November 2018!

November! What a treat: you began with YL weekend camp & both Matt & I got to go this year! What a treat to get to serve together, to experience it together, and to watch each other serve. I cannot wait to do it again!

We got home & had club that Monday night. It felt right to bring all our boys with us after being gone the whole weekend. I had the talk & it was great fun to have the chance to speak with my boys there as well. They loved getting to come to club!

I got to chaperone James' field trip to the big cat sanctuary called 'cattyshack' ranch on the north side of town. What a crazy place! A bunch of tigers in the middle of a residential area. I cannot imagine being their neighbor!

James' chorus club from school performed the national anthem at the hockey game in town, and they did a great job. I was happy I got to come and see my buddy perform! It was a crazy experience & felt very unsafe in my opinion. I hope to not repeat a field trip of this kind in the future. oi!

Candle light dinner for the fun of watching the candles burn down!

For my birthday, we went to Disney! We camped at fort wilderness & went to the Christmas event at Disney's Magic Kingdom for the first time. It was beautiful & so much fun!!

David waving at Santa in the parade!! It was the sweetest thing.

We also celebrated 'friends-giving' while we were there. I missed the memo for dressing up a bit, but oh well! Always a good time with these friends.

Thanksgiving lunch at elementary school! Calvin was 'flying lizard' & David decided to wear a superhero mask. Normal day! haha

My contact work buddy doing his thing at Orange Park High School! Running into that Thanksgiving break like...

For our week off, we drove up to Columbia, SC to see our niece Madeline swim in a big meet! It was super fun to watch her compete & we were proud of her!

Thankful for time with our cousins. We love you girls!

After SC, we decided to drive up to Washington, DC to visit my Aunt&Uncle! We had at the best time exploring the city & seeing the main sites. What a beautiful place!

I absolutely love these pics of us in front of the White House! Our very first stop of day 1. We went from here to catch the double decker tour bus to see the city. The boys all got hot chocolate & one of them took the pic of Matt&I. I cannot imagine the city being more beautiful than in the Fall.

David kept shouting, "Hey Everybody!! I'm up on top!!"

We found a cool little gift shop in the Lincoln Memorial, and wouldn't you know it, they had an Abraham Lincoln hat! Which meant, we had to buy it, and we had to take pictures pretending to be Lincoln! These are the best.

James found a comic style book about the presidents of the US, and he started reading it immediately. I love it when he gets lost in a book. It makes me feel so proud. (but I didn't create that, only cultivate!)

We also visited the National Air and Space museum. The exhibits were awesome, and we took the boys on the flight simulators. It was blast, and we barely even scratched the surface of what they had there.

Our last highlight was the Washington Zoo, also a free attraction because it is part of the Smithsonian museums and receives government funding. Check out the great Panda!

Uncle David & Aunt Angie surprised the boys with a trip to the iFly! They had an ABSOLUTE blast! What a cool experience! David was too young, but that didn't stop him from practicing with the boys in their lesson.

Our crew! What a treat to spend time with our family!!

We drove down to have a meal with the Proses in Tampa, and Daddy wanted to play the Frozen soundtrack for the boys. They screamed as loud as they could & covered their ears!! Bahahahaha! What a crazy crew.

On our drive back, my sis-in-law asked if we could bring Christmas PJs for a group pic of the Prose cousins. I had just ordered a set of matching jammies for our boys, and not only did we drive back from Washington, DC in a day, but we made it to the Gap in Savannah to buy three more sets of jammies for our cousins so we could all match!! I thought it was a fantastic gift & was so excited for the kids to all match. Even though I think I enjoyed it more than the rest, I was still proud of how we pulled that off. ha! 

Not a great picture, but all the kids were in it! (and they looked darn cute!)

Best view: This tree that used to be behind the Proses' house when they lived on the farm. Now behind a couple of new construction homes after we sold their lots. What a glorious view & what sweet memories for my husband of his childhood.

The family took an outing to see the Sponge Divers at Tarpon Springs! It was pretty cool to watch.

As always, the boys crash on the way home from their grandparents! I love it.

Oh Christmas decorations, I absolutely love you!!!

My OP girls: Jamison's Chorus concert!

Lord, Thank you for a wonderful November. I cannot remember ever having such a wonderful month filled to the brim with family, friends, fun, and food! Lord, you blessed us tremendously with YL weekend camp, with our 'Friendsgiving' trip to Disney over my birthday weekend, with our trip to Washington, DC where were got to see my mom & Darcy & the girls before seeing my Uncle David & Aunt Angie. Thank you for letting Aunt Angie see little David for the first time- thank you for making it possible. Thank you for extended Thanksgiving fun with Matt's side of the our family. Thank you for time that my boys get to spend with their cousins & aunts&uncles. Thank you for making it possible. Help my heart heal from sadness over what isn't, and help me be thankful & rejoice for what I have been given. Help me receive what you give; you are sovereign over every relationship & I trust you. Thank you for our awesome YL high school friends. We love them so much. Amen!