Giving Thanks for sooo many things....

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and the littlest prince was feeling back to his normal self for the festivities. I am so glad to say that he is completely on the mend. He's off oxygen entirely and acting like his happy,vibrant self. He is still on lots of anitbiotics for the trach infection, which tears his tummy up, but all in all, doing well. The pic above was our attempt to keep him on O2 without keeping him in the crib. Yeah, were glad he's over it.

Also on the Shepherd front, we've got a first tooth (we call him our little pit bull because it's his bottom tooth, but only one of them), he's playing patty cake, and even waiving. He's also acquired separation anxiety from momma, which is quite sweet I must say. It's especially sweet because he has so many people in his life involved in taking care of him, and yet he knows how different mommy is. No offense, my lovely nurses, but when I hand him to you at night and his lip pokes out, I giggle inside. I guess no one can replace mommies:)

Because of Shepherd's situation (no nurse on Thanksgiving and too many people in one house, therefore too much exposure) we weren't able to spend Thanksgiving with my family. This was of course, a huge disappointment, but Noah and I both felt it was clearly what the Lord wanted us to do, which softened the blow BIG time. So, instead we set out on our first Thanksgiving with our little family, and it was a HUGE success. We started out Wed night going downtown (we live only minutes from our small town's "downtown") with our wagon to pick out our first real Xmas tree. It was a huge success. Aslan even brought along his plastic saw to cut the tree down which, of course, he did. Our eldest, yep he's tough. Thanks, tree lot guy;)

The boys helped with the wagon while Shep and I just strolled and ate. Don't get me wrong, Shepherd played a key part in helping us pick out the perfect tree. He was our inspiration for a tall, skinny tree.

And at last we arrived back home, with our find. We may be in trouble. These things are a little pricy and I'm not sure unpacking the fake tree from the box, then getting numb finger tips while seperating "branches" for hours on end is gonna cut it anymore. At least not after this.

Finally, the following morning, we began our cooking for the big day. Though I adore the mass chaos that is family, God gave me the ability to be able to enjoy the calm, simple preparations for just our little family, in our home. It was so sweet, and simple and peaceful. And since I love my extended family soo much, it really was a gift that I didn't spend my day wishing we could be with them. I can truly say I enjoyed my day JUST like it was. There was something so marvlous in preparing all that decadent food, knowing that it was all only for my little family, most of which are toddlers. But being in the kitchen with my best friend, laughing, cooking, stopping for the occasional hug then more cooking and overall thankfulness was a delight.

And I have to say that food wise, it ended up being one of the tastiest menus I have yet to take part in:

-Honey Baked ham (and I promise you've never tasted hame like this. I actually married my husband because his family has a grill the size of a horse trailer. He can cook some meat!)

-Rosemary and lemon Cornish Game Hen

-Roasted garlic mashed potatoes & Gravy(I love roasting. Seriously, you could roast my hand and I'd eat it)

-Asparagus Casserole

-Roasted Brussel Sprouts. See?

Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

Deviled Eggs with Horseradish and sweet pickle Relish

Yeast Rolls

Spicy Sausage stuffing with baby bella mushrooms

and of course, Sweet Tea

And for dessert homemade Key Lime Pie, which was AM...AZ...ING!!!

And on this very special Thanksgiving Day, when we have so much to be thankful for, I do want to say something to all you who have come with us on the journey this past 8 months or so.

Thank You.

Throughout these months, in all the fog and craziness and change, I KNOW that there have been so MANY times when you have cared for us and loved us and we have seen it. I KNOW there have been so many things we have not seen and probably will never know. But I also know that there were many times when my heart welled up with gratefulness but I was too weary to find the words. So many instances when a gift or note or email made my day...but then time was so limited and I did not find the opportunity to say thank you. So please know that if you have not heard a thank you before from me, it is not because it is not there. You have lightened the load more than we can say and you have played a very special part in the life of this family. A part only you could play in that way at that moment. Thank you for using your gifts, thank you for your love. It is beautiful and we see it, and we love it, and we love you.

We ended our day with my parents, Key Lime Pie, hot coffee, Christmas music, laughing, cuddling and two little boys putting a star on a tree. Thank You, Lord, for your son, Because He came and redeemed what is SO broken in this world, we can live in this Broken world, yet enjoy such beauty. I look forward to thinking more throughout this month about the gift of your son... cause Christmas is coming!!!!!

And last but not least...

If you like to knit or crochet, please join us this month. I'd like to collect hat's for children battling cancer, which I will then take over the the Ronald McDonald House, which we love SO much. If your interested, just let me know. You can bring them to me or to the Yarn Birds shop in Raleigh. There are some guidelines to follow when making these hats, though. Check them out here. Seriously guys, you could make a hat in one evening and those kiddos sure would love to feel pretty or handsome without all their beautiful hair this Christmas! Think about the sense of loss that comes with seeing your baby lose all their beautiful hair. Not to mention all the other physical changes that comes with the meds. Often times the children's appearances change drastically. Something like a beautiful hat with a big flower or a cool hat with a brim for a boy (boy hats are often left out, so go for it) could be such a great gift! And trust me, it's the small things. I remember what it meant to me when I could first start putting clothes on Shepherd. These things are everyday for most moms, but the simplest things mean so much. Just getting to dote on him and dress him was to get to do something "normal." And there was so much that wasn't normal. SO much that we couldn't do anything about. So if you know how to knit or crochet, please, go to town!!! If not, contact Yarn Birds. They have tons of classes and the ladies in there are wonderful. They'll let you cozy up on their comfy chairs in their shop and walk you through anything.

Lastly, if you haven't got your 2010 calendar yet, go to Saving Little Hearts and get their new Calendar. The proceeds go to supporting children and families affected by the #1 birth defect, Congenital Heart Defects (CHD), primarily through care packages. And one of the Mr. August's is yours truly, Shepherd Jeremiah Joyner.

Oh, and just cause I know you love the pictures that make you wonder ...........

what exactly

we're up to over here.....