"Wow, Thanksgiving!"

This year's Thanksgiving quite possibly topped all previous Thanksgivings. And that is saying something because I've been a part of some fairly fantastic Thanksgiving celebrations. This year, my brother was able to be a part of the celebration again, which hasn't happened in 2 years as he was in the Navy and unable to get away. Also this year, my sister Rachel's parents-in-law joined us at my parents' house as they have just recently become official residents of Pittsburg, KS (Woohoo!). Also this year, I had THE BEST turkey I have ever eaten! My brother-in-law Ryan got started cooking at 4 AM(!!!!) and super out-did himself on the food. We had an absolute feast! Two different flavors of turkey, a ham, ribs, pork loin, stuffing, mashed potatoes... The list seems endless, and I didn't even go into desserts! Props to everyone who provided the feast. Seriously... THE best turkey I've ever eaten. It was so good and just RIGHT to have everyone come together for such an occasion as setting aside a day to give thanks and to focus on the many blessings in life. The day was spent in much laughter and good conversation. WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY! Later that evening, Ugo, Donovan, and I all went to our good friends', the Noga's, house and spent the remainder of the day, again, in much laughter and good conversation. I had the privelege of playing one of my favorite games with 2 of my most favorite people, and had an absolute blast. There were so many times throughout the day that I felt the warmth of comfort and contentment fill my being and I thought to myself, "How incredible to love and be loved in return." Love truly is the greatest of them all (See I Corinthians 13)... The one downside was the number of people I love who couldn't be there to share the day. Micah, Sarah, Ellen, Josiah- You were all missed and thought of! I look forward to the Thanksgiving Days to come. I know they too will be filled with joy and peace and much, much laughter. Wow, Thanksgiving! Wow...

Ah, Father, You out-did Yourself with blessing me! You have filled me to over-flowing and there are not words good enough to describe my thankfulness at all You have done and for all You have given me. Thank You for allowing me to be a part of a family such as I have, both physically and spiritually. You have been so good to me and all I can find to say is "thank You!!!", which doesn't even come close to being sufficient. Thank You for family. Thank You for friends. Thank You for mercy. And, thank You for hope... You are so amazing and I stand in complete awe of Your goodness.

"Cousins and Life's Craziness"

So, tonight I was able to hang out with my cousin, Grace, and her fiancee Levi. Obviously, being my cousin, I've known Grace her whole life, but as we moved away from Wichita when I was quite young, I regret to say that I never got to KNOW Grace really. She has grown into such a beautiful and sweet soul with a pinch of spunkiness thrown in, which makes for a good time when talking to her. For some reason, in my mind, the kids I've seen grow up always pretty much stay somewhere around 7 years old their entire lives, so it's weird for me to be able to have an actual conversation with them, but it's also awesome to be able to hear of the changes that have taken place in the years since they were, in fact, 7. It's incredible to be able to know a person from infancy and see them grow and change into young adults with thoughts and ideas all their own. Tonight, I felt honored to be able to actually get to know Grace quite a bit more and to get a glimpse of who she REALLY is, which is a far cry from who I thought she was or even assumed she was. It's good to get to know people for who they really are, and sometimes not so good too... But mostly good in my experience, which is limited, granted, as I am only 23 years old myself. Sometimes I stand astounded by who those "little kids" have grown into. I recently had a conversation with one of my older counsins and I was telling her how weird it was for me to see her eldest son as a young man. Again, stuck in the he's still 7 situation... Then she told me that it was even more weird for her to see me with my son because she changed almost all of us kids' diapers and remembers babysitting us and when we were born and ALL of that. Life is crazy, I tell you! How is it possible for it to zoom by so quickly yet seem to crawl ever so slowly when you're IN the day to day? Looking back on the past 5 years even, I am stunned by how life has turned out. SERIOUSLY. Married and with a 2-year-old son?!?! Never saw that one coming! Oof. Where did the time go in such a hurry? Makes me curious, and a little nervous, about what the next 5 year will hold. If the past 5 years are any indication, they will be years full of adventure. We shall see, I guess...

Father, I confess the anxiety for the what the future holds and my lack of faith. I don't want to walk in fear of living my life to the full of extent of how You want me to live because of past mistakes and hurts. Please, help me to live with hope and optimism of what You have in store for me. Help me keep in mind that Your plans for me are ones of hope and prosperity, and that, no matter what may happen in the next days and months, that You are in control and You will provide. I thank You for Your goodness toward me thus far in life. Thank You that Your mercy is new every morning and that Your grace is, in fact, sufficient, even for a disaster like me. You are good and You are faithful. Thank You for the opportunity to hang out with family and especially for the time with my cousin Grace. It was rare honor and I know that somehow You orchestrated such an occasion to take place. I trust in You, Father...

"Funny Conversation"

So, this past weekend, I had some family come stay with us in Ellsworth, which was, of course, an absolute blast. It was Joseph, Amber, my sister Rachel and her 2 kids, Hannah and Anthony. One of my favorite things in life is to have a houseful of friends/family or to be a part of the big group of people at a person's house. So, my heart felt all warm and fuzzy that I had a house full of the people I know and love. Feel free to come visit us in Ellsworth! We would LOVE to have you!

Anyway, so, Saturday evening I was in the kitchen cooking dinner for all of us, which was to be chicken tacos. My niece, Hannah, kept coming into the kitchen at various intervals asking all kinds of questions, as she is 3 and, well, that's what 3-year-olds do. And this kid has TONS of questions that just erupt from the well of curiosity that exists in most 3-year-olds. Well, one of the times she came into the kitchen to check in with me, I was at the point in dinner preparations of shredding the chicken, and the conversation that ensued went something like this:
Hannah: What are you doing?
Me: Shredding the chicken.
Hannah: Why are you shredding the chicken?
Me: Because I'm making chicken tacos and I like the chicken to be shredded when I eat chicken tacos.
Hannah (eyes wide and lit with excitement): You're making chicken tacos?!?! I LOVE chicken tacos! Thank you for making chicken tacos!

"Another Windy Day in Ellsworth"

So, nobody ever told me that Ellsworth is "The Windy City" of Kansas. But it most definitely is. I don't know if somehow all of the hills create a current that whips through the town or what the cause is, but whatever it is, it brings about a gustiness that can be down-right frightful at times.

Naturally, because of this windy day in Ellsworth, I began pondering wind. It made me think of the poem "Who Can See the Wind?"... Neither you nor I... I'm sure we've all heard it before. Anyway, the wind... It can be soft and gentle and comforting... It can be cold and biting... It can be a nuisance... It can be a delight... It can take your breath away... It can bring refreshment... How can ONE thing be all of these things? Just one of life's many curious questions...

When I was younger, we lived out on a farm in Arma, and we had acres and acres to roam free and wild. Some of my best memories were made while living out on that farm. There were countless times when I was going through a particularly rough time in life that I would escape to my "secret spot" that was on the furthest hill from our house. It had a fallen oak tree and a small gathering of a few grand oak trees still-standing, but what it had most was a quiet and a stillness. I'd usually take a blanket to sit on, and I would go to my spot and breathe. The stillness would be broken only by the wind... But I didn't mind. The wind refreshed me in those times. A wounded soul is what I was. I wept many a time by that fallen oak. I slept by it. I dreamt by it. I prayed by it. I poured out my heart to God by it and asked Him to take my broken-ness by it... And the wind was my companion. Whether a breeze or a gust... When I wept aloud, my sobs were carried away with the wind. There were times that I'd yell and scream, and all were swept away by the wind... The wind was like a soothing balm poured over my bruised and battered heart. After I had awoken or the tears had subsided or the words had run out, there was always the wind to revive me. I always felt it was God's way of letting me know that He heard, He saw, and He cared... For whatever reason, God isn't on the earth in the form of a human being anymore, but I believe He IS here... Maybe in the form of the wind at times...

"And What a Fine Halloween It Was"

We dressed Donovan up as a lion for Halloween and he absolutely HATED his costume, which is amusing since I let him pick it out at the store... But, yeah... HATED it. He threw the biggest fit I have ever seen this kid throw and it was hilarious! Kicking, screaming, yelling "Noooooo!!!!", and struggling to get free from his father and away from the item of offense. I sat back and laughed until I cried at the struggle, not quite sure why he was in such distress. Eventually, we were able to calm him down with a cookie, but even a while after he had the cookie, he laid on the floor with a sad face and sulked. But he looked so stinking adorable! As we went out and about and from house to house, he caught on quick that the point of the whole ordeal was getting loads of candy and sweets. By the end of the night, he was a pro at walking up to the front door and holding his bag open for candy to be dropped inside it. My little lion melted many a heart as he gasped in delight over the treats being dropped in his bag and when he said a sweet,"Thank you." One thing I forgot to mention is that my parents were able to come to Ellsworth and spend Halloween with us, so it was all four of us adults and Donovan loading into and unloading from the vehicle each time we stopped. By far one of the best nights of my life. It was such a fun-filled night and one spent in much laughter. It also happened to be a perfect night for trick-or-treating weather-wise. It had been about 78 degrees during the day and was still in the 50s when the time came to go from house to house.

Before the evening of trick-or-treating, all of us were able to walk from our house up and down the main street here in Ellsworth and Josiah and I were able to show my parents some cool little places around town. It was such a refreshing day from beginning to end, and one that I will treasure always.

P.S. Sorry about the placement of the pics... Couldn't quite figure out how to put them where I wanted them... Oh well. At least they're there. :) Also, I will create an album of the weekend on Facebook, so be sure to keep an eye out for more hilarious pics.