Congratulations Dad!

Happy Retirement!

Dad,

I know you've waited a long time for this day, and now that it's here you probably feel sick with uncertainty... but Oh what an exciting day it is! :)

We're so happy for you, you've worked hard all of these years and you totally deserve this day! (And all of the days to come, of course!)We are happy that you will now be able to spend your time doing things around the "farm", since that's where your heart is!!

Love you so much... what a great accomplishment!

It's time to celebrate! :)

Brian, Brooke, and Nathan!

Happy Father's Day

First of all, I'm sorry this is late, I forgot to publish yesterday!!

Today is a day to honor Fathers, which I personally believe doesn't happen enough!

I feel completely blessed that I grew up in a home that remained intact. Our home wasn't perfect, as none are... but we were together, and that was what mattered. The love, loyalty and longevity that I learned, still sticks with me today. It programmed the way I see life, the way I make decisions, the way I feel about family... all of it! I'm proud of that!

I honor my dad! He taught me so many things, it would be hard to list them all.. but I'm thankful for him and all I learned from him.

I appreciate the dad he is and the grandpa he is. He is so good at teaching Nathan things around the "farm"... priceless knowlege and memories they are making! I'm so greatful!

I love you, Dad!

I also want to honor my grandpa... we have lived apart most all of our lives (he in North Carolina, me in California), but I have always been Grandpa's girl! I am his only grandchild, therefore I get to be the favorite! :) Last Fall, he completely thrilled us, by agreeing to move here and share the rest of his life with us! I couldn't be happier! I love the relationship and immediate bond he built with my son, I love the bond he quickly built with my husband! I am so greatful for the man he is and the legacy he passes to us!

You are the best, Grandpa! I love you!

And last, but DEFINITELY not least, I honor my wonderful husband! Brian, you are everything I could have ever hoped for in a man, husband, father! I am so proud to be your wife and so blessed to share my life with you! It's so fun... this forever we live each day! You are an awesome father and I thank God every day for the man He gave me!!!

Veggie time!!

Man, I sure do love my parents' summer garden! :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Hoping everyone has a great Thanksgiving Day with family, friends, and all of thier wonderful blessings to remember! I have so many things to be thankful for - I don't even know where to start!! God is good!

Here's a fun little Thanksgiving questionairre:

1) What are your plans for Thanksgiving Day

• Fun cooking with Mom (We always save some things to do together for old times sake)
• Enjoy time with family (My grandpa moved here from North Carolina in Sept, this will be our first Thanksgiving with him EVER! God is good!)
• Yummy Thanksgiving Food!
• Look through all of the fun sale ads and dream! :)

2) Does your family have any Thanksgiving traditions?

• Um, not anything substantial! We do always find some reason to go to Kmart that day, though! LOL! It's the only store open that day, and we always find a reason to go... I think after all of the eating, we get stir crazy! :) So I'm sure we'll end up there. But no sentimental traditions to speak of!

3) Of all the things that you are most thankful for in your life, what are the most important?

• God's hand in our lives, every minute of every day. I am finding myself more and more aware of it - and I'm so thankful for that! (Jeremiah 29:11)
• I am so thankful for my husband. I always worried how my independent life would "mesh" with someone elses, but man, I can't imagine my life without this man! So God knew the exact match for me! I'm so thankful for that!
• I'm thankful for my son, Nathan! I love him so much! I can't believe how much he's growing up, and I'm enjoying every stage and watching him loving life! :) Oh what fun it is to be a kid!! :)
• I'm so thankful for my parents and my grandpa! We're so blessed to have them!! I'm so glad to have my Grandpa here in California, too!
• I'm so grateful for our Pastor and Pastor's wife, we are truly blessed to have them in our lives. I've never learned so much and been empowered to go so deep in God before and WOW!! - We are blessed!
• I'm thankful for great friends! We are truly BLESSED! We thank God for you!
• I'm so thankful for our home...when I see what's happening with the market and all of the people losing thier homes, it just makes me so much more grateful for our home! I love my home and I never want to take it for granted!
• I'm so very thankful for the peace of God that passes all understanding. I haven't always had that and boy what a change it has made in my life to CLAIM that peace in all circumstances!
• Lastly, but not leastly, I thank God for my precious little dog! Those of you that spend any time with me know how much this baby girl means to me.. but she sure deserved to be mentioned on my "Thankful list"!

I could clearly go on and on.. but I'll stop here!

Love to all!