Thanksgiving Fun

After a whirlwind time of mourning with my family during the time of my uncles' deaths, it was so nice to go to my in-laws home & relax (even if I only had less than 24 hours, it was still nice). Once again, I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted, but here are a few...

iPhones are addicting...

 Georgia had to take it over to show Great Grandma...the girls both love her dearly!

 I swear, I can't take Ivy Jane anywhere. We had a beautiful lunch with the perfect table setting, & what does she do? She starts making faces in the gold butter dish...

 What can I say? She IS her father's daughter!!!

 And then the Tryptophan started kicking in. I love this picture of Ivy Jane cuddling with Aunt Heather!

 And look at this sleepy face? (Georgia, not Mimi!) Although, Mimi was exhausted I'm sure. She insisted on doing most of the food since I had been out-of-pocket. Thank you, Mimi! We left after lunch & the girls went right to sleep & slept the entire way to Grandma & PawPaw's house.

The day after Thanksgiving has always been a CRAZY day for our family. For the past 26 years we've been opening the gate to our family's choose & cut Christmas Tree Farm! I was 10 years old the first year we sold trees. Things have changed A LOT around the farm since 1986...

Look at this 3rd generation ready to sell you the perfect tree!

LOVE those smiles!

Will was so excited to be at the farm. He was up & ready to go work at 2:30 am! He & Caroline giggle the entire time they are together. Best buddies!

Sleepy time for all three...

make that four five! Being at the farm for 9 hours is a LONG day!

I love my sisters. We are all different, yet we have such a great time together.

Speaking of best buddies...

Caroline & Ivy Jane love each other!

Georgia & Momma are so excited to be at the farm!!!

Discussing their hard day's work over supper...

Early morning fun with PawPaw's iPad in the pjs...

Popular guy, that PawPaw is!

Instead of going to church Sunday morning we spent the morning at home with Grandma & PawPaw before opening the farm at 1:00. Georgia stayed busy...

Grandma's dishwasher went out & Georgia was her daddy's right hand man helping him disconnect the water...

GREAT family time, although it was tiring. For all of us...

Hard Family Times

On November 17th my Uncle Bill lost his battle with cancer. Two days later, on November 19th, my Uncle Alvis lost his battle with cancer. Talk about a tough time for my family. My dad lost his brother, and his brother-in-law. He was asked to sing "How Great Thou Art" in both funerals, and he sang beautifully. My precious Aunt Peggy lost her husband & brother in a matter of about 36 hours. Two visitations & two funerals in three days...HARD. We all know, without a doubt, that they are both in Heaven reunited with their parents, siblings, etc. without pain...praise God. We don't know why He chose to take them when He did but we trust in Him and know that it's all part of His plan. They were two of the greatest men I know. 

When we left Uncle Alvis' graveside, we drove by my grandma's house...the house that where my Uncle Alvis, my Uncle Bob, my Aunt Peggy, my dad & my Aunt Shirley grew up. When my Grandma died in 1992, my Uncle Alvis & Aunt Wanda slowly fixed it up & moved into it. Such great memories in this HOME. The one silver lining is the family time that we got to enjoy...catching up with long lost cousins, enjoying good food & reminiscing about old times on the farm. My Uncle Alvis & Uncle Bill would have loved it.

We're so busy...

But we still have time for sister time on the couch with Momma's kindle...they love playing Monkey Lunchbox. This is a random moment that I was glad I got on camera. We're in the stage of "THAT'S MINE" and "SHE TOOK IT AWAY FROM ME!" So much so that I made the rule if we start arguing over something it gets put away for the day. 

Did you notice they are holding hands? They truly are best friends...and sometimes worst enemies! :/

Donut on a Sick Day

Georgia Claire stayed home with me last Friday and we went back to the doctor. Getting over her double ear infection & awful cough was a tough task, but she is doing very well now! We dropped Ivy Jane off at MDO and headed to a couple garage sales. She has become my little junking buddy! Garage saling is hard work & you work up quite an appetite, so we headed to the donut shop. She chose the "white one with fwinkles". Because of her SPD, she doesn't like the way certain textures feel in her hands or in her mouth, & I was surprised she chose the messiest one. I really didn't think she would eat it...boy was I wrong!!!

 She held it carefully, still trying not to get much icing on her hands...

Went in with full force!

 She ate almost all of it! This is a huge deal! She is making huge strides in her therapy & getting stronger & stronger every day!

It was a lot of fun to spend a few hours with Georgia. We don't get a lot of one-on-one time together, and it was so special! Right before we picked up Ivy Jane we went to CVS to pick up her prescription. The pharmacist gave her a stuffed puppy to make her feel better! It was precious! She had her close her eyes & hold out her hands. I wish I had her reaction on camera. Here she is on the way out of the store with Momma's keys, her stuffed puppy & her box of soft tissues...LOVE HER SO MUCH!

There are no words...

There are no words for how precious these two are and the joy they bring to my heart. I took these pictures right before naptime today. Most of them are blurry but the smiles say it all! I LOVE that they LOVE each other!

Grandmother

On September 18th, Shelby's grandmother, passed away. She was 12 days shy from turning 83 years old. She was a precious lady, and the mother to my wonderful mother-in-law, Paula. Although I didn't get the chance to be around her much, I know that she was a Godly woman who loved the Lord & served Him as long as she physically was able. 

We knew that taking the girls wouldn't be the easiest thing, but there was no doubt in my mind that we should all go. We explained her death as best as we could to them. They knew that she was in Heaven with the angels. I don't know what their little minds really took in, but they were so excited to be staying in a HOTEL! Having Georgia & Ivy Jane there lightened the mood. Everything is fun at the hotel...even riding on the luggage cart!

...and the mini frig! I was in the bathroom getting ready for the visitation & I heard chomping sounds. I looked around the corner & Ivy Jane was standing at the mini frig "eating ice"...in her diaper & Toms...LOVE her. 

Although the circumstances were very sad, there were some sweet family times. Some of Ivy Jane's & Georgia Claire's favorite people...Jules, Heather & Great Grandma (and babies Sarah & Emily)...

I had my "bag of tricks" with me loaded with toys, books, snacks, juice, milk, etc. to take with me to the visitation! The girls did really well. It was from 6-8pm & we went to eat afterwards, so they had several snack breaks while greeting friends of the family.

I said the girls did really well...until Ivy Jane went to time out. She is a mess, I tell you! I love that I'll always have proof that she was in time-out at her great-grandmother's funeral.

 

Poor Georgia Claire was EXHAUSTED by the time we got to the restaurant to eat supper...she was snoring as soon as her head hit the pillow that night!

Melody, Gary, & Paula...my mother-in-law & her siblings. I love this picture of those 3!

 A quick picture of the family that attended, after lunch, and before getting on the road to head home.

 Five miles down the road the girls were OUT!

Funerals have a way of making you reflect on the things that are truly important in this life of ours. Family is so very important to me. I hope & pray that my girls will grow up with the same love for family. I'm also praying that they grow to love & trust our Savior so that one day we will all be reunited when our life on this Earth comes to an end & our wonderful time in Heaven begins!