So Much To Be Thankful For....

As I sit and think about our lives and all the precious blessings God has poured out on me and my family I realize I have so much to celebrate this Thanksgiving! First and foremost, I am thankful for a precious, healthy baby that has brought so much joy to our lives! I'm also thankful for an amazing husband, families that we love so much, freedom, good health, and last but not least, the promise of eternal life with my Lord, Jesus Christ! Everything that I have to be thankful for has come from Him and it is truly humbling to know that despite all my failures and weaknesses He is still pouring out His blessings on me.

I pray that you are yours had a great Thanksgiving day and found the time in the midst of the day to praise God for all your many blessings!!

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes.....

Olivia LOVES shoes as it seems most children do at this age! She loves to get new shoes as well as wear mine and Rush's shoes too. She will usually race back to our bedroom and come out wearing a different pair every time. Recently, she has decided my tennis shoes are her fav! She is constantly putting them on and holding up the shoe strings as she walks. The other morning I got finished blow drying my hair and turned around only to find her as the picture displays above! She was so proud that she had managed to get both of her shoes off and both of mine on. It was a struggle to convince her she couldn't wear those out of the house! =)

Like Father Like Daughter...

Most often when Rush is at home Olivia only wants to be doing whatever it is that her daddy is doing. She absolutely cannot get enough of her daddy and is devestated every time he has to leave without her! She is most definitely a "daddy's girl." It warms my heart to see them interact with each other. It amazes me to see the admiration that is already developing towards her dad. And boy does she have every reason to admire him!=) Of course, I think he is pretty special too! What a special relationship a little girl has with her dad and nothing can ever replace or take that away! I know it is still hard for me to admit that my dad can do any wrong! In fact, that was probably one of the hardest things about growing up....realizing my dad is human too and can make mistakes....only sometimes=).

I am so thankful that Olivia will learn so much from such a special man, her daddy! I can only hope and pray that they will share just as special of a relationship as my dad and I do! What a gift from God that relationship is!

Happy Birthday Uncle Joey!!!

We got to celebrate Joey's birthday over this past weekend but the big day was actually yesterday! How fun it was to celebrate another year of his life and what his life has meant to us! Joey truly is the life of our family!! His spirit and zest for life are like no other! I think without him around our family would be entirely too dull!! He looks at life through a completely different set of eyes than anyone else I know! He genuinely loves people and desires the best for everyone! He is passionate about his career, and all of the qualities that make him Joey I'm sure allow him to be an amazing leader! Thank you Joey for who you are, what you stand for, your passion for life, and your genuine love for all. Anyone who has spent even moments with you has been blessed! I'm sure we could all learn a bit from your perspective on life!

Happy Birthday Uncle Joey!!

Happy Veteran's Day!

I just wanted to let these 3 special men in my life know how proud and grateful I am for their selfless commitment to serving our country! It is because of not only them, but the ones who have come before them that we enjoy the freedoms we have today! All to0 often we take that for granted. But, having 3 men in my immediate family serving I am constantly reminded of what a sacrifice they and others make on a daily basis just to ensure our countries safety and comfortable lifestyle!! There aren't enough words to express my gratitude to them and all the many others who serve our country in such an honorable way! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Election Day

This morning Olivia and I went to vote! After voting we ran a few errands! It's amazing how many discounts you get just for wearing your "I Voted" sticker!! Olivia also was given a red, white, and blue sucker at one of the stores we went to for wearing her "I Voted" sticker. She got to enjoy it after eating a yummy lunch at Zoe's!=)

On a side note, isn't it great to know that despite who wins the election that we as Christians can rest in the fact that no matter who is president of our nation the one true God is still in control and always will be??!!!

Happy Halloween!

What a fun Halloween Olivia had! Because she is completely in love with puppy dogs we decided it would only be fitting that she dress up as one for Halloween! She loved her costume! Gigi came in town for the eventful night and we also got to meet Sayjay and Granddaddy Bob up at the church for "Trunk or Treat." We saw lots of friends and played lots of games. Olivia's favorite thing to do was to hunt for candy in the back of a trailor filled with hay. In fact, we caused quite a scene when it was finally time to go and we had to pry her out of the trailor. She got a few pieces of candy that she has enjoyed snacking on the last couple of days. I'm afraid she is going to be a lot like her mom and dad in that she had rather eat a bag of candy then a meal. Oh well, too much candy every now and then won't kill anybody!=)