Gobble gobble goo and gobble gobble gickel

I'm kind of in love with Thanksgiving.  I love the food, I love the family time.  I love that Sean gets consecutive days off and spends them entirely with us.

I love that Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and be truly grateful...grateful for these two little ones and all their glory and mischief.

Grateful for a beautiful sister who has taught me so much about myself...including how to be a gangsta. 

A beautiful family who is always there for me especially when I send text message pictures of their grand-babes and persuade them into making a spur of the moment trip to Norman.

I'm especially thankful for fabulous friends who brave really cold winds to go turkey trotting around OU's campus the morning of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving 2011 provided sweet memories of creating an Indian costume for music school Thanksgiving feast (at 10:00 p.m. the night before),

Chief Angry Birds (he named himself)

face painting (from being an Indian the day before),

little ones being the center of love and affection,

an impromptu dance session in front of a random OU building,

numerous silly faces from this little girl (who will be 1 one month from today!),

sweet house church and worship time,

and this momma's grateful heart for all He has given us.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Getting bigger and bigger

Sean Edward is 3 today, and I surprisingly haven't shed a tear.  I can remember everything about his little life.  When Sean and I first decided to have a baby and thought it was going to be a super quick process when in actuality the process ended up taking almost a year, two different drugs and a lot of faith in God's promises to get pregnant with him.

I can remember praying to God for SE, begging God for SE, getting mad at God when month after month I wasn't pregnant with SE and then rejoicing to God when I found about SE.

Now trusting God that He is giving me the love, wisdom, grace and patience to raise SE.

It has been an absolute honor being SE's mom.  He is unceasingly amazing with his intelligence, athleticism, joy, and love for others.  I can already see his little pastoral heart developing.  He loves others so well, as well as a 3 year old can.

And he definitely knows how to melt my heart...you're my best friend, love you stinker (Sean), watch out Fins, on top of the countless hugs and affirmations he daily gives (i.e. mom, God's looking out for us).

Sugar Bears, you are an absolute blessing to our family.  God fulfilled the desires of your dad's and my hearts when He gave us you.  We are so proud of you and always will be.  You are one awesome little boy who your dad and I love watching grow and play and learn and laugh and love.  You are pure delight.  I believe God is going to use you in amazing ways for the glory of His kingdom, and I can't wait to see.  We love you so much!  Happy 3rd birthday Sean Edward Boyd!

2008 (photo courtesy of hollib photography)

2009

2010

2011

Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Psalm 34:8

Halloween (a little late, but we are still eating the candy)

I was never much of a Halloween person.  I attribute it to when I was around 3 years old, we were trick or treating, and one of our neighbors who was dressed in a gorilla costume jumped out of the bushes and scared us.  I can still remember crying in my mom's arms.  So when we had babies who would one day want to go trick or treating I knew I had to get over this fear of mine. 

I asked SE what he wanted to be...at first he said a pumpkin.  Well the momma couldn't find a pumpkin costume to fit him so I took him to Target and talked him into getting an Angry Birds Rio costume (a/k/a a parrot).  He rocked it!

Little Miss was a black cat one night.  A costume that consisted of all black attire and a headband with black foam board ears cut out and stuck together.  The ears didn't stand up too well so she was a mad black cat.

Not too mad in this picture!

 I did a wardrobe change for Finley on the actual Halloween night.  She was a ladybug.

Totally unfocused picture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We partook in some Trails' festivities the Friday before Halloween.  We met up with some friends, and let the kids run wild!

On Halloween we joined in our neighborhood's trick or treating, which consisted of a trailer hay ride throughout the neighborhoods.  SO FUN!  SE might have been a tad young (all the other kiddos were a little older), but he of course made some new buddies before the night was over.

Our sweet neighborhood friends!

Miss Cole and Aunt Jill came to see the bird and the bug!

The hay ride

Sweet Hannalaine

Lovey bug slept pretty much the entire trick or treating experience

New buddy Dillon

This picture makes me laugh hysterically

Sweet smiles to end the night

 

SE wanted to go trick or treating a couple of days later.  I said he could try, but I'm not sure people would answer their doors.  It will be fun to see how it will be next year with a 3 year old and a 1 year old!