Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we headed down to my parent's house in Florida. My 3 sisters and their families were also there. I absolutely LOVE being with my family. Seeing my parents, my sisters, and all of my nieces and nephews was the highlight of the holiday. It's so hard to live far from family. I'm only able to see my nieces and nephews once, or maybe twice a year. They grow and change so much. I do wish we all lived closer. Our kids have so much fun with their cousins. The weather was beautiful and we swam, went to the beach, went to a park, and just enjoyed being outside.

Lily was a little overwhelmed at first and stuck close to me. She did open up though, and it wasn't long before she was running around with her cousins. She checked back in with Ruben and I often, but she really did well handling all of the new people and staying at a new place. Nights were not great, as she woke often and cried, but that was not unexpected. She also reached a turning point with her daddy........she started initiating contact with him! By the end of the week, she was running to him to bury her head in his lap, or play with him. It was so wonderful to see!

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Our beautiful children. Our new daughter. All the new friends we have made through the adoption community.....they have been so supportive. Ruben's job. Our kid's teachers. Our health. Our home............and the list goes on and on. We're grateful for God's hand guiding us through this past year, and pray that we'll be sensitive to God's leading through the next year.

Two of my little Indians
The kids always look forward to a golf cart ride with Grandpa. Lily's cousins Allison and Amy take her on her first ride.

The 'guys' hanging out. Tyler, Andrew, and Alex

Couldn't get the boys to take a picture with the race car, but Lily was ready to strike a pose!

Fun in the firetruck

Jessica and Amy with their new friends

Michael would have stayed in the water the whole trip if we would have let him!

First time at the beach! She loved the sand and joined right in with the castle building.

Another sand lover

First walk into the ocean with Daddy

Our water lovin' boy!

My teenage nephew, Brian, does not like to have his picture taken, but I managed to sneak a few in.....isn't he handsome?!

A walk on the pier with Grandma.

6-yr old cousins at the park

Lily taking a walk with cousin Andrew. When Lily saw this picture she said, "Andrew my friend"

I told Ruben that if he was going to perform childish acts, his picture was going to be on the blog! :)

Alex, our climber

The park we went to had all sorts of fun bikes to rent. Big cousins Max and Matthew take little cousins Tyler and Andrew for a ride in the surrey.

Ahhhh!

The sisters.......Debbie, Lori, Kathy, and Kelly

The trip home. Only a few minutes in, and the kids are already zoned out!