Home for the Holidays!

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving! Matthew and Amanda came home to Texas for an extended leave of 45 days. Colin has grown so much and is so sweet and cute! He learned to walk really well during his stay and loves to explore all over the place...especially outside.

Matthew got to our house in time for his birthday and to help celebrate all of our kids' birthdays (four in the month of October.) He and Amanda also went to the Renaissance festival which is held nearby and I got to babysit Colin the whole day. We had a really fun and special time with him.


They spent quite a bit of time at Amanda's parents' home in Sugar land and also at her grandparents' home in Huntsville. But they did come to our house for Thanksgiving. We also had Elisabeth Weber/Seago, Andrew's fiance and my mom, sister, Heather, and her husband. It was quite a bigger crowd at our house than usual!! It seems so strange to have so many adult children at the table and a baby and spouses and siblings and a mom and all of my younger children as tall as me or taller... I have to say I felt a little old! or at least I should have...in fact it just seemed surreal. I don't feel older! Ha!

Big news!! Amanda is due to have another baby boy around January 15th. She is doing pretty well but a little tired. Of course living out of suitcases for that long with a baby in tow would make anybody tired, even if they weren't pregnant! They have named their new baby-to-be Brennon Malachi. They have moved to California now, while Matthew attends language school. He signed up for a second term but this time as a Russian translator. We are so proud of him and his progress in the military.

Mom, Heather(my sister), and George (her husband) also came for Thanksgiving and we had a great visit with them as well. Talk about a full house for Thanksgiving! It was really REALLY special!


Since Heather works at the Renaissance festival which is just west of Willis, we get to see both her and mom a lot more often. When Heather gets tired of camping out at the festival..or hungry...or just too cold..she knows she is always welcome at our house. This Thanksgiving turned out to be quite a family reunion! God is so good. :o)