Gobble Gobble Goo and a Gobble Gobble Gibble...I Wish That the Turkey just cost a nickel...

so Thanksgiving is underway this weekend with 2 meals in the mix. I will be preparing sweet potato casserole, angel biscuits, and deviled eggs for all the occasions. I make all those things really well, if you don't mind me saying. I also plan on running a 5k Thanksgiving moring to offset the celebrations of the weekends. So far, the only plans on the table for Thanksgiving are hanging out at home with the kids and John since all the meals for extended family will be over the weekend. I'm hoping for a day of Gold Star Chili and non-stop movies!!!!!! Doesn't that sound glorious, a race with friends I'm so thankful for and hanging out with the sweetest family the rest of the day. Add a huge pair of boys sleep bottoms to the mix and it adds up to perfection. So in thinking about Thanksgiving, I thought I would start a list of what I'm thankful for. I like to do lists like these because it makes me be concise so here's my 2008 Top Ten for Thanksgiving:

1. Grace that is greater than all our sins
2. John--specifically how he loves me in a unique way and I love him in spite of his love of cats.
3. Grant, Ella, Molly--quite possibly the most entertaining and amazing kids on the planet.
4. Forgiveness
5. We have not forclosed on our home...seriously, it's a miracle
6. The light at the end of the tunnel for my certification
7. Amazing Friends here in Richmond--Julie, Jeanne, Summer, Ashley, Ty and Marie, Stuart--And far away--Ginger D in Texas, Johnny and Jennifer and Seth and Candace in Frankfort. Without your encouragement and laughter I don't know how I would have made it this year.
8. Jenny Stephens Family--letting us live on your farm has been a blessing you won't ever be able to measure here on Earth.
9. Buck Run Baptist--even though we live far away from our home church, I thank the Lord for a pastor like Dr. York and a church that loves the way they do.
10. Knowing I'm not where I want to be, but I'm not the same as I was before.

Count your blessings this year. We are so much better off than we deserve, aren't we?

ATTENTION!!!!!

only 4 weeks left in this semester, all you EKU students.

That. IS. Amazing!

hey, hey, do the brand new thing...

Dear blog,
It's been a while. Halloween, working, school, home, running, it all seems a blur. How do I catch you up. Let's prioritize! Ok, 5 weeks of this semester and off to methods! Wooooooo! It has to be easier than what's happening now. And Ella and Molly made straight A's and Grant (no straight A's) is doing awesome in school and all the teachers love him. If I'm told once, I'm told a thousand times, "You're son is so funny". I'm still running and trying to decide to do the Nashville 1/2 in April. I never thought I would be scared to train like that again, but it really is some work to do. The country music and free food could carry me through.

John is helping his family open a new clinic so he is busy, busy, busy. We are also making plans for him to go to Brazil this summer to serve there for 10 days, Lord willing. I'm finding it increasingly hard to find someone to help me along spiritually in this season of recovery so John is doing that. He actually reads to me at night because I'm so inconsistent. He quizzes me like a theology student sometimes too, which is challenging, but good. Julie is holding me accountable in prayer and vice versa. Not having a church family close proves its disadvantage, but the Lord provides, doesn't he. This is still such a weird season of unknowns but my amazing small group leader, Johnny, tells us only deal with obedience for the day. I can manage that.

I want to spend the holidays away from Ky by going someplace warm. I don't think its even a possibility, but I want my little family to be together. We do have a blast when we're all home together. They get their chill out skills honestly from me. I'm looking forward to the break. Not the holidays, just the break.

Oh yeah, Molly had this amazing birhtday party and I thought I could show pictures but I didn't put them on my flash to get that done. Next time. So I put a fun picture of her on the side. She is 10! Time is flying. Don't deserve the sweet family I have, but am so glad that I get to steward them for a time. Molly had a prom for her birthday. It was crazy. I'll post pics this week.

Dr. York is finishing the ten commandment series and I urge you all who read this to go to Buck Run's sight and download. I can't say enough about how the Lord has blessed him with the ability to orate God's word. Truly something.

Ok, now to superficial stuff, my new favorite thing to do on Sunday nights is to sit and watch Extreme Home Makeover in the floor. I was crying so hard by the end of last Sunday nights show (i mean full on ugly cry) I thought I was going to have to take medicine for being stuffy. I LOVE that show. Uh, as Julie says, its like 4 Lifetime movies at once. My birthday is in a few weeks and I'm hoping to have an Extreme Home Makover show kind of happening where we cry and its awesome and the whole town is in on it and Grant jumps up and down and cries and the girls are hugging and John is running around in circles because I made it to 35!!!!!! maybe need to back off the reality t.v. some...