Happy Birthday Troy! You are our SUPERHERO!

Happy Birthday honey!





You are a true SUPERHERO in every sense of the word! You don't just "wear the costume," you live it out daily by living with us, always serving, always loving, always leading...
Superhero. It's defined like this in Webster's -
"super" - "first rate, excellent, excessive in degree, extreme"
"hero" - "a man celebrated for special achievements and attributes"



We love you so much - we celebrate YOU! You are a steady & constant example in our family of what it is to truly LOVE selflessly, to GIVE generously, to WORK hard by doing your best in all that you do, to LIVE with patience & understanding, to WALK in wisdom & godliness, to love ADVENTURE, to LAUGH & bring laughter to others, and to live life ON PURPOSE.
Dawson, Noah, Gracie, & I are incredibly BLESSED with the GIFT OF YOU!



Praying & trusting that God will fill your year with all kinds of great gifts, joys, & adventures along the way. It'll be a SUPER year!

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers...For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous..." Psalm 1:1-3, 6

And the Award for Best Director Goes to....GOD! Merry Christmas 2008!

As we rehearsed for the Kids Crazy Christmas Shows this week & presented this fun, lively show throughout Saturday, I was constantly reminded of one very important thing above all else - DON'T MISS THE CUE.
The "cue," funny word, huh? What is a "cue" anyway? Webster's defines the word "cue" as "a word or signal for an actor to enter or begin speaking, a hint." Every speaker, actor, musician, dancer, sound & light technician, director, producer, and stage manager know this one truth so very well - you cannot, must not, miss a cue!

Ever had one of those moments when you suddenly realize you've MISSED your cue - in life? Didn't deliver when you were supposed to? You weren't there when you needed to be? You blew it? You dropped lines? Or worse, you said the wrong lines? Missed the right "entrance & exit" on a particular scenario? Can you relate?
Now, on stage, that dropped line or missed cue can literally be like 3 seconds of dead air time, but to you, it FEELS like an eternity! You're there, as everyone looks on, you're groping for the words to come to you, they're out there floating somewhere in space, but certainly not in your mind where they're supposed to be, ughhhhh!!!!! You feel like everything is unraveling, you flub your way through, or if you're lucky enough, you're with someone who knows just what to do. They come to save the day, rescuing you from that terrible, dreaded, missed cue or dropped line!
I love to watch actors who's timing is always right on, who never miss a beat, who always know where they're going & what's coming next. And then, add to that, great sound & light technicians who are always right on cue, wonderful musicians who are always right in tune, never playing or singing a wrong note, incredible dancers that are always right in step, WOW, that ALL makes for one great & AMAZING show!
Unfortunately, life itself is not always a great show, is it? Plenty of "missed cues," "dropped lines," & "wrong notes" being played out there on this big stage of life. And, like many of you, I've had my share of "missed cue" moments. But one thing is sure, it constantly leads me back to this great reminder...

GOD NEVER MISSES A CUE. I mean, think about it, He alone orchestrated this huge event of sending His One & Only Son - Jesus - into the world. He, the Great Director, planned it out long before time began, He wrote the script through prophets of old...He carefully selected the main characters for this most important event - Mary & Joseph...He thoughtfully chose the supporting cast - shepherds in the fields, the wise men, the innkeeper...He directed with sound & lights, He set the stage, He sent in the music, a choir of angels at just the right moment, He lit up the sky with one big star - over THE most dramatic event in history!
He carefully directed when everyone should enter each scene. Mary & Joseph entered into Bethlehem, it seemed too late, like a missed cue, all the rooms were filled, but no, it wasn't too late, it was right ON TIME. And then just at the very moment of history that God had divinely planned, at just the right place - the STAR of the whole event entered on to this stage of life on planet earth - JESUS WAS BORN! The shepherds came right on cue, the wise men were stirred from afar to go and visit this new King at just the right time. Everything was perfectly orchestrated by One Amazing Director, God Almighty.

Definitely wins Best Director in my book. I've never heard of anything more incredible than God's plan, His big event, His performance, of sending Jesus Christ into the world to live among us & to lead us to Himself.

So, if God can do ALL of that, do you really think He's forgotten about you? Maybe you're thinking, "O.K. God, you've missed your cue in my life! Didn't you hear my prayer? I've been waiting a long time for you to respond! I'm still waiting, where are you anyway?!"
Maybe you've felt like He forgot about the part in your life when He was supposed to bring you a baby, or a spouse, or healing from an ongoing illness you continue to battle, or restoration to a broken relationship, or salvation for a loved one. Maybe you're feeling like it wasn't "good timing" for you to lose your job this year, especially in this economy & all. Has God missed His "cue" in providing you a job & stability for your family's future?

Well, here's 2 good things, if you happen to be feeling that way this season -

1. You're not alone! We've ALL faced disappointments here & there throughout life, some WAY bigger than others. Things do not always go as "we" plan. But whatever we face, we can rest in knowing that He IS with us & He does have a plan. Wise men & women do still follow Him today, no matter what!



2. God doesn't miss any cues in our lives! The same is true now as it was way back then...He's always right on time, He always knows when & how to answer each request we have of Him, He's always got the best in mind for us, even when we think it seems the absolute worst! We don't always know ahead of time, what is in God's "script" for our lives, but whatever it is, we can be assured that He is good. We can trust that His plans for us are GOOD, even in the midst of hard things & difficult trials. Don't lose your perspective, Jesus truly is the reason we have purpose, not just in this Christmas season, but in life itself.



He's not too busy to care, He hears when we pray, He knows what we need. Remember, your "wait time" may be more about someone else in your story than about you! Sometimes His seemingly "delayed" response to our prayers may be more about what He's doing in another person in this big picture scenario of life. He uses ALL that we walk through to share His love with others. He uses amazing timing & life events to cross our paths with those HE has destined us to journey this life adventure alongside, and He does all of that - RIGHT ON CUE.

Spending alot of time in the hospital or in doctor's offices this year? You can bet God is using you to shine His light!

Out of work? Don't know how you're going to keep all the payments up? Know that God has a place for you in this new phase of life you find yourself in, maybe with different people He wants you to share life with. Don't be discouraged, He knows what He's doing, keep following His lead.

Still waiting for your heart's desire to be granted? Use every moment of "waiting" to draw closer to your King. And when your "gift" arrives, chances are, your memories & pain of that waiting phase will suddenly seem to diminish, the years will not seem quite that long afterall. Amazing how that happens. You will have such JOY in the gift, such gratefulness, such thankfulness to God for His perfect timing, that He knows just the right "cue"! God's perspective of time is so different than our own, keep praying, keep trusting, ask God for help in keeping the BIG picture in mind.

Bless you all this Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Jesus our King and as we journey into the freshness of a New Year!
We love you all, you are a gift to us in this life!

Merry Christmas,
Troy, Debbie, Dawson, Noah & Gracie

"But I trust in you, O Lord, I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands..."
Psalm 31:14-15

Waiting for the Gift - Our Christmas letter from 2007

For most of us, waiting is never easy. The season of Christmas always brings lots of opportunities to "wait." Waiting in long lines, waiting in traffic, waiting to find that close parking place, waiting to find a Wii game (we gave up long ago), and of course, for our kids, waiting to tear open those presents! Sometimes the greatest gifts of all are those that we have waited for...over time, maybe even a very long time. And, so often those most wonderful gifts come to us in a way that are different than we thought or planned, they come with an original stamp of God, sometimes in quite an "unexpected" way.

Troy & I are reminded of that every day as we look into those 3 cute little faces that God has so sovereignly brought into our lives these past 6 years. Sometimes those 6 long years of praying for and longing for child seem like a distant memory, and then many times, we're reminded of the pain of that journey and see little ways that "pain" has changed us and made us who we are today. We are so full of gratitude to Him for choosing to work in a way that was "different" than our own plan, so full of appreciation for the uniqueness of each of our children, and just so, so, well, so busy! (Even as I write this short note, Gracie has got into the dog's water & food dish, Noah has spilled his milk on the floor, and Dawson has come in & out from outside about 3 times!).

The other day as the kids & I were setting up a little plastic nativity set under the tree, I placed that little baby Jesus in the manger and thought, "wow, Jesus, the greatest gift of all, came in a way very different than many had planned." Our long awaited Savior of the world, King of Kings and Lord of Lords came in a such an unexpected way, to an unexpected place, at an unexpected time. Maybe many thought then, and still think today, "that wasn't the 'best' way to bring a King into the world, that certainly wasn't the best place, or the best time either, what were you thinking God?" I'm reminded of His words from Isaiah, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Is. 55: 8-9. Well thank God for that! He had a unique plan to bring His only Son into this world, into our lives, in a very personal and amazing way, and it definitely was in a way that many of us would have least expected. What an awesome God we serve!

If you find yourself "waiting" for something special this year, for the gift of a spouse, for a child, for that new job, for healing or salvation for a loved one...whatever it is you're waiting on, be encouraged, God knows your heart and He has not forgotten you! He has an incredible plan waiting to be unfolded before your very eyes. Be ready though, your "gift" may come in an unexpected way, at an unexpected time, or maybe in an unexpected place...but, however it comes, we can trust that God knows what is the very best for us! We can rest in the assurance that His plans for us are better and more creative than we ever could have dreamed up on our own.

Know that He loves you with an everlasting love...He sent His only Son into the world that we might be saved and have eternal life with Him. Have a wonderful Christmas & a New Year full of good memories and unexpected gifts!

We're so thankful to be a part of your lives...
Troy & Debbie, Dawson, Noah & Gracie

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Or is it???

Feeling over-booked? Over stressed? Over committed? Over budget? Maybe even a little OVER THE EDGE?!
Feeling like the "busyness factor" is zapping & draining your energy level away - as well as your bank account?

"How will I get it all done???" Have you found yourself moaning these particular words this season?

Christmas. This wonderful & celebrative time of the year, can often be THE most demanding time of the year on an already full life & schedule. Can you relate?
Even in the midst of our fun Christmas parties & "hoopla," studies show that many people tend to get MORE depressed, MORE stressed out, MORE pressured from an overly busy schedule, and MORE in debt to things we can't afford anyway. Also, very sadly, suicide rates almost always increase around this time of the year. Wow, now those are not very "festive" statistics, are they?!

Why is that? Is it possibly because we've put so much "expectation" on this "most wonderful time of the year" that we've perhaps lost even the very reason we say we celebrate? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why is it that we tend to expect such "perfection" from oursevles, and from others, who we long to make "us" happy, during this season?
I mean, this is supposed to be the most amazing time of the year, it's meant to be filled with LOVE, GOOD CHEER, JOYFUL GREETINGS, FUN, LAUGHTER, AND GIVING!

If you find yourself, well, not very full of much "good cheer" today, be encouraged, you're not alone! My own personal experience tells me that sometimes it helps to take a step back & get the big picture view again. After years of living with unnecessary stress, excess spending, and just plain trying to do too much on the calendar - often leading to sheer exhaustion by the time the big day of Christmas even arrived, and finding I was too wiped out to even celebrate anyway - I began to ask myself a few questions, like, "WHY am I celebrating Christmas? WHAT exactly am I celebrating?"
I've found it quite "freeing" to release myself and others from my own perfectionistic yet well-intended expectations to make the holiday special, wonderful and perfect in every way.
Here's the amazing thing I've found in taking a deeper look into the "why & what" of celebrating Christmas...
The reality is that it will never be a perfect scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, (definitely had to let that go after 3 kids, ha)! But I do have a deeper gratefulness that in the simplicity of our celebration and in taking the time to truly reflect on this most incredible gift that God has given to us, the gift of Jesus Christ, we are more FREE to really celebrate & enjoy each moment of this special season.

We have SO much to be thankful for! Jesus was born - for us! He came to lead the way to God Himself - this is the time of year to reflect on HIM!
It's helped me to remember, it's not about "me," it's not about "us," it's not about the presents, the decorating, the parties, the events...it's about "GOD WITH US, EMMANUEL."

Just this last week, Troy & I happened to catch a quick segment on the Today show where Pastor Rick Warren from Saddleback Community Church was on, talking about his new book, "The Purpose of Christmas." Now usually our mornings at home have more of Diego & Dora than they do of Matt & Meredith on Today, but I was so glad to tune into that for a few moments, it was a great reminder to me, yet again!
I loved what he said in just those brief, yet very powerful moments right there on network TV about the Christmas season.
In a nutshell, if you're feeling down this Christmas, stressed out, like you just can't get everything done you feel like you need to do or are just feeling depressed this time of year...do 2 things:

1. Look to God.

2. Look to help someone less fortunate than yourself.

In other words, let's take our eyes OFF OF OURSELVES! Look to God - He loved us so much, He sent His Son. Look to the needs of other people, there's so many less fortunate than us that would probably "love" to trade their own problems for those that we tend to complain about, right?

Hope your next 12 pre-Christmas days are FILLED, not with stress & burden, but with constant reminders & thoughts about our Savior, Jesus Christ. He came to set us FREE! HE IS WHAT MAKES THIS CHRISTMAS PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!
Leave your stress & cares with Him, He can carry it alot more easily than we can.
Bless you today!

Stress Busters, Spirt Lifters, Budget Savers, Energy Boosters, Time Savers - My Top 12 List

Here's a few practical tips to help, not just "endure & survive" the holidays, but to live more free of the excess stress & help to really celebrate these moments of the Christmas season!

Would love to hear any ideas you have too, or what you've found that works for your family & lives!

Top 12 List of Stress Busters, Spirt Lifters, Budget Savers, Energy Boosters, and Time Savers:

1. Keep your commitments realistic - a simple "no" can save us so much extra stress, headache, and weariness during this time of year! Make it a plan to be careful with extra family commitments, the truth is, not many of us can make EVERY holiday party and event, but maybe we can be at those few that are most important to our family. We'll probably enjoy those "few" alot more than trying to do everything anyway!

2. "Less is more" in every way! Keep it simple, just do less...let something go...maybe it's the extreme home makeover Christmas decorating, maybe it's the extra baking, the extra shopping, the extra parties, whatever it is, choose to let some things go. Freely admit, we can't do it ALL!
And, the truth is, whoever tries, is probably not a very "pleasant" person to be around anyway.

3. Shop online if you still have time for free shipping! Or, make it a point to start the season off next year, by cyber shopping! It has saved me more time, money, & headaches this year than ever before. My friend Sharon told me about 2 websites I've used many times now to find the best prices & products out there, http://www.shopping.com/ & http://www.shopzilla.com/.
Now I have to be honest, I am actually one of those strange people who does enjoy the crowded malls & shopping locations, but if you like that, you can still do that too, you just won't have the added stress of having to wait in long lines at the register! Your shopping will be done!

4. Buy stamps online. I just can't stand long post office lines, ugh! And I'm usually there with 2 toddlers to top it off, need I say more? I just ordered a bunch of stamps that will be delivered to my door, yea, http://www.usps.com/.

5. Set your Christmas budget & go ALL CASH! Using credit makes it so tempting to go "overboard" & spend too much for items that we nor others really "need" anyway. I recently read something that Mary Hunt wrote, "No gift feels as good as debt feels bad. Stuff quickly fades and gifts are forgotten, but debt goes on and on." So true! And even if you're shopping online, you don't have to use credit, debit cards work just as well.

6. Get outside, take a walk, run, or bike ride to re-energize yourself. Being cooped up in the colder weather just makes us feel more sluggish. Bundle up & get some winter sunshine!

7. Give the types of gifts that keep on giving. Money is tighter this year for many of us! So why put excess stress & drain on our finances? Be creative.
-Give the gift of words, the gift of encouragement through a personal written card or note to someone you love.
-Give the gift of pictures, you just need a frame!
-Give a gift in someone's name to a favorite ministry or charity you believe in.
-Plant a tree in honor of someone you love.
-Make something, even those of us who feel totally "uncrafty" can find something to bake or cook up! This year I'm making some winter soups & stews, & passing them out in big mason jars with a Christmas bow. And who doesn't love Christmas cookies & candy?! I know we do!
-Give coupons to friends & family, for a home made meal, for free hours of babysitting, wow, those are sometimes the VERY best gifts for those of us with young children!
-Volunteer your time at your church or with a ministry that is giving to those in need this season. That is a gift that WILL give straight back to you! We are the ones always blessed more beyond belief when we give to others who have needs or when we give our time to share the love of Christ with someone who is seeking.

-Give "anonymously." Do something special for someone without recognition. Make it your family's "adventure" to leave something at their door, or have a mutual friend deliver your "anonymous gift," just do something that others don't know you did. Wow, now THAT is something to teach our children. Giving without any thought of receiving in return.
-Let your kids in on the giving! Send their "works of art," stories, or notes to relatives. I LOVE children's artwork! Mandy, I still have Daniel's framed picture of Minnie that he drew for me years ago, it's going up on the playroom wall! (:

8. Spend moments of alone time with God, don't let the quiet times go by the wayside in the busyness of the season, that's when we need His refreshment the MOST! If you're really battling depression & anxiety this time of year, don't be afraid to get help, talk to a pastor, counselor, or someone you trust.

9. Enjoy people! This is usually about the time of year that people, well, can just start getting on each other's nerves, know what I mean? If we're feeling over-stressed already, any small thing someone else does can just really irritate us, right? Maybe someone "stole" the parking spot that YOU were obviously sitting there waiting for, maybe someone cut you off in traffic, didn't help you to find what you needed in the store, maybe the guy behind you & your kids in the Santa line was rude, or even worse, Santa himself was rude!
In spite of all of that, look beyond yourself & those small "irritations" & seek to spend time with those you love. Get together with family, with a friend, invite someone over -don't worry so much about what your house looks like, odds are, those you're having over will actually feel more "comfortable" in a "not so perfect" home anyway.
Being with others often helps us look beyond ourselves & our own problems, it often helps to re-energize us, it can boost our spirits. Just laugh, have fun, hang out with old friends & seek to get to know some new friends too. Especially seek out those who seem lonely, who might be going through a difficult time this year, seek to BE a friend - reach out.

10. SOAK in the sights, smells, & sounds of the season.
Pop some popcorn, get some drinks, & drive around to look at Christmas lights together.
Find the Christmas music you most enjoy & keep it on! I have to admit, I'm more an old time music lover, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, maybe a little Carpenters & Kenny G. thrown in the mix, love it! It's been on in our house for about 3 weeks now.
Did you know studies have shown that the smell of peppermint is an energy booster? I read somewhere that "the scent of peppermint has been found to decrease fatigue by up to 25%." Feeling tired? Take a whiff!

11. Protect your own family time. Find those moments & don't let anything else interfere. Value your time together. O.K., let's be honest, you may not have family devo's EVERY night, but try to have it, maybe a few times a week. Be realistic with what you're able to do & then TREASURE those moments with your spouse & children & extended family. Use those times to start your own traditions, tell the Christmas story over & over, use puppets or stuffed animals, act it out (we LOVE to act out stories in our family, kids love that), read a book together, get out the advent toy or the little plastic nativity set that your kids can "get their hands on." Enjoy one another.

12. Need some extra cash for the next few weeks? Here's something we've done a number of times in life when the budget was "low." We stopped shopping. Sounds simple enough, right? I mean, we stopped unnecessary shopping for groceries and clothes.
CLEAN OUT the pantry & fridge. Do your best NOT to go to the grocery store, except for really needed items, you know, like milk, bread, diapers, etc..., things you just can't get by without! But then, try to eat whatever you have already for the next week or so, you might be amazed at all the food lurking at the back of the pantry or still in the freezer, eat what you have. Save on groceries!
Mix & match what's already in your closet for the season's wardrobe. Wear what you already have, be creative. Do we really NEED another Christmas outfit for that party? Maybe just buy one accessory to make an outfit look different. Odds are, noone will even remember that you wore that same dress or sweater last year anyway. (:

Love you friends! Praying that God will boost your spirits and pour His life & refreshing into you & through you this season!

Christmas according to Noah...

I buckled Gracie & Noah up to leave for the store today & just as we were pulling out, Noah set his little eyes on the Bible that happened to have been left in the car.
"Hey Mommy, can I read that big Bible?" I passed it back to him & quickly turned off the radio to settle in & "listen" to Noah's story. You see, he's really a great little "storyteller." Moms, if you have one in your family, you know what I'm talking about, it's like you can't wait for them to get on a roll with telling some story, it's just so fun to listen to!
O.K., some of his stories are true, and some, well, full of let's say, "creativity," but he does have a great imagination & he sure speaks with a lot of "power" in his stories, there's always a lot of "action" & he gets this big, deep voice going, it's quite entertaining to say the least. (:

Many times, I've listened to him when he doesn't know I'm listening, he talks away as he flips through the pages, often like he's preaching some great sermon to hundreds listening, real everyday life experiences mixed in with Bible stories he's heard and brief Superhero dramatic segments brought in as well, strung together with his own 2 - 3 yr. old big view of a big God - you know - kind of like, "David picked up that huge, giant lightsaber to go & get Goliath and he said, I have the sword of the Spirit, BOOM! And then he went home to his mommy cause he wanted to get his snack," etc..., well, you get the idea...

Noah opened the Bible, and it went something like this (from the best of my memory, but you really had to have been there, so hard to duplicate these kind of things!):

"And then God sent His Son to the world, and He was this little baby, and he was born in the stable, that's where the animals live, but it wasn't a farm, it was just where the animals live. And there was this little manger and there was a sheep there too.

And the angels said to all the shepherds 'Don't be afraid! Cause God is here! So don't be afraid anymore, O.K.?!' And there was alot, alot of angels cause they had been in this cave and then God came & punched the door down so it opened up the gate and all the angels came out. (O.K., he's only 3, a little imagination thrown in there & maybe thinking about Jesus in the cave, who knows!?)

And then all the shepherds said, 'No more monkeys jumping on the bed!' (I know, I know, that's what I said, HUH???) (:

So then, these guys came to see Jesus cause he was a little baby & they brought him a bunch of presents, and there was this big giant choo-choo train that they brought him, no wait, they brought that for me. But they brought Jesus some presents too.
And then it started raining so you had to get your raincoat & your umbrella cause that keeps the rain off. But God put a rainbow in the sky & it had all these different colors, like blue & red & purple.
And then God knocked down all the bad guys cause He is really strong and He got Goliath. (Yes, there's always a lot of "action" & battle in his stories, maybe we've told the David & Goliath story too many times???)

And then they all said "Yea God! Jesus is ALIVE! God is AMAAAAZINNNGGGG!!!!"

So that's the story of Christmas, it's about God loved us & sent His Son, and He was a little baby."

Noah finished up his story with a brief & LOUD rendition of the theme song from Indiana Jones. "Da Dadadum...dadadummmmm...Da Dadadum...dadadadadummmm!!!!" etc, you get the idea...
No, he hasn't seen the movie, only the Lego characters, but for some reason he has this fascination with "Indy" and thinks every story must have that same "sound" of adventure to make it a really "good" story. (:

As his little story ended, I feel like God gently reminded me again, "Keep life simple Debbie, celebrate the things that are most important."
I found I wasn't "racing" to get to the store anymore...I found that our often "grueling" grocery shopping trip wasn't "drudgery" in my mind anymore, it was well, actually kind of "enjoyable," if you can believe that.
I soaked in the moment of having them sitting there, right in front of me - secure in the blue race car shopping cart, both thinking they were individually helping me to maneveur around the entire store, still not able to keep their hands to themselves, wanting to snack on everything in the cart & stop at every snack station, little mouths & pudgy hands covered in cheetoes & whatever else I had opened up already.

That's what LIFE is all about, isn't it? Celebrating what's MOST important. It's about "God loved us and sent His Son..." Thanks my sweet Noah for that reminder today. All of a sudden, my list of "things to do" didn't seem so incredibly "important" anymore, and other things seemed, well, much MORE important to me.

Christmas through the eyes of a 3 year old. If even they can "get it," see the real meaning, why do we have so much trouble? How do the most "important" things to celebrate get so easily buried in the urgent busyness and stress of our lives?

Keep it simple...love life...celebrate what's most important...God loved us...He sent JESUS.

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.