Thankful for Family

I love my family.

Now that us siblings are older (and more mature) our times together are so fun. We LOVE being together. We enjoy just sitting around talking and catching up about each other lives and laughing, a lot.

I am so thankful for my family. I am thankful for my parents who have shown all 4 of us what it means to make a commitment to another person. So many families have divorce and heartache filling them because of anger and all sorts of other things and my heart breaks for them. If there is one thing I would say to my parents it would be, Thank You for loving each other. Our lives aren't perfect, my parents aren't perfect, but they strive to do what's right in the eyes of the Lord and have shown us our whole lives how to love a spouse. The best gifts they have ever given us are pointing us to Christ, loving us unconditionally, and loving and staying committed to one another. We couldn't ask for anything more.

We all met in Oklahoma City at my grandparents house for the week of Thanksgiving. The week went by entirely too fast. Here are a ton of pictures (I had to chose from the 1000 pictures I snapped... yes, I snapped 1000 pictures, I am crazy and my computer hates me I am sure. ha!)

My grandparents have some land about 40 minutes outside of the city. I spent my childhood out there roaming around with my cousins, building forts and hideouts, learning to drive an old jeep, roasting marshmallows, and just having fun outside. It was fun seeing Josiah enjoy it as much I always did.

He has these go-karts that go really fast. He mows a track for us to drive around. It's fun... we didn't tip over, this time. ;)

Watching all of the babies

Gabriel and Paul

The old army jeep my grandpa had restored. It is really fun to drive.

They call the land Pecan Creek.

When he first bought it he planted many many pecan trees throughout this big open area. I still remember when these trees were 4 feet tall. I could hardly believe how big they had gotten. It had been several years since I'd been there.

Here my sister and grandpa were looking for pecans.

My grandpa is amazing, he is such a hard worker, he never stops. You would be in awe of all this man can accomplish in one day. He puts most teenagers to shame!

Josiah and his Papa driving the tractor. Josiah was in heaven!

My grandpa even let him drive the little mowing tractor by himself.

My mom snuggling with David

And when you go to the country, one must shoot guns.

The cousins. Gabriel, Paul and David. Josiah was running around somewhere.

The twins are 6 months old. They are so sweet!

My siblings.

Josiah playing with his 2nd cousin Mackenzie. The LOVE each other!

We all did a lot of holding babies. It was a full-time job!

Many years ago we decided we didn't want to eat turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

What do we eat? FRIED SHRIMP, baby!!!

So whenever we are together that's what we have. YUM!

My mom's parents came down Thanksgiving day to have lunch with us as well. It was nice to see everyone last week! It had been too long.

My brother John is Josiah's favorite person. They played hide-and-go-seek a lot and here they were playing in a closet under the stairs. He was being a dragon.

Josiah spent time outside with the dogs. He would go out there and just talk and talk to the dogs. He would love it if we had a dog.

Peter and his twin Gabriel

Nichole and David

Chatting with Papa

Just a small taste of our sibling goofiness. My brother spelled blood with his fingers, what a goober!

I adore this picture! John was showing us some silly video.

What a wonderful week! I am thankful for every moment we got to spend together. And I really enjoyed shooting my siblings during a fun game of laser tag... I felt like a kid again like when we used to be spies around the neighborhood. Oh it seems like just yesterday we were kids.... and the fun we did have!! I wish we lived closer than a plane ride away from each other.

Thank you, my family, for a great time!