B's 1st advent calendar!

I can't wait to start the countdown. I made it all by myself and love how it turned out! Christmas is going to be so much fun with our little man. He has already been singing Jingle Bells and talking about Ho Ho all the time.

So Thankful...#21 and #22

For my last 2 days of thankfullness...

I am thankful for my sweet little boy who is God's biggest blessing to Andrew and I. I am thankful he is so healthy, smart, and growing. He is such a good communicator and a great people person. He keeps us on our toes and constantly laughing. He is such a JOY! I am super thankful for Andrew's job and that I get to be a stay at home mommy with Brant. We have always desired that I be a SAHM, but God has definately worked out all the details and is so responsible for allowing me to do so.  

There are so many more things that I am thankful for and haven't listed but I LOVE LOVE seeing Brant with his cousins. He thinks the world of them and loves saying their names, playing with them, following them around. They are all so very good with their youngest cousin. There is nothing like the love of family. Thank you God for all of your blessings. Every good and perfect gift is from our Heavenly Father who loves us so much.

So Thankful...#20

So thankful for a lovely evening with our sweet buddies from Indiana. God brought them all the way to Memphis for us to meet. He knew we needed them in our lives. We love the Burkholders and miss them so much!! Our short time together in Memphis was so special. We can't wait to see them again.

So Thankful...#19

This reason has been on my thankful list since we found out we were having Brant. I have 2 amazing sister-in-laws that are so giving. They are so generous with my nephew's hand-me-downs. It is a HUGE blessing!! It helps us save money, Brant looks handsome, and I get to remember sweet times of my nephews wearing the outfits. :)  Thanks Girls. Today, we opened a new bag of adorable boy clothes and some toys!! So much fun. It's like Christmas to me and Brant!!

We are forever grateful.

 

So Thankful...#18

I am so glad I got to spend a super fun night with some amazing ladies in my life. The night after I got to Indiana, all of my Cummings Aunts and us daughters went on the annual Christmas shopping trip to Evansville. It was a productive and wonderful evening. I laughed so hard. I wish I would have taken some pictures. We didn't get home until 2am. Some of my favorite moments were good talks like always, getting a good deal on Brant's big Christmas present, finding a nick-name my mom dispises, eating like 10 times, Libby smoking up the car with her seat warmer, being silly with Aunt Emmy, hearing about an extreme couponing story, having more inside jokes with the women I love and so much more!!! I can't wait until next year, when I will definately take pictures.

So Thankful...#17

Wowzers.

I am one blessed girl.

I have the most bestest friend in the whole world.

The cool thing is....we live together too. So slumber parties every night!!

I love sharing my life with HIM!! :)

God gave me just what I needed in Andrew. He is my total package.

After 10 years of being together, I still can't get enough of him!

I would totally still love him, even if he looked like the Hottie he is in this picture every day! Question is....would he still feel the same about me??!! ha

Good Times.

So Thankful #16...

After our long trip, Brant couldn't get out of the car fast enough to play with these 2. They were so busy having fun, they couldn't even stop to pose for a picture. SO much to do when you have to make up for lost time. Kayden even passed up going to the IU game to stay home and play with Brant. They are so good to him. It's so sweet. Brant loves all of his cousins.

Bittersweet Thankful #15...

I have been feeling like I need to "help" Brant see that his "Pa-Pa" is for babies and that he is a big boy now. Well he knows that big boys should not have them during the day, but at bed time/nap it is his favorite thing ever. Honestly. He is so excited to see his pacifiers. I keep telling myself after we are done traveling for the Holidays. Over 16 hours total on the road. Well on Thursday, I was super THANKFUL we decided to wait. I was so nervous about making the road trip with Brant by myself, so I prayed and prayed about it. Brant was the best little traveler. We talked and sang until Chicfila. Then we ate lunch and played and played in the play place and then he slept all the way until Petersburg. We didn't even need to get out the dvd player and all 15 dvds that I was prepared to play for him. ha ha  Thanks to Jesus and "Pa-Pa" Brant slept 4 hours. Woohoooo!!

Not looking forward to after the holidays when we take away the precious jewel. ha ha  All good things must come to an end.  

So Thankful...#14

We are so thankful for all of these super special people in our lives....For the Raymonds and the Grabers.  Whom, I all miss dearly. Can't wait to see them ALL next week!!  Woohoo!

We love and appreciate each member of our family so much.

So Thankful...#13

(Sorry, it's so blurry.) Andrew's JBC Graduation 2007.

Today I am thinking of 2 special people that I am very thankful for and the way they have touched our lives forever. We lived with Andrew's grandparents, Nickpop and Grandmom for almost 3 years and we are so glad we did. They helped us get started on the right foot, because as newlyweds we needed the support and they helped us out so much. They are so giving, gracious, and loving. Just good ol' Southern Folks. They have taught us so much and we are very very thankful for the years Andrew had with his sweet Nickpop, since he never got to live in the same town, except for the last 6 years of Nickpop's life. Thank you God, for orchestrating such a precious time.

So Thankful...#12

You have NO idea how incredibly thankful I am for Independent Play-Time at the Raymond Home.  It doesn't happen a whole lot, but man it is so nice when it does. We have really been working on it. We needed an intervention, so my sister in law, Tiffani told me to try "Blanket Time." It has really helped us. We call it "The Blanket Game" and get out his special Colt's blanket and Brant's special box of toys. I really play it up!!! Some may say I am dramatic. I blame it on the teacher in me. He has to stay on the blanket and play until the timer goes off. If he stays on it and does a good job, he gets rewarded with an MandM. It is going well. We are up to 12 minutes right now. Some days he struggles and yells "Momma, I need HELP!"  ha ha 

So Thankful...#11 BIG DAY!

Today on the 11th day of thankfulness we are super thankful!! 

We had an awesome thing happen at church today. Something we have been praying for, hoping for, giving to, and anticipating with a great amount of excitement. We broke ground for the new addition. A major thing for us! Praise God we are growing and need it! No one will have to set up and tear down every week, anymore. We will have a great place for our awesome youth group!! Wooohooo! God is doing amazing things and we are just super blessed to be able to be a part of HIS work!

 

 

We are also so thankful for all the veterans but especially for our friend and neighbor, Wade Hagen. 

I loved how Brant kept looking at him today in his uniform. It was so sweet. 

So Thankful...#10

It's the little things. Tonight I am thankful for not having to cook dinner. Some of our wonderful friends made an amazing meal of barbecued ribs, wings, chicken tenders.....the whole nine yards that pleased my entire family. Brant walked around holding on tight to his rib and sucking on it, he would not put it down. It was all over his face. He definitely was born and raised in Memphis. Honestly, I would have been happy with hotdogs, but Karl outdid himself. 

We had fun tonight tailgating before the Tiger Football Game. 

Thanks to the Meier Family.  :) 

Brant loved the ribs and getting to run and play with Russell.

So Thankful...#9

I am thankful for Friday afternoons with this sweet friend. 

To share, encourage, pray, and talk about our FIRST love together...Jesus. 

Life is so much easier when shared with a Sister in Christ.

We are not meant to be alone.

So Thankful...#8

On Day 8, I am so very thankful for our HOME sweet HOME. We prayed and prayed for the home God had for us and God has blessed us so richly. We looked and looked with Realators and waited patiently for God to reveal His plan. And THEN, this home popped in our radar from our friends across the street. We knew about it before it was even on the market, so we prayed earnestly and hard for God to make it happen if it was His Will. No kidding, God made a way when there seemed to be no possible way. He laid it in our laps.  He has given us a home to share with others and a testimony of His love and provision for the rest of our lives. 

Matthew 19:29 says "And everyone who has left houses, brothers. or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life." 

To God be ALL the Glory!! Forever and ever. 

Friends and Family are always welcome. Come on down and visit us, anytime.

I thought I would do just a few before and after.

 

Before: View from front door

After: I can't wait to decorate for Christmas, biggest change is the TOYS!! lol

Before: white dining room

After: project is to do white frame molding and white under chair rail, I did have the purple for 3 years.

Before: white and very dirty Master Bedroom

After: Our cozy bedroom

Before: Kitchen with the lovely linoleum flooring

After: so much better :)

After: the extension room off of our kitchen

Before: I remember being soooo excited about the built-ins

After: It's all about the vision and positive thinking :)

Thank you God for our HOME! 

We want to always honor you with it, because we know that you gave it to us.  :) 

A home is so much better when God is the center of it.

Thanks to many diy projects, hardworking husband, and yardsales we were able to decorate the home the way that we both love and enjoy soooo much!

So Thankful...#7

Today at MOPS we talked about girlfriends and the qualities we look for in a friend. So today I am thankful for my "mommy group" at MOPS and all of my new friends I have made through it and how it encourages me as a Godly Momma and ALL of my AMAZING girlfriends everywhere. 

Near and Far. Old and New. 

God has blessed me so richly.  

fyi-I need to take some more pictures of me and my friends. Can't even find one of Bethany, Natalie, or my M2M group.  :(  I guess it's because it's all about our kiddos these days.

 

So Thankful...#6

I am very thankful that I serve a God that NEVER changes. 

God is who He says He is, God can do what He says He can do, I am who God says I am, I can do all things through Christ, God's Word is alive and active in me." -- Beth Moore

 

In Andrew's words...we voted for a leader, not a Savior.

So Thankful...#5

I told Andrew today that I love the days that we all three get to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. Today was one of those lovely days. To top it all off Andrew and I got to work on a project. I love doing projects together. We make such a great team!
God knew what he was doing!!

So Thankful...#4

I am so blessed to have these 3 men in my life. 

They are the men I have known the longest, and have adored my whole life! I have been called a daddy's girl several times and told that I make my brothers look like brothers, because they don't look alike and I look like both of them. They have taught me so much and helped shape me into the girl I am today. Their character showed me what a REAL man was and forced me to aim high for my husband, because they set such a great example. Thankfully, I did find the ONE that met up to those high standards. I didn't know if it would be possible, but Andrew proved it could happen. :) And their wives are a perfect fit for each of them and I love them like my own sisters.

It's so funny that one of my favorite things to do is watch my brothers play basketball. Even now if they are playing a pick-up game and I have the opportunity... I rush to see them play, even if they aren't in their prime anymore. I don't know what it is, but I get such a since of pride and nostalgia from watching MY brothers play. I think they are the best things ever.

They are the reason I work hard, LOVE LOVE music, cheer for the Colts, Cardinals, Hoosiers, laugh really loud, get excited about re-runs of Seinfeld, know the Dukes of Hazard theme song, love Jesus, attempted to play basketball back in the day, confident in who I am, avid Mushroom hunter, good at defending myself, like SNL and David Letterman's top 10, big Michael Jordan fan, don't settle for less, and went to Camp Illiana all those years, the list goes on and on. I used to always wish I had a sister, but feel so special that I don't have to share my brothers and dad with a sister.

I am one blessed girl.

So Thankful...#3

I absolutely love Saturdays. 

We get to hang out with Daddy all day. Family Fun Days are the best. Today we chose to visit the zoo on such a beautiful day. (Very thankful for our zoo pass, too. Thanks to Ty & Tiff) It got up to like 83 degrees. Sunny, nice breeze, and the leaves were so colorful. 

Brant's favorite part of the day was definitely the zoo train ride. 

Even though his face doesn't show it, he LOVED it. 

So Thankful....#2

Psalm 107:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

 

I am very thankful for Brant's little BFF.

He always wants "Luke to come" or "go see Luke"

They are so cute when they are together. 

They hug. Laugh. Yell. Wrestle. 

It makes us Mommies so happy! Good thing we are buds, too.

We spend a lot of time together. :)