Thanksgiving 2009, Part 1

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Aunt Esther & Uncle Donnie's home in Macon, GA. We've been celebrating at their house for at least the past eight years, and every year it gets better and better. The past several years it seems that someone is always missing, but we were very blessed this year to have everyone present and accounted for. We've grown quite a bit since Trey's first Thanksgiving in 2002...back then he was the only little one, this year we had TEN! We have so much to be thankful for...starting with FAMILY!

Hayden, Tamie, & Andrew

Hudson

Bowen being bashful

Jesse

Andrew, Weldon, & Jesse

Happy Birthday Aunt Mary!

Trey

Boone, Aunt Nancy, & Aunt Dot comparing hair-dos

Carlie...I just LOVE that expression!

Sophie

Uncle Phil & Sophie

Boone & Mandy

The ride home...

Thanksgiving brings us sardines, turkey, & puppies...

Random photos from our daily life:

Last Tuesday morning I went to wake the boys and found them all piled in the twin bed of our guest room. They truly reminded me of a can of sardines. How they were all sleeping so soundly, I'll never know!

Tuesday was our last day of school before Thanksgiving! We celebrated with a turkey and dressing and all the fixings lunch at school. It was yummy!

Wednesday morning the boys and I slept in! When Phil headed to work, he noticed our beagle, Spot, barking his head off and staring at the corner of the yard. Phil looked but didn't see anything. He got in his truck to leave, and suddenly a little head popped up out of the woods. Then two more heads popped up. He went to investigate and found three roly, poly puppies that had been dropped off in our yard (he found fresh foot prints in the road by our house). My soft-hearted hubby couldn't bear to take them off, they were just too cute he said. So he brought them up on the porch, made them a little shelter, and wormed them. The boys, of course, are very excited about our new additions.

Presenting:

Brownie &

Butterball & Snowflake

Flashback Friday 2: Trey's 1st & 2nd Thanksgiving

I was sitting here this morning trying to remember how many years we've been celebrating Thanksgiving in Macon. I know that Trey has always celebrated it in Macon, before that I couldn't tell you. I didn't go digital with my pictures until November 2003, so while I have lots and lots of pictures of Trey's first Thanksgiving, they are all in scrapbooks. However, since all my flashbacks seem to be of Jesse because his first pictures are much easier to access, I scanned in a couple of pictures of Trey so that you can see how cute my baby boy was (& he still is by the way!)

Mama, Trey, & Grandma Lorene
Macon, Thanksgiving 2002

Trey & Grandma Lorene
Macon, Thanksgiving 2003

Flashback Friday: Jesse's First Thanksgiving

Trey & Jesse
Thanksgiving 2006

Thankful...

I am thankful for my Lord, and Saviour who died for my sins, who loves me despite my faults, who continually forgives me when I ask, and who blesses my life beyond imagination.

I am thankful for my hubby, Phil, who also loves me despite my faults, who tells me I'm beautiful even on my worst hair days, who brings love, joy, and laughter into my life. I am convinced the secret to a happy a marriage is laughter.

I am thankful for my two boys, Trey and Jesse. They bring me so much love, joy, hugs, kisses, and sweetness.

I am thankful for my family who loves me unconditionally, who has supported me through so much, and has stood beside me through life's challenges. Without them I would be lost!

I am thankful that I live in the United States of America where you can still speak your mind and attend church and don’t have to worry about being arrested.

I am thankful for my job. It is an answered prayer and the place that I am meant to be.

I am thankful that my family and I have food on the table, clothes on our backs and shelter from the elements.

I am thankful for my friends who know all about me and love me anyway. Through them I feel God’s love and support everyday. They are the family we pick. Thanks be to God for them.

I am thankful for my health, that I can see, hear, touch ,smell and taste each day that God has given me.

I am thankful for the health of my children, and I pray every night that God will continue to abundantly bless them with good health.

I am thankful that I can love even when it hurts.

May each and everyone of you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!


Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100

Special Recipes

Yesterday Jesse brought home a very special recipe book. Inside were recipe questionnaires that each child in Jesse's class had answered about their family's Thanksgiving dinner. Here is Jesse's.

Our Thanksgiving Dinner
By: Jesse Tyre

Who will be cooking for Thanksgiving at your house? My Daddy
*This is true, and Phil wants it noted that out of the nine questionnaires included, that Jesse's was the only one where Daddy was doing all the cooking. Some children did say Mama and Daddy though.

What will they be cooking? some turkey
*This one is not true...Phil will be making the stuffing, giblet gravy, and sugar free chocolate delight.

Where do you get the ingredients? from the turkey place, he shoots "em"

How do you get it ready to cook? He cuts it. He makes the table before he does that.

Do you put anything on it? What? He puts some white sauce on it.
*White sauce would be ranch dressing and Jesse will eat it and ketchup on absolutely anything.

How high do you turn on the stove/oven? How long do you cook it? 7 times, about 10

How do you know when it is done? He opens the microwave door and he takes it out and it's all ready.

What do you do when it's done? we eat it

Who do we thank for our food? God

Who is going to say the blessing before you eat? My Mama

What are you thankful for? my Mama, my Daddy, my house

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:2-6

Wordless Wednesday: Bed Hog

Heritage Festival

I have lived about 20 miles from Coffee General State Park for most of my life. I have been there for family reunions. Phil and I even held our wedding reception there. However, I am ashamed to admit, that I have never really explored the park and all that it has to offer. That all changed this past Saturday when our church held their annual picnic during the Heritage Festival at the park. There was so much to see and do...animals to pet, a Civil War re-enactment (which Trey LOVED!), sawing wood, a hay ride, bird show, hiking, and of course good food. We all had a fabulous time...Trey was busy talking about all the things he saw and did, Jesse loved the big pig, when the birds flew right over our heads at the bird show, Jesse squeaked and then said, "Let's do it again!", and surprisingly all the kids were clamoring to do the hike. It was a wonderful time and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Civil War Re-enactment...Trey had lots of questions:-)

Sawing wood...

Looking at the big pig...

Trey wanted to read every plaque along the way...

The bird show...

The hay ride...

The hike...

A Quiltin' Bee

It won't be long until it is time for ACA's 3rd annual auction. Every year the auction has been a huge success with the class projects bringing in some of the biggest bucks. The even grades (K, 2nd, 4th, 6th...) make a quilt each year and there is always some fierce competition to see who gets the privilege of bringing it home. Last week the classes started work on their quilts and I can already tell that there will be awesome quilts for sale again this year.

Second grade's theme this year is "Our Heroes", and all the kids did a fantastic job painting firetrucks, dalmatians, firemen, and fire hats. Trey did a wonderful job with his fire hat and axe.


My class, the fourth grade, is doing a butterfly themed quilt and they did a remarkable job on their butterflies. I am very proud of how hard they worked and the time they took to make their butterflies beautiful.


The kindergarten class always does a graduation themed quilt. This year they got to paint their cap and gown self-portraits and use their hand prints to make butterflies.

They have all done a fantastic job and I can't wait to see the final products on auction night!