November Recap Part 2

 In keeping with the backwards order for the recap, we will begin today with Thanksgiving. It is gonna be a long post, so you may have to read it in two parts!

Thanksgiving week was a celebration of family. With all the challenges of the last 2 years, I think we all have a renewed sense of family and taking nothing for granted. We knew it would be different this year with 2 losses, so the goal was to gather and make it a happy place. Our one and only niece is a special member of the family. 

I feel like I need to do a little recap of our family members. We are small but close. I have no siblings, so it is just me and Mama. Jeff has a brother and a sister who were much older than him. He was the surprise child:) Jeff's brother was divorced and had no children. We lost him in February to cancer. His sister, Donna has only one child Kristan and is married to Al. Al's family has all passed too. We are just small in numbers. Donna lived across the street from us before Jeff's parents passed and now is just around the corner (walking distance). Kristan was just turning 5 when I met her and living across the street and being the only little one she was the star of the show. I have taken her to Bible school, to the beach, helped her research stuff in the encyclopedias that we had all during school. She is loved well.

When Kristan married Torrey, his parents started coming to our Thanksgiving. Never missed. Torrey's dad died just a few weeks ago. I knew we needed uplifting times not sad because it was going to be real hard for her. 

We had our usual feast and then games. Uncle Al concentrating hard on the Jenga game.

Kristan waiting for the big fall.  By the way, do you see how big the twins are now. Seriously, where has time gone? The twins are Kristan's. More pictures coming of them.

One more picture from Thanksgiving. Mother and Miles...sweet.

We knew we would have to share Lindsay and Tyler with Tyler's parents this year in Atlanta, so we had pizza on the Tuesday evening of Thanksgiving week. I told you we celebrated all week.

I took lots of cute pics of the kids who were our entertainment. Get ready for a long list of them.

Katelyn holding Palmer, Kristan, and Tanner

Katie holding Miles

The next generation...Katelyn holding Palmer, Tucker, Tanner holding Miles

Tyler, Palmer, Gus, Paul Allen, Miles and Jeff's big foot:)

Another shot with Tucker. 

Katelyn, Tanner, and Kristan. I realized I left Torrey out of this. 

I had Kristan capture us. 

You see that ugly hair of mine...It is has been chopped off and looking so much better.

Every year, I see all these people on social media decorating for Christmas early. It can make you want to cave, but every year when Thanksgiving day is here I am so glad I didn't cave. I know there are many who have wonderful reasons for the early decorating, but I really love to keep it all Thanksgiving. 

Jeff and I did a lot of of shopping over that week and are almost all done. We noticed that this year is one of the most fall colored in memory. Not just me saying it! We decided that this year it is more noticeable because it seems all of it came at once. Usually the different plants are scattered with their color. It truly looks like fall in north Florida this year.

Our lemon tree had a huge harvest. In fact, I still have probably 3 dozen more lemons to get off the tree. We had homemade lemonade for both of our family gatherings over Thanksgiving week. IT was so good.

Just the beginning of lemons. We have had lots to share this year.

Now, to try and wrap this already long post up. 

We made it up to Auburn as a family after several failed attempts this fall. It was such a fun trip for us. Mother stayed home. It all worked out perfectly. Her sweet neighbor kept her busy with fun things. She is just not able to make that trip anymore.

We made it up to the Texas A&M game. It was also Veteran's Day weekend so it was a long weekend too. We had so much fun together. 

Lindsay, Tucker and I went shopping downtown and had some Toomer's Corner lemonade as we strolled and shopped. Tucker happened to stop and we noticed that we were on Carnell (Cadillac) Williams's diamond. We felt it was worth the picture considering his contribution to making the end of the football season fun again.

There were fires, walks in the new wagon, just cuddles with grands and the like.

Palmer pretending to be asleep.

Made with the timer.

Oh so many more. I really only used my phone this month for pictures. It was a good break away.

We had 2 tickets so Paul Allen and I slipped off to the first half of the game. He didn't want to leave Katie with Miles too long. The stadium and the atmosphere was electric. We had a blast! It was cold, but we layered up. I keep cold weather clothes up there for it can be much colder in Auburn than we are used to on the coast.

I apologize for the long post, but I wanted to get it all documented. 

I am blessed ---so very blessed, but it is busy around here. I have many to care for and I am not a 100% myself. Gonna get there though. I have a new haircut that maybe I will have combed and get a picture of soon. The Auburn pictures were the ones that shouted it is time for the long straight hair to go. I have chopped, added layers and letting it curl. If only it curled like it did before it turned white. Oh well.

After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 1 Kings 19:12

The sermon this past week was on this. How appropriate was it! I stilled myself this past month so I could hear Him and remember to count my blessings. He is often not heard in the noise of the day, but in the gentle wind of a quiet time. And these days are so noisy.

He is our Hope though.

Sandy