Thankful Book & Grandparents

This was the first time in 13 years that my kids got to spend a holiday with both sets of grandparents (Oma was with us in our thoughts. We sure miss her!). It was a wonderful day with lots of food, laughter, and as usual at the Maxwell House....a board game marathon! :)

                                     Landon showed up in his suit. It was nice to see he had his dress pants on, too. Okay....I'll explain. Max started us on a goofy tradition years ago. (We only do it if it's just the four of us! :)) One Thanksgiving, as I went to sit down at the table, he was already sitting there looking quite sharp with a coat and tie on! (I was pleasantly surprised because he hates dressing up.) I complimented him on how nice he looked, and he just sat there soaking up all the compliments. Well, it was to my (second) surprise, that when dinner was over and he got up from the table....the bottom half was not quite as sharp - he was wearing work out shorts and tennis shoes!! Ah...that man of mine. :) He enjoyed pulling that one off ...so the following year, the three of them showed up at our Thanksgiving dinner dressed in the same manner. I ended up joining in. :)

Years ago, I started a "Thankful Book." I never wanted to forget all of God's blessings throughout the year....so, to make sure that wouldn't happen, we started writing them down. It's a sweet reminder of all He's done in our lives. It's one of my treasures!

The napkin rings I made, says it all - Blessings!

Veteran's Day

I was the POC (point of contact, for you civilians!) ;) for our homeschool Veteran's Parade. It was a beautiful day. There were many veterans that lined the streets of Tucson. Some old, some young, some stood proud, some sat in wheel chairs...all are heroes. As we marched, I was honored to shake their hands, and the lump in my throat grew, as I saw the tears trickle down their humble, worn faces. I pray we blessed them with this simple gesture.

The theme of this year's parade was "Honoring Tucson's Fallen Heroes." It was heart wrenching as I typed the names of these very young men who made the ultimate sacrifice!


They Did Their Share


 On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years;

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say "thank you" to every wearer.

By Joanna Fuchs

Tim Hawkins

For the past three years, I have checked Tim Hawkins website hoping he would be performing close enough to where we could take Payton (his #1 fan!). This past summer, I found out he was coming to Tucson! So for three months, I've held onto tickets.  She knew something was up our sleeve when we told her she wasn't going to soccer practice. She was ecstatic that she was going to see him live.  I tell you what.....we laughed so hard it hurt! At one point during the show, I got my composure long enough to look over at my family.  I then lost it again, at what I witnessed - Payton was hunched over holding her stomach, Max had tears running down his face, and Landon was as red as a tomato from the laughter. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard. He is hilarious!! If he is ever at a church in your area...pay the money, and be ready to laugh until you cry! What a wonderful gift/ministry God gave him, to be able to support his family....by making people laugh. :)

A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. – Proverbs 17:22

God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. - Job 8:21

 Job knew what he was talking about. :)

Fall & Football

Our homeschool group had a fun activity planned for the teens. We drove over an hour to get to the  largest corn maze we'd ever been to. The event took place at night, so the kids needed flashlights to make their way through the maze. Unfortunately, my camera was acting up (it was probably the photographer's error!?!), so all my night shots didn't turn out. (sigh....)

Thank you, my sweet children, for pacifying me and not complaining while I reminisce our many trips to the pumpkin patch. :)

  When Max was little, his oma would tell him the angels were baking cookies when the sky was lit up with all the beautiful sunset colors. To this day, he still reminds us. ;)

  U of A's Homecoming game. It was lots of fun.

Payton claimed she always wanted a "foam finger." However, I was shocked when she

purchased it, instead of the nachos she soooooooo badly wanted. Food is usually her number one choice! :) However, Landon can never understand his sister's purchases. He's so practical and disciplined when it comes to money.

These smiles were legitimate. Jack-in-the Box offered two tacos to everyone at the game if the Wild Cats would score 33 points. Well they did, so we were off to get our tacos.