Thankful for Thanksgiving at Mimi & Pawpaw's!

It's become our family tradition to spend Thanksgiving week down in the Brownsville /South Padre Island area of Texas where Mimi & Pawpaw live. If you're wondering where that is, look at the most southern tip of Texas on a map, about 30 minutes from the Mexico border, it's definitely a more "tropical" type of Thanksgiving & we LOVE it every year!

Here's a few favorite pics from this year's trip & our family's top 50 memories from the week:

Favorite Memories

Mimi & Pawpaw...family, all 27 of us & looking forward to seeing the others next year!...playing with cousins...brothers...sister-in-law talks...

The beach...sunsets over the ocean...great food, like fried turkey, tamales, chocolate pie...swimming, watching Noah & Gracie "jump in" again & again, watching Daws swim all over...

The jumping castle...driving the tractor or riding in the wagon behind it (Daws was so proud to drive "all by himself" for the first time this year!)...picking oranges right off the tree (the yard is full of orange trees, how great is that!)...

Playing in the sand, building castles & knocking them down, digging our toes in the sand...jumping waves...

The "new" family obstacle course...watching Troy SOAK in the victory of the championship win of the obstacle course, beating out ALL of his brothers & younger nephews, woohoo, what a man! (yes, there is just a tiny bit of "competition" in this family!)(: ...ultimate frisbee on the beach...

Playing Scrabble with THE best scrabble players on the planet, of course I never win against these smart people! (but it's still fun & I always learn a new word)...

Praying together...family share time...worshipping & hearing these amazing & talented young musicians in our family - Jon - Jen - Kirby - Whitney - WOW!...

Paddleboat rides...the view...Port Isabel's Lighthouse...great seafood at AmberJacks, the best coconut shrimp I've EVER had...

Mimi's pillows that she made for all the grandkids, so adorable!...watching Noah pretend like he's surfing on Uncle Ned's surfboard...games with fun people, Password, Impromptu...laughter...Ned's "teeth"...

Roasting marshmallows over the firepit outside...watching Bella & Gracie talk "girl talk," hold hands & play...watching our little guys chase Davis & Carson, seeing Noah & Hudson "wrestle" with the big boys...watching Dawson & Sky be the best of buds...

Waking up & knowing that the beach is right outside...seeing our precious neices in the family growing up into beautiful young ladies with a heart for God & hearts of kindness & compassion - Maya, Kirby, Jenni...

Climbing trees and riding bikes, scooters, & skateboards on the big driveway...remembering Grandmother...

Looking through old photos...having a little "down" time to read - finally!...the gratefulness that there is now a Starbucks in Brownsville...

The fresh realization that we have more "doctors" in the family, thank you Julie & T.J. for your help in our family & with Noah's little bronchiolitis episode. We now have Dr. Paul, Dr. Betty (:, Dr. Julie, & Dr. T.J. - we are well staffed in our family!...

The big bridge that goes over to the island...sand dunes...island breezes, beautiful weather...

The wonderful feeling of knowing that we can all bring ourselves together to one place, just the way we are, and we are loved & accepted by one another, imperfections, flaws, & weaknesses included...

Fresh thankfulness that I'm married to an amazing man who loves God more than anything...

Grace...

Unconditional love...

Family.