Thanksgiving wishes...

We are currently in Santa Maria and in honor of Thanksgiving, I had to share Eden's most recent writing assignment:

Here was her prompt:

 Here was her answer:

We all wish we could have one more Thanksgiving with our Grandma Pierce.❤︎

Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

From these crazy turkeys, we wanted to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

These hats have gone with these kiddos over the years and they humor me every year to take a photo...

2013

2014 & 2015 were lost in a computer crash. Boo!

2016

2017

 2018

I can't tell you how much I love these faces!

BBQ pizzas...

The day after the memorial was designed for us all to be together and to simply lay low.  The kids were officially on Thanksgiving break and nothing says vacation like making a fun dinner together. 

Also there were homemade vanilla cupcakes with homemade buttercream... because, vacation mode.

BBQ pizzas are always better with the fire pit... Always...

 Yep, we put an egg on one...

 ...and it was so good!

 I remember praying for the things that I have now... I sat, reveling in how good this life really is, even in the heartbreak...

Jack Jack's Memorial

This Last Friday, we celebrated Jack Cleary's life with a memorial service and dinner reception at Mikes office.

The service was beautiful.  We had the sweetest greeters. 

The service was beautiful.

 Mike and Karen shared such beautiful words.  Acknowledging grief, but that there is also hope.

Jack would have been so proud of his parents.

 My husband shared a beautiful message and I wanted to marry him all over again!

 Our friends from South Africa were live streaming it and sent us these images:

 As the last worship song played, we all came around the Clearys.  Kids and all. We raised a Hallelujah.  This picture is of that moment. We linked arms , as wev'e done in the decades past, we leaned in, wading into the brutally beautiful moment that would be added to the many moments that bind us as family.  I will never forget it.

Afterwards we headed to Mike's office for dinner and to enjoy time together.

Pictures and cards and memories everywhere...

Jack would have LOVED this party!

It is such an honor to call these people our family.

For over 20 years, our families have walked with each other though falling in love, broken relationships, engagements, weddings, buying houses, pregnancies, miscarriages, burying parents, welcoming baby after baby, linking arms and stepping into each joy and heartbreak together.  Tonight marked another event, filled with moments that we stood together, that will be added to the many moments and events that have made these people our family. 

It was an evening I will never ever forget.

Cleary's, Thrashes, Warkentins, Jones', and Kamalskies, we love you all so much and are honored to call you our family. 

Eden's Class Thanksgiving Party 2019

The kids are off this week to Celebrate Thanksgiving!  On Friday, before we headed out to Jack's memorial, Eden had a little class party to celebrate the upcoming break.

 First there was a scavenger hunt in the garden:

 Then they made boats out of foil to see how many rocks it could hold before it sank.

 Then every kiddo got a kit for making their own turkey out of putty.

 Then they had their feast of turkey meatballs, cranberry sauce, green beans from their garden, carrots, and cornbread and fruit cups:

Also, I can't tell you how much we love our teacher.  

She is the absolute best!

I love that I get to be at these little moments with my girl.

Time is going so fast.  It feels like yesterday that I was doing this with Ryder as a second grader.

Heading into Thanksgiving

 As we look to next week with Thanksgiving and all that it holds, I wanted to share how thankful I am for these three:

I am so INCREDIBLY thankful to call these people MY people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today is Jack's memorial service and there are so many emotions.

As we spend the day with our extended family, my heart can't help but to be filled with gratitude for the amazing family that we have in our lives.  We are truly blessed by the community God has given us. We walk into today with hope and gratitude for the gifts that God has given us in each other.❤︎

my very own tradition...

This week I did our Christmas cards.  I have a tradition that I have sone every year since we have been married: I get a Christmas themed coffee drink (hot or cold, depending on the weather, usually peppermint) then pick a Christmas movie and camp out until all the cards are addressed, stuffed, and stamped.  It's the way the Christmas season starts for me, even though it's before Thanksgiving. Shhh, don't tell Kit...❤︎

things that feel life giving...

When the kids are in school, or there is down time, I find that I want to craft and create. It gives me such joy. Sometimes its photos, or scrapbooking, or painting something to change it up. I just talk to Jesus, I play my music and just enjoy the time. This recent project was so quick but so fun.

I found this wood tray while thrifting for a couple bucks:

Someone had gotten creative with crayons....

 I sanded it off....

 Then put oil on it:

 I can't wait to use it during the holiday season entertaining!

Until it gets used, it is hanging out with our books: