Hello November :)

The time changed which always throws us off balance and puts a damper on our outdoor playtime in the afternoons. Its completely dark by 5 pm now and that stinks!!! Plus it's cold!!!! Windy and freezing and dark aren't a good combo!! The evenings of playing outside with neighborhood friends til 7 pm each night and letting loose each afternoon after school has been put on hold til spring! BUMMER! I love this time of year for sure because it's time for the holidays and lots of fun adventures but the lack of sunshine and warmth really make it tough. Afternoons have been spent inside playing video games and watching Christmas movies. Andy's working out of town Monday through Friday more now and the afternoons are quiet around here. I miss the windows open and the laughter coming from the trampoline full of boys. I miss watching Hensley ride his bike and playing football with friends. BUT, as always with the bad comes the good!! We have time for Christmas crafts and lots of cuddles on the couch.

Hensley is super excited for the holidays and time off of school. Andy will have lots of time off with us too which is always a good thing!! Despite the cold and darkness we have  managed to still have lots of fun the past few weeks and I wanted to share it all :) :)


I had a little bit of a make over this month. I had grown my hair out for so long I was ready for a change.
I mean seriously, look at that before picture!! UGH!! I love my new short hair and I think it's something I'll keep for a long time to come. 

Sometimes a relaxing Sunday dinner and beautiful ride home is such a blessing and just what we needed!!

My mom had a procedure this month to have her port removed FINALLY!! She is done with her chemo treatments and no longer needs it! AMEN!! We will find out soon if she is officially in remission.

 

Hensley came home from school one day with a little ice pack and a big black eye! He and a friend ran into each other while running around the play ground that day. 

My parents are setting off on their own adventure this month, that will probably last until next year sometime. My dad got a job in Texas and it's suppose to last a year. They bought an RV and are heading out the day after Thanksgiving to experience Bay City, Texas. I am going to miss them a lot even though my mom will be flying back home once a month. I know they will have a great time and they are at a point in their lives where they are able to go. Hensley is in love with the "house on wheels" as he calls it.

Every year our town sets up an ice skating rink and a sledding hill for the kids called Winterfest! We have been going the last few years and this year was no exception! We took our friends The Williams' along and had a super fun afternoon!!!

Here are a few little video clips I caught that day on my phone :)

had another really fun adventure this month with some other good friends of ours. It was super cold out so we decided to catch a movie and get some dinner. Big hero 6, dinner and ice cream were on the agenda and we had a blast! The movie was so good and super funny. It's for sure one that we will purchase to watch at home. Tonight was a night well spent. These friends of mine make me remember to not let others steal my joy. And to not waste one minute with those who don't lift you up.

 We had an spontaneous family date night this month. We got some dinner and while we were there we just sat and talked. We didn't rush to leave after we ate, we just took it slow and it was really nice :) We came home and all curled up in bed and watched a movie. I love this little family we have created. 

Andy was pretty happy about family date night :) 

We welcomed a new member to our family....meet MEMO (rhymes with Nemo). Hensley has wanted a fish for a long time and we finally gave in :) He is super cute :)

 One of my favorite pictures I took this month is this one. It was early morning and Hensley was trying to convince me to let him do something, which slips my mind now, but I'm sure it was something he knew he wasn't going to get to do. But he looks pretty darn cute :)

 And of course, we wrap up the month with Thanksgiving. We had it our home again this year as we have for a few years now. Everyone came over from both our families and we laughed and talked and ate a ton of food. It was also a little hard. It was our first holiday without my Grandma and we all missed her very much. I knew she was here with all of us and would be so happy to see all of us here together enjoying each other. I love that my uncle Johnny passes on a little more of his knowledge in the kitchen each year with me. He is an amazing cook and each year he helps me learn how to make to new dish or learn a new skill. It's a memory I look forward to each year and I am so thankful for his time and help. It was such a fun and busy day that I forgot to take any photos!!! Can you imagine???? After a little "friendsgiving" with the Williams' family and a short outing for some Black Friday shopping, I snapped this little photo of our family before bed. I am so thankful for all of my family and for the relationships we share. I am thankful for our pets and our friends and our cozy home. We have so much to be thankful for and with the holidays coming up we tend to get stressed and the things that we should be grateful for fall to the waist side. My goal this year during the holiday season is to keep my priorities in order and have fun. Not to worry and not to over plan but to sit back and enjoy the moments.