing). At one point a nice gentleman was trying to put some carmel popcorn in his bag and Cooper took it out and gave it back to him and said, "I don't like popcorn". Yikes. So a lesson in gratefulness is in order. The kids had a great time. This mama is glad we have a year until next Halloween. This weekend wore me out!

Pictures of the Girls

I love these pictures!!! Allison took them at various locations around Lamesa and she did an excellent job!!