Thanksgiving 2022

 

Thanksgiving 2022 was my first Thanksgiving apart from my kids.  We (obviously!) still had a Thanksgiving dinner together and celebrated the gifts God has given us most especially in each other! 

I love these beautiful kiddos and their hearts so much.  They are so strong and so brave and because they are their hurting hearts often get ignored because everyone assumes they are fine.  This is a tough part of out faith.  People can be resilient, strong fighters who are simultaneously hurting and broken too. People can persevere and find joy, while still suffering and sorrowing as well.  People can choose to love and forgive, but still be experiencing deep grief.  I am SO proud of my kids for being fighters and looking for joy everywhere despite pain.  They are my heroes. 

But being alone for the actual holiday was a bit daunting for me. When I mentioned that to my brother, he and his wife were quick to offer to help fly me out to VA so I would not be alone. 

I got to pick up my nieces and nephews with my sis-in-law!

We drew, we colored, we played games

My oldest brother Sean also lives in VA and I got to spend several days with his family too!

Finn liked to take really flattering pictures of me

Sean and Tracy

I love you two so much.  Thank you for always being there for me. 

Scott carving turkey #1

Sean carving turkey #2

dessert!

It was so wonderful to be around these beautiful nieces and nephews of mine.  

I am not going to lie.  It was difficult too.  My heart was so broken that my own kids were not there with us, thanking God, and hanging out with their amazing cousins.  My heart was hurting not getting to hold and hug my OWN babies everyday. I am beyond grateful that my brothers and sisters-in-law are not just siblings, but dear friends.  I truly do not know what I would do in a situation like this if I did not have so many many very dear friends which include most deeply my brothers and sisters (in laws included because I consider them brothers and sisters). They check in regularly not just to make sure I'm physically ok or even financially ok, but to make sure I'm emotionally and spiritually ok.  They ask how my heart is and they listen.  They ask how my faith life is and they listen.  

And what a blessing to have all these amazing nieces and nephews that loved on me so well.  I enjoyed our conversations and all the many games we played and the laughter we shared.  I'm so proud of each and every one of you and the truly wonderful and kind people that you are. 

I even got to catch up with my college bestie for a short bit.  We (as usual) laughed and cried and acted like complete goofballs at times.  Love you, Bernadette. 

Can't wait to see you all again soon!!!!!!!

November 2021- recap

 

November was filled with beauty, pain too, but lots of beauty. 

park fun at sunset

All Saints program at Kolbe's preschool

We had a lovely Volleyball awards ceremony and I got to honor my amazing team and parents and assistant coach.  They were so kind to me as well.  Thanks for a great first season at Ascent, you guys. 

More preschool fun

Kayla's friends got together to prep for the Homecoming Dance.  

They made masks (they were all different birds)

Eating a fancy dinner I made for them at our house before the dance

Homecoming dance ready

On our way to more fun

at the dance

Isn't her group of friends so sweet?

Love this girl so much

some of my volleyball parents doing an amazing "prom date" pose

Love them. 

After making dinner for a bunch of sweet middle schoolers, driving them to the dance, chaperoning, and finally getting home again, I enjoyed a little drink with a fun umbrella straw.  

beautiful views from my bed

I should have had the bed facing this way the whole time.  

I love my mountains. 

I am doing better at making time for myself to just relax.  I'm a do-er so I tend to overdo because I'm not so great at resting and relaxing.  My goal has been to become an awesome rest-er as well.  

Warm bath with my fav essential oil, Christmas Spirit. 

More preschool fun with Kolbe

Just chatting with my amazing neighbor and Kolbe takes the camera and starts being the papparazzi to her.  

We helped babysit for a gala event and my kiddos loved the craft time as much as the preschool and toddler age kids we were watching.  

Watching movies and making snowflakes to prepare for Christmas decorating

being silly

Each year we've been gifting a peg nativity set to each of my siblings' families (we have a different family each year for Christmas that loops and starts over after you get through each family once)

some of our progress

When friends drop off sweet kindness that lifts everyone's spirits

For Thanksgiving, Chris' brother Nick invited us all over to his place.  Chris didn't end up coming, but the kids and I really enjoyed the fun.  We brought Saint coloring sheets and played board games with Nick and his housemates and friends.  

This is what we love about Nick.  That goofy smile isn't the wine.  

It's just him.  He is goofy and fun and we all are very grateful for his presence in our lives.  

Thanks for hosting, bro. 

Kolbe watching the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

some of the fun people we spent Thanksgiving with

games and more games

girls night with some St. Katharine Drexel ladies!

Kayla's friend had a birthday party and her mom sent me these cute pictures from the party.  

What fun!

I want to do this with my friends!

Sleep over tents, matching jammies, self care time, and painting fun.  

It was my first Christmas on my own and my amazing neighbors brought themselves and their ladder to help me get lights up on the house.  I am really blessed by my community.  I don't know what I would do without our friends. 

Because stuff like this sucks.  Holidays are hard with a broken family, but no one truly thinks about every little way they are hard unless they are living it or walking very closely with someone who is.  Thank you, Erin and Aaron, for your understanding, support, and help with this task that added beauty and joy to our Advent/Christmas season. 

We were also blessed with some fun money and I purchased Mary and Joseph from Beaheart.com .  The idea is that they travel around your home helping you prepare for Jesus' birth on Christmas.  It's like Elf on the Shelf, but a bit less "someone is watching for you to be naughty or nice" and more "let's journey with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and prepare our hearts for Christ. 

Kitchen ready for Christmas

I set up the Nativity outside with just help from the kiddos! 

Having a snack with the neighbor kids and Mary and Joseph and friends

Another change this year was the tree.  In the past we've gotten real trees.  I love the smell of a real Christmas tree and I love the process of going and cutting it down or even picking one up from a local place selling them.  It has brought a lot of joy and memories over the years.  

BUT, my car doesn't have a roof rack.  

I'm on my own now. 

Trees are bulky and heavy. 

I just can't do all the things by myself. 

Some amazing friends offered to buy our tree.  They also offered help if we wanted to get a real one.  I debated.  I really really wanted a real one, but I am improving on knowing myself better too, and I knew I really couldn't do all the longer term-rest of Christmas season real tree things on my own.  

So I bought a fake one.  Kolbe and I set it up together.  

Our generous friends bought it for us.  Thank you, so much.  What a huge blessing. 

And a friend bought me a fir tree scented candle, so it still felt a bit like a real tree in the end. 

We did it.  

I'm proud of us. 

One morning Mary and Joseph helped us prep lunches for school. 

Dazzling sunsets and Christmas lights

She kinda fell this way one day and I loved it.  

She's looking at Joseph with love and devotion. Beautiful. 

And that's a wrap on last November.