Thankful

It's no news that holidays can be tricky. Particularly when you have multiple families to consider and not in the same area. It's easy to get so caught up in trying to "fit it all in" that you aren't truly able to sit back and enjoy the time (or any one family) for what it is. Take last year, for example...we saw all three families on Christmas Day! We spent the morning in Dallas with Dave's family, then left for Huntsville to spend the afternoon with my dad, then spent that night with my mom. It was a whirlwind, as always.

So, David and I have since decided to try and travel for just Thanksgiving or Christmas, but not both. We spent several days in Huntsville over Thanksgiving break and, while we missed seeing David's side of the family, it was nice to get there and settle in and stay for a while. (Now for Christmas we'll stay in Dallas and spend it with the Dercks, although we're sure to sneak in a celebration with my side before or after.) Plus, we had even more than the obvious to be thankful for this year...as most everyone knows by now.

I was feeling much better during this trip home than last. You see, my visit in early October was actually an "I just found out I'm pregnant again and I'm sick and kinda overwhelmed and my husband is out of town and I just need my mom" sort of visit. Yes, that's right, we're expecting a little sibling for Grace beginning of June! And lucky for me, Thanksgiving ended up being a nice turning point in the pregnancy...it marked the end of the first trimester, fading of the nausea, and the return of my appetite. Hallelujah!

I'll be blogging more about Baby #2 later. (And I still have yet to blog about our Mexican vacation, which I can now do without feeling like I'm withholding the fact that we came home with more than just memories.) We're really excited, though, and so thankful to the Lord for blessing/trusting us with something we didn't even realize we were ready for. We're also beyond thankful for the sweet little girl we already have, each other, and our wonderful (and flexible) families! Here's a little summary of our Thanksgiving:

Grace took many a walk with Papa John

The dogs lounged between runs on the golf course

Our daredevil learned she could go really fast down hills

Someone experienced her first Thanksgiving meal

Cousin Natalie found herself with a new friend

Uncle Charles enjoyed a belated birthday celebration

Grace was stylin' in her outfit from Aunt Kimmie

GramB got a suitable picture for her Christmas Card

Grace showed off her pretty, new holiday dress

Somehow we managed to get a shot of the whole crew

Our little fam got some much needed R&R together

Daddy attempted fishing in Grandpa's pond

The dogs acted like lunatics on the farm

Uncle Kyle and Uncle Kody bonded with their niece

Gracelyn took a liking to Grandpa's antique potty chair

My little Kyle turned 21 years old...still can't believe it