Overflowing

I have put off writing a blog long enough. I had plenty of time over the holiday, but everytime I considered sitting down to write, something else would grab my attention. I suppose I was just enjoying the moment. It was a great Thanksgiving. In fact as I sit to write this blog my heart continues to overflow with gratefulness. I am blessed not just in the joys of this moment, but in the grace I have been given to endure trials that have brought me to the place I stand today.
God's goodness has been waiting at the corner of every bend. What a gentle shepherd He is leading and guiding. I just cannot shake this gratefulness, and I do not want to!

Thanksgiving was quite traditional. We cooked a lot and did a lot of dishes. Kaylie delighted in the childhood pleasure of watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I remember watching that and wondering why it always seemed to be just us kids enjoying it. Of course now I am the one in the kitchen feverishly making preparations. I finally understand mom. I did take some moments to watch though. It's just not Thanksgiving without a parade. It was fun, but I was wiped out by the end of night. Our plans to go to Half Price books for their 7am black Friday deals were canceled almost immediately when my alarm went off at 6am. Instead we enjoyed a leisurely morning, and ventured out a bit later to do some shopping. I am proud to say I have finished shopping for Kaylie and Micah.

When I was younger my dad took us to the Fort Worth Parade of Lights the day after Thanksgiving. We have always talked about going again, but it was either too cold or someone was sick. With the decent weather we decided to give it a try again. Let's just say things have changed in the last 15 years. Gone are the days of a leisurely small town parade. No the size of the crowd was monsterous. By sheer luck we ended up with a front row seat on the road. Then began the hour long wait for the parade to start. Kaylie really enjoyed it. Micah got squirmy. It's definitely not the Macy's parade. I would say the Neiman Marcus parade might even be better. It was an experience, one that we will definitely not be repeating in the future. This might not have been the case if we had not experienced the parking garage of doom. When we tried to leave we were stuck on the top row of the parking garage with a gridlock of cars trying to get out. We sat in the same place right beside our parking spot for about 30 minutes. We had not eaten dinner and were seriously getting tired. We decided we would rather be out and about instead of stuck in a car. Dad suggested we just get out and go eat. This seemed like a great idea until we realized all the restaurants had a wait of over 1 1/2 hours. At this point there was nothing to do but laugh. We ended up going to a Qdoba which tasted so good after everything that had happened. It will always be a night to remember.

If you are still with me thanks for reading all the updates. I hope that you to will find your heart overflowing with gratefulness throughout this holiday and beyond.

A Few Pictures

Here it is at last. Our holiday memories shared in pictures

Kaylie loved her hot chocolate

We had to mail a letter to Santa

Micah enjoyed the holidays by chillin

We checked out a really cool neighborhood where each street had a theme. Our favorite was the Peanuts theme

And what would Christmas be without a trip to the Galleria? Honestly, a lot cheaper on the wallet. Kaylie looks like she might be afraid of falling three stories.

Once again Micah is more interested in his feet than shopping.
Ahhh Christmas dinner at Italliani's. You can tell Kaylie is thrilled about another picture, or looking for an escape route.

Mommy and Micah celebrating our first Christmas together.

The family

Santa left a bicycle under the tree!!!!

Some of the cousins on Christmas day. It was the best we could do with three tired kids!

We had a fun and eventful holiday season. Now the decorations have been packed away till next year, but the memories will remain. It is definitely like ripping a band-aid off. I never feel like packing it in, but the longer I wait the harder it will be.

Our New Years was quiet and uneventful, but that is not a bad thing. Next week its back to the old routine. May this week bring you a fresh and happy start to the new year.