Thanksgiving 2009

Erin is my sweet potato masher!

One cute, drooly girl!

Yummy...it was quite a spread.

Anna had no time to pose for a picture.

Erin and her 2 Grandmas.

What a sweet profile.

Dance party on the porch since it was a beautiful day.

My side of the family (can you see why I was referred to as a pumpkin!)

Joe's side of the family.

One of our last photos as a family of four!

Thanksgiving was so wonderful this year. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. We had a lazy morning at the house as we watched the parade and prepared our portion of the meal. Then we joined my parents at Joe's parents home for a delicious meal. I wish I had more room in my stomach, but I ate in between each of my naps. It was a gorgeous day outside so we all got to spend some time out on the back porch being entertained by little girls! We have much to be thankful for this year. When I think back to the beginning of the year and all that has transpired, I honestly feel like I could write a book. 2009 wasn't what we had anticipated it being, but I'm starting to figure out that nothing ever is quite what we anticipate. I am thankful for where the Lord has us, what He has brought us through and where He is taking us! And I'm very thankful for the people He has surrounded us with (that's you!), that make each step of life so much more bearable, enjoyable and special.

A Special Treat Day!

I've always loved the day before a holiday - I love anticipation, excitement, and this year - a full day off of school for Erin. We even managed to convince Daddy to take the whole day off! So off we went to Build-A-Bear to make a special birthday present for Megan Joy. Erin made one for Anna before she was born so we wanted to carry on the tradition. Anna had a blast with the whole procedure and she picked out the bear's dress. Erin was such a big girl and filled in the birth certificate and chose Joy Elf as the bear's name. After the mall, we had a family lunch together and then the girls fell asleep in the car. It wasn't the plan, but traffic was terrible and it took us 45 minutes to get home from Lynnhaven Mall. We decided since nap time was over early we would attempt our first movie as a family. We took the girls to Cinema Cafe and again, Anna had a blast and actually sat in her chair for the entire movie. It was off to church for our Thanksgiving Eve service after that. We had the best day as a family of four just spending quality time together! I love days like that!

Giving Thanks

Erin had a Thanksgiving feast at school last week where they sang 3 songs before eating. It was so cute and she enjoyed the time with friends. We had our Thanksgiving with my family last Sunday because most of them were going out of town. You can't see Blake, but Anna and Blake made it to the big kid table this year! By next year, the kids might just out number the adults! We are very thankful for our family and being so close to them. The kids are blessed to grow up with their cousins!

It's Judd Time...

The Judds made a special trip up to visit with us before the Thanksgiving holiday. Erin was beside herself excited to see her best buddy Anderson. Of course we had to make her lay off the hugs and kisses, she tends to smother him! Anna found a new love, light sabers - poor girls don't ever get a taste of that! We made a special trip to Baba's house because Ryan and Anderson requested to ride the "Big Trucks." It was even nice enough for a picnic lunch. Then Sat. evening we made our way to a member's preview of the Botanical Garden lights, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We always love our Judd time and look forward to many more visits - here and in Georgia!

Oh Marbles....

We made our annual trip to Raleigh a few weeks ago to visit with our dear friends the Williams. We always caravan down with the Jacksons for a weekend of fun times and great memories. The "big" boys go to a Georgia Tech game while the girls and the kiddos find fun things to do. This year we finally made it to Marbles the Children's Museum downtown. I've always wanted to go and everyone was at a great age this year so that they all enjoyed it. I couldn't believe how huge and exciting the museum was. We could have spent all day there. Anna had the time of her life and all the kids had a great time together. Our favorite part was the Mr. Potato Head land and playing with the water works!