A Happy Thanksgiving Indeed!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends. My family and I have so much for which to be thankful. This time last year our small fry, Hunter was still at Cooks Children's Hospital weighing less than 4 lbs. Freddie & I spent Thanksgiving with Gabe, Ryan & Dane at Ft. Worth, so they wouldn't be alone.

This year we are at home celebrating with our family and friends. Hunter has made so much progress and is doing so well. Our other grandchildren are all healthy and growing so fast. God has blessed us in so many ways and we are truly grateful.

I even got a wonderful surprise yesterday. Hunter is growing so quickly that he is going to need a new car seat very soon. We thought we might buy him a new one for Christmas. Then last night I checked my email, and I got an email about this:

http://afroginmysoup.com/2008/11/evenflo-symphony-winner/

What a blessing to win this car seat for our little guy!! And what a thrill for my heart that I actually won something.

A Wonderful Weekend!

A couple of weeks ago, the hubby and I went on a road trip to visit our friends, the Burba’s, that live about 3 hours away. Chylene and I have been good friends since Jr. High (which yes that was a long time ago)!! When we started having our children, we really became close and went through the ups and downs of raising babies together.

Chylene has the biggest heart and would do anything for those she loves. She has a knack for spoiling children, and she did an excellent job of doing that to my kids. Some of my kid’s favorite memories involve their annual Christmas cookie baking. She would let all of them make cutout cookes & decorate them. Her kitchen always looked like a disaster when they finished, but they were sure proud of their creations.

Her two boys have a very special place in my heart too--I love them just as if they were my own kids!! Since they moved away several years ago, we don’t get to see each other as much. But our friendship is still such a blessing. We are still always there for each other and communicate through phone calls and email. And whenever we do get together, we always pick up where we last left off. I am so grateful for my lifetime friend with whom I share many wonderful memories!

Anyway back to our trip. We got to do some visiting and a little shopping. We also did a lot of eating—Chylene is the best cook. And that girl knows how to cook on a large scale; there is always lots of delicious food. We had everything from chicken & dumplings to bacon wrapped cabbage. This trip definitely put a kink in my weight loss efforts!!

Not only is she a gifted cook, but she also always has the most beautiful yard. She definitely has a green thumb (which she has passed on to the oldest son). Her porch was so festive in a fall theme. It was a Kodak moment as you will see below. I even got to bring a beautiful plant home to spruce up my front porch. Good friends, great blessings!!

A Birthday Surprise!!

I have been blessed with some of the most awesome friends. They are a wonderful group of women who enrich my life in so many ways. As Thanksgiving approaches, I am so grateful for these women I consider great blessings in my life.

Let me tell you about Becky (Nahna, to her grandkids & mine)! She and I grew up in the same church, and we have known each other since high school. Even though we didn't run around together, we were in band together and were friends. After high school, we both married and started our families. Our daughters were born within a few days of each other and went to school together. When the girls were in high school, we became close friends. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversaries by going on a cruise to the Carribean and Mexico a couple of years ago.

She and her husband have blessed our lives immensely. They are awesome Christians who love Jesus and are bold in their faith. They are spontaneous and live life as if it is an adventure each day, the complete opposite of me--a methodical and structured planner. I have learned so much from them, and we consider them more like family than friends.

Anyway Becky celebrated a birthday this week, and a surprise party was planned in her honor. It was a wonderful celebration of a special woman who makes this world a brighter place! The only thing that took away from the party was the absence of her son who was ill and her beautiful daughter and her family who live in Minnesota.

The food was spectacular--a combination of potluck and some wonderful desserts prepared by her daughter-in-law. Let me tell you, that Victoria can cook! She prepared some jalapeno potato salad that was wonderful, and her dessert table had a chocolate fountain (which is like heaven on earth) along with some exquisite cheesecake quesadillas and mini pecan bars. I think I gained 5 lbs. at the party!

It was a wonderful get together and the look on her face was priceless!! Happy Birthday Becky!






Surprise!!!








Beautiful roses--
a gift from her
dad.













Becky's hubby
& the youngest
grandson.















Becky's 4
handsome
grandsons