Christmas

Christmas this year was absolutely perfect!  We spent Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house with my entire family, aunts, uncles and cousins.  There were more presents under the tree than any other year.  I had to giggle when we had all arrived and placed the presents, my grandfather exclaimed, "Holy Smokes!"  We usually dedicate a separate day to open gifts with my parents, sister and brother-in-law.  This year we just combined it all on Christmas Eve. 

My aunts Mary and Diane both play the piano.  Each year before gift opening they play and we sing Christmas songs.  Breezy was particularly interested in the piano playing this year.

Benny loves my cousins Sam and Jack.  He looks up to them like big brothers.  It is really sweet to see them all play together.

Avery opening one of her favorite gifts, an American Girl Doll outfit.

 On Christmas morning, the kids woke up to filled stockings, tons of wrapped presents and Grandma and Grandpa Fowble!  Chadd's parents came in from Kansas City to spend the holiday with us.  We were so grateful that they were able to experience Christmas through the eyes of their grandchildren this year.

(I have tried numerous times to add more pictures but blogger is being really wonky.  Oh well!)

Bethany and Andy came over for a delicious Christmas dinner and we all celebrated together.

I can truthfully tell you that this Christmas was probably the best one that we have had.  I am not sure why exactly.  It must have been a bunch of little things that all worked so well together and created the perfect atmosphere for a spectacular holiday.  I hope that your holiday was as merry and bright as ours was and that all of your Christmas wishes came true.

A little behind

Yea, I know once again I am a little behind.  I just cannot imagine why?  Oh yea, three kids, tons of activities and traveling out of state just may be why :) I cringe when I look at our calendar.  We have something going on literally everyday until Christmas.  I am busy trying to figure out in my mind how I can fit everything in.  It will get done, trust me and this year I vow to have the kids visit with Santa before Christmas Eve!

Rewind to Thanksgiving weekend.  We happily drove to Kansas City on Wednesday morning.  The ride went so smoothly that we made it there in record time(passing my sister and brother in law who left an hour before us:) As soon as we got there, the kids were on their scooters and rollerblades hanging out with the neighbor kids.  The couple who live across the street are orginally from Fairbault so they had 10 family members arriving from MN as well.  It was nice to finally meet them and their family arrived shortly after us so we shared travel stories.

Thanksgiving morning, I woke up bright and early to meet my girlfriend Erika in Overland Park to run the annual Turkey Day 5K.  The morning was 50 degrees and sunny.  It was a beautiful day for a run.  When we got to the site, I was overwhelmed with the number of people who were there.  There were over 1,000 runners!  So much for getting a PR on this race!  If you have ever run a jam packed race you will know that you spend the majority of your time and energy bobbing and weaving in between people to try to keep your pace up.  Long story short, it gets annoying and frustrating if you just don't let it go.  My phone crapped out on me halfway through the race so I was assuming I was running at an 8 min/mile pace.  The course was very challenging and full of hills and turns so I took everything in stride.  At the end, I was thankful it was over.  Erika and I had a great time hanging with each other and doing the race.  We are thinking of doing a different one next year.  My official time was 25:22 and I got a really awesome tee shirt to show for my efforts. 

When I got back to my in-law's the party was just about to get started.  I got ready and by the time I got downstairs again family members had started to arrive.  One of the things that my mother in law does is randomly select who sits where.  I love it because there are two big tables and you get to sit with different people each year.  Chadd and Andy drew pictures of turkey's and pilgrims and feathers and leaves on each place card and then Avery drew the names and placed them.  This year I got to sit with a few of my favorite people.  After dinner, we sang some karoake, played pool and watched the kids have a blast.  It was a wonderful holiday!

Giving Thanks

I love Thanksgiving.  Who can go wrong when there is food and family involved?  This year, we are heading to Kansas City once again.  I am going to run a 5K on Turkey Day with my girlfriend who lives there.  We have plans to get out and sing Karaoke with extended family members and attend the Plaza lighting ceremony on Thursday evening.  As I am writing this, I am beaming because I am so excited for the next few days.

This year, I am thankful for so many things.  I am thankful that the injury that Avery suffered in June was not worse than it was and that it is healing well, I am thankful for the addition of Andrew to our family and the new bonds that he has helped form between Chadd and Bethany and myself, I am thankful for Bethany, I am thankful for my neighbor Kristi, who is such a wonderful person that I get to spend time with virtually every day, I am thankful for my best friend Sara who has made our friendship such a priority, I am thankful for the friends that we have made through ECFE and the gym, I am thankful for Avery's first grade teacher, Mrs. Koschinska who acknowledges her strengths and helps her soar, I am thankful for my friend Gretchen who is always there for me no matter what, I am thankful for our church and our pastor who are helping me heal and transform myself more into the person that I want to be, I am thankful for my little nephew Connor who has brought such joy to our lives, I am thankful for my sister and her husband Cullan who were blessed with a new home this year, I am thankful for my parents who love our kids unconditionally, I am thankful for my in laws who always welcome us into their home for the holiday's, and I am thankful for the gift of good health in our family.  There are so many more reasons and people to be thankful for and if you are not mentioned here, please know that you are in my heart and I am thankful for you as well.

Most of all I am thankful for my husband and children.  They are my everything and I know exactly how blessed that I am to have them all.  Each one of them contributes in their own way and I couldn't imagine a life without them. 

What are you thankful for this year?  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with full stomachs, lots of love and happiness this year.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!