Thanksgiving

Unfortunately this picture of all of us (minus 3 who had left and 3 who couldn't make it) is not the greatest (the sun was b-right!) BUT it is priceless to me because it includes all of my dad's siblings (5 total)!  Rounding this crew up for a family photo is something one could go into therapy over ;)  All jokes aside, it is quite evident that we ALL come by strong-will temperaments honestly.  Growing up, I was especially close to my Aunt Becky.  I owe her a whole lot because she really played a big part in my life when I was growing up through my days as a college student (I lived with her for 2 years in Lexington...GO CATS!)  Here you see 3 generations.  Gran and Daddy Jack would be so proud and as a tribute to them, I share these next pictures.

Daddy Jack (John Cornelius III) LOVED horses.  I read a letter he wrote when he was 8-10 years old and in it, he asked his parents for a horse.  He must have gotten one, because, he passed the equestrian love on to my dad, who, in turn, also loved horses as a boy, teen, young adult (horses on hold for his crazy job), and now again as a retiree :).  Tennessee Walkers, particularly, but any will do.  We are horse people. If you travel HWY 90, you might see dad on horseback (makes me A NERVOUS WRECK!)  This picture is of Jack and me (named after Daddy Jack).  Jack is my close cousin's baby.  Sister-cousin to be exact.  I'm kinda like his aunt:) and as many of you know, I genuinely LOVE being an aunt with my entire heart.

Honestly, Jack never tired of petting Java.  Java was his favorite by far.  When we walked off, the horses followed us the length of the fence, until we stopped.  Then they stopped and baby Jack reached out to pet them time and again.

 

My dad, Joe West, real mountain man and cowboy, with Jackson West.  We are big on family names!

And this last one, just because these boys all carry on the family name in some way (Noah John, John being mine and Shawn's grandfather's real name), Clark Robert (Clark is my sister in law's maiden name, and Robert, after his dad and my brother, who was named after my grandmother's brother), and again, Jackson West (West was my grandmother's maiden name).  I'm kind of a genealogy nut - or a beginning genealogy nut I should say. 

 

Thankful for the best Thanksgiving ever.  My heart is being tugged at (not for the first time) because I know there are people out there who don't have loved ones to celebrate with this time of year.  Praying for them tonight and asking with shaky knees....  Lord, what would you have me (us) to do?

 

 

 

Home

A week ago, I made a last-minute decision to go home to see my momma for the weekend.  Dad was gone deer hunting all weekend and I knew it would be a time, like it was in my growing up years, when mom and I could be together and relax.  I LOVE my daddy...but sometimes it is good for mom  and I to have girl time.  We hadn't gotten to do this since I had my first child 6 years ago!  This weekend- for that reason- was especially special.  I took my youngest with me, but surprised even myself by leaving my girl to stay with her daddy and do fun things like go to Chuck E. Cheese with her cousin in tow.  The drive home was gorgeous...clear and sunny.  The leaves had fallen off the trees at the bottom but higher up on the foothills, they were vivid, inviting colors.  They seemed to almost say, "keep driving..."  Seriously, they were mesmerizing.  As we got to mom's, the afternoon sun was fading into evening but it felt like time paused for a few minutes and the sun stayed put in that clear, cool November sky before dropping down and pushing the day into dusk.  Have you ever had a moment like that?  It was/is super cool to reflect on.  My boy and I walked up the lane toward the house, and after looking in the house and not finding mom, we headed to the barn to see if she was feeding the horses.  Then my boy saw her.  His NONNA.  And that is just what he yelled...he yelled with full happiness in his voice.  His feet couldn't catch up with his happiness fast enough.  It's a sweet thing to see your child in sheer astonishment and joy at the sight of your mom.  Blessed.  So blessed.  Nonna is the best nonna in this entire world.  She has a gift from God.  Seeing her in action right after I had my kids made me appreciate it, because unfortunately, I took it for granted way too often when I was growing up!

Mom was definitely shocked, but in a good way, to see us.  We all hugged happy hugs and I knew I made the right decision!  We had the best weekend just spending time together.  We stayed up late and talked like we used to when I was in high school, then afterward, I slept the best I'd slept in a long time.  The next morning, we went to visit my best friend together and spent hours talking and laughing on this big soft, hugging couch that overlooked a big, peaceful valley.  I felt like both were there for us that day, just for us, just for that day, although I know that sounds so silly. After that, we took Noah to feed the ducks and geese at the lake.  They waddled and quacked right up to him.  He giggled and my heart warmed again. (PICTURE COMING)  Before we left, we took him to see lots of boats, docked for the winter, and sat overlooking the water.  It was cold, but a great day for the three of us to be at the lake. 

The icing on the cake came when I decided to stay an extra day so I could see my dad on his birthday!  He had some inner contemplations about this specific birthday that I won't get into, so I thought what better time to stay!  So the icing...after being gone all weekend (and coming home without a buck, to his dismay), dad asked me to go to church with him.  At first I said, "No, I don't think I will, I'm tired.  Well, I don't know. I am torn, so maaaybe I will..."  He walked off to do something and I said the same to mom.  Then my soul lit-up and I said to myself....  Yes.  Yes you will go.  There is no contemplation.  Your dad asked you to go to church, the very place you prayed he would come back to (and the lifestyle you prayed for), and the culmination of years of praying from mom.  The drive to town was peaceful.  Sitting together in church (uncle behind me) filled my cup to overflowing.  Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies and my cup runneth over."  And it did.  And it still does.  I drink from my saucer and give God the glory.  After church, dad had a meeting that ended up lasting almost 2.5 hours.  I can honestly say I have never been happier to wait on somebody in my life.  I am so proud of dad.  Sometimes people live a whole lifetime without figuring it out...as dad said to me a year ago..."I am not perfect and I'm going to mess up, and it took me a long, long time, but I think I've got this figured out."  He went on to talk about life and how God and family are the most important things.  The next morning, I woke up and headed down the steps.  I saw dad face-down, kneeling to pray.  I asked if he was okay, and he said yes.  I realized then that he was praying ever so humbly.  A few minutes later, when I went to shower, I overheard he and mom laugh about me asking if he was okay.  Mom laughed out loud, then when dad questioned her, she caught her breath long enough to tell him he could have said he was inspecting the laminate!  Dad laughed and said he could have said he wanted to get a closer look at the area rug.  JOY, jOy, JoY like no other.  Their laughter was full, and it wasn't just because they were making jokes about how he could have answered me.

Love my parents.  Love my foothills.  And I love my Lord though I fail Him daily.  Yet without relationship and recognition of The Lord, my joys wouldn't be as joyful (laughter on the hugging couch with a true overcomer of a best friend) or my peace so poignant (sleep like I needed down in my soul).  And ya know, when I saw that sunset that seemed to stand still the first day I arrived at "home", I wonder, could it have?  Joshua 10:13 "And the sun stood still, and the moon hung...."  Yes.  It could have.  Did it really?  No, probably not, but the fact that I have faith in who hung it there to begin with is enough for me...HOME.

Sun and Rain/Son and Reign

Today has been a beautiful, reigny kinda day.  :)  I really like rain.  It kind of soothes me, soothes my soul, my nerves.  I get to enjoy it so much during this period when I'm raising my kids, from the cozy closeness of a twin-bed as I nestled in with my little one for a catnap earlier.  Not a day goes by I'm not grateful.  Rainy days remind me of who REIGNS...God!  Yesterday was election day.  Of course, I voted.  I mentioned that yesterday.  I'm reminded and I hold to the scripture in Daniel 2:21:  "He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars."  I continue to pray for our country, for all people in this country, and for our president and vice president, and more intimately, for my people in my little world.  My babies and my man.  My brother and his family.  My closies.  Myself.  Because heaven knows, I need to better myself.  Time is marching on, and my kids are growing fast.  Nobody can change me but me (God in me).  And it is high time.  Speaking of....

A friend came over today and needed to talk...a hug...a prayer.  Before she showed up, I was thinking, "Oh nooo!  I am really not filled up today.  I can't possibly offer her anything good because I'm not filled up myself!"  Some very near and dear friends and I have been discussing how important it is to take care of ourselves (spiritually) so we can take care of our families (and in this case, friends).  I hope I was able to impart something good to my girl.  In the end, I cried for her when she left the room, because my heart aches for my loved ones who ache (also because I can relate on some levels)...and I hugged her tight before she left.  I told her I'd pray.  I fed her a grand meal of cheese and crackers as we talked about stuff like kids' dental appointments and the aforementioned presidential election.  We talked about love, lack thereof, disappointments, improvements, parenting, weight, food, and that big thing called hope.  Hope that there are better, happier days ahead for her and the people in her world.  I pushed her to take care of herself, ever so briefly mentioning, how recently I have barely taken care of my  own self...or how messed-up I am as a wife and momma some days.  I've told her before-- I wasn't trying to withhold my true self.  I just knew she needed an ear today rather than a fellow grumbler.  (Not that she was grumbling, and even if she was, rightly so).  I guess what I'm saying is I knew she needed to know that I know that I know that there IS HOPE.  

Anyway, after she left and the rain completely stopped, out came the sun.  And it's one of those sonshiny days when everything outside suddenly looks kissed by warmth.  Even though it's 40 degrees out.  The sun (son) shines, and because of that, the world looks warm now.  And I don't know quite how but I feel a little more filled up. So very glad for the son. 

I wish I had taken this 20 minutes before when nature was glowing, but do you still feel the warmth?

Let your hair down!

Sometimes I just need to let my hair down!!!  Today I have done just that.  My oldest is out of school today for election day (I voted at 7am!)  We invited her new, sweet friend over (they met at kindergarten orientation!!!)  We baked cupcakes, made scratch icing, sprinkled everything to infinity and beyond, the girls made each other up (Grace gave her friend a blue unibrow, as you see! ;)  After our friends left, my kids basically dragged me outside from warmth comfort to cold, chilly, kiddy fun. We bundled up in sweatshirts and jackets and a blanky and climbed on the hay wagon, romped in the field, climbed into the "treehouse" aka top of the swingset, did the zipline a couple times, then finally came in only to have more cupcakes and another tea party (kool-aid)!  Now, it's tv-time while the dishes wait...and the sprinkles on the kitchen floor will sweep up just as easily in an hour than right this minute!!!  I'm declaring a whole day of letting my hair down...complete with pizza for dinner!!!  I should do this more often!!!  :) And the icing on the proverbial cupcake?  I don't have to work tomorrow either, which means if I want to leave the messy fun until tomorrow, I can (and probably will!)