Let the Holidays Begin

We are very excited to be celebrating the holidays in our new home.  A year ago who would have known that everything would be so different in just 12 months time?  After all, at this time last year we had just started house shopping!  Yet here we are.

I have been waiting patiently for my first deer sighting.  Look who showed up in our backyard this week...

 Lucy and I affectionately named him Precious.

In addition to the serenity of our surroundings, the new house has provided many other blessings.  One of them came in the form of family for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Everyone (meaning my sister and brother, their families, my dad, and my dear friend Julia) gathered at our house to celebrate. It was wonderful to have them all here.  My Mom's memory was near and dear to my heart the entire time.  I couldn't help but think, "you helped create this, Mom."  Having her family together was always the thing that made her happiest.

One of the moments that warmed my heart most over the weekend was this one: 

Right before eating dinner, we had just finished praying and talking about how the various facets of our families' history was interwoven into that moment, when Lucy said this:

"Mama, we are a family!"

Priceless. 

I can only hope that a new tradition has begun.

Oh, and did I mention that Ray and Jessica gave us a chainsaw as a housewarming gift?    Brian has been out in the back woods cutting down trees like he is a real renaissance man.  Scary, I know.

So Thanksgiving came and went, with our hearts full of gratitude. 

We have now started the preparations for Christmas...

Back to the same mall, and the same Santa, with our same dear friend Abby.

And look what happened!  Lucy sat on Santa's lap for the first time!

Off to get our tree..

The first snow flakes of the season (albeit very minor) occurred while we there. Perfect. 

 

Here she is!

Putting the first ornament on the tree

Enjoy your season!