A Life of Gratitude

Happy Halloween!!!!  Tonight we celebrated Halloween for the first time in our new neighborhood. Our neighbors invited us over for a little party and trick or treating. We brought along an adorable Batman, the Wild Kratts and our nephew, the Lion, and his Ringmaster. Our friends had a police officer, a dragon and the Mad Hatter. George Washington and Elsa also joined us. They were a wild bunch but it was a lot of fun. I've always hoped our kids would get to go trick or treating with friends because I always enjoyed doing that as a child.  There weren't many children in our old neighborhood so seeing them trick or treating tonight with all their buddies was so exciting! I love that they have kids of similar ages living right here with them! What a sweet blessing! Batman!! Tyson wasn't too sure about Daddy's hair! A Lion and the Ring Master with The Queen of Hearts and Batman The Wild Kratts! The boys had so much fun trick or treating! They g...

All day today God has been revealing how blessed I am to have so many Mommies in my life. Please allow me to share how these awesome ladies have been a blessing to me, just today.... A few nights ago we tried to switch Tyson from his bassinet to his crib and it didn't go very well. He woke up 6-7 times. Yesterday one of my Mommy friends suggested that we put the changing pad in the crib so that it snuggles him more. We did it and last night he slept all night! He woke 2 times to eat and went right back to sleep, in his crib! I am so thankful for the advice from other Mommies who are dealing with the same things we are. This morning I spent time with a dear friend. She is also a homeschooling Mommy of 3 little boys. When we are together we do a lot of venting and sharing about trials in motherhood. There is a whole lot of laughter involved! This morning we did our nails as 6 little boys played (and slept) all around us. It was so wonderful to talk to another Mommy. Friendsh...

Today was National Make A Difference Day. Dylan and Bryan were away on a camping trip so Evan and I decided to do something to make a difference for someone. We decided to make cookies and a card for the mail lady. We talked about how the cookies could make a difference for the mail lady by bringing her joy while she was working but more importantly, we wanted to tell her that Jesus loves her in the card because that could make the biggest difference of all in her life. Evan was really excited about this little project.  Today I am thankful for the chance to work on a special project with Evan. Having three kids makes it hard to do things one-on-one with each child but today Evan and I got the chance to do something nice for someone else, just the two of us. He is such a joy to be with and he did a great job making the cookies and card. I am also grateful that Evan was able to see the mail lady recieve her gift. He was watching out the window when she o...

Over the past couple of days we have been working on some Fall decorations for our front porch. We've been carving and drilling and painting pumpkins. The boys have enjoyed it tremendously! They love being creative. I think the finished product turned out pretty good! Today I am thankful for sweet family traditions. Each fall we decorate our home with leaves and pumpkins and this year is no exception. The only difference is, this year we are in our new home! Being here makes all these family traditions even more exciting. I am incredibly grateful for God's many blessings this year. Enjoying the fall weather and decorating our new home with our newest little guy and his 2 big brothers just makes my heart so full. God has continually blessed us and I am eternally thankful!

I've never really made a bucket list but if I had one, riding in a hot air balloon would be on the top of it. I don't know why but I've always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon. Tonight I can cross that item off my imaginary bucket list because I got to do it today!  It wasn't a "real" hot air balloon but it was an afforable version of it called "Wonder of Flight". This balloon goes up 400 feet into the sky. Its a short ride but it was terrific! We could only go up 2 at time so Dylan went up with me and Evan went up with Bryan. (Tyson couldn't go....maybe next time!) We went up around 6:45pm while the sun was setting. The sun faded behind a mountain and the sky light up with fabulous colors.  It was absolutely gorgeous! Next time we'll go up together =) Today I am grateful for the opportunity to go up in a hot air balloon. I still hope to go up in a real hot air balloon one day but this was wonderful. The vie...

We had the best day today! We started off the day by driving along the Blue Ridge parkway, taking in all the amazing views and then had lunch at the "Peak of the Parkway at Pisgah Inn." Next we went to the Cradle of Forestry which was America's first school of Forestry. I wasn't sure if we would enjoy visiting there but it ended up being an absolutly wonderful time. We walked over 2 miles of nature trails together. The weather was perfect and the leaves were beautiful. We saw how the first Forestry students lived and learned and how the woods provide for so many of our needs. There was a steam train that used to be used in the Pisgah mountains for logging. The train was, of course, the highlight of the day for Dylan and Evan! I loved spending the day exploring nature with my family. The boys were given compasses, magnifying glasses, bug lenses, and tracking guides to help them as they explored. They loved it! It was the perfect day for exploring and enjoying all that...

Today is my sweet Evan's 3rd birthday! I cannot believe its been 3 years since I met this little guy! He is such a joy to be around and brings so much laughter to our family. He has a vibrant personality and keeps Bryan and I on our toes! He has become a wonderful big brother and loves his family. I can't imagine life without this little fella. I thank God daily for allowing me to be his Mommy! We celebrated this special occasion by visiting the aquarium and playing Hillbilly golf in Gatlinburg, both of which were requested by Evan. We had a terrific time. Evan loves fish so he was amazed by all the fish, sharks, and penguins. My favorite quote of the day occurred when we saw an enormous Japanese Spider Crab and Evan said, "Why did God make that?" I nearly busted out laughing! I love that he knows so matter-of-factly that God made all of those creatures and I love his boldness in asking that question too! He isn't afraid to say what he thinks, that is for sur...

I cannot believe that my precious baby boy is one month old already! It's really been a whole month since he surprised us with his explosive entrance! Tyson is the sweetest little guy. He loves to cuddle and watch his brothers act silly. He eats all the time and hates having his diaper changed, although he is getting more and more used to it. He smiled (on purpose) for the first time yesterday and loves to be sang to. He is already growing like a little weed and enjoys looking out the window. Tyson is already full of personality!!  Today I am thankful for a wonderful first month with our third son. We have fallen in love with this little fella and we wouldn't trade him for all the little girls in the world. He fits right into our family and has brought us so much joy already. God truly blessed us with this surprise! 

My little family gets to enjoy a special treat for the next week. We're staying in a very modern log cabin in the mountains while our house is rented for furniture market. One of our friends from church invited us to stay at her family's lovely home and we couldn't be more excited! We get to spend a week away together in the mountains! YAY! The house is gorgeous and the view is exquisite. This is the perfect time of year to visit the mountains because the colors are beautiful. I'm looking forward to exploring through out the week to see all the beauty that God's mountains have to offer.  Enjoying the view,,,, Isn't it gorgeous!? Tyson is enjoying his first trip! Brotherly love.... We're loving the log cabin! Today I am thankful for fun getaway for my family in this beautiful home on the side of a mountain! This is Tyson's first trip and we love having him with us! I am also grateful for the lovely scenery we get to enjoy this wee...