Thankful

This year has been a tough one. However, God has blessed me with the ability to see all the blessing He has given me and left me feeling very thankful. During our grief from losing Sam, we were blessed by so many friends and family treating us with love and concern, and despite that great loss, we have so many things for which we are grateful. One great way to cope with a difficult season is to set aside time to reflect on all the good things you do have in your life. With the help of God, my family and friends I have been able to do this, and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving as a result. Philip and I have a strong marriage, two beautiful smart little boys, loving and supportive family, caring life long friends, a giving and thoughtful church family, a warm and comfortable home, stable jobs we enjoy and the list goes on. We are very thankful for all of our many blessings.

This year was our turn to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, so we spent the day at my parents house. Most of my Dad's family joined us for lunch, and we had a really nice time! My Mom made the Turkey, Ham, stuffing and pies and the rest of us brought sides to fill out the spread. Joel ate his weight in appetizers, so he didn't eat much actual lunch. The rest of us thought the meal was delicious and we of course ate more than our fill. It's always nice to spend time with my cousins, and I especially enjoyed meeting my cousin Luke's, adorable son, Cooper. My younger cousins are so sweet and they spent a lot of time playing with Levi, Nora, Asher and Joel. The boys were in heaven playing with their big cousins! I forgot my camera, so unfortunately all I have are a few pictures I have stolen from family members phones.

Cooper...SO darn cute!

Joel with my cousin Lauren (who was my flower girl- makes me feel old!)

We also participated in another Thanksgiving meal a few days before the actual holiday. Levi had a "feast" at school on the 21st (which happened to also be Philip's Birthday) so, Philip, Joel and I joined him, his teachers, his classmates and their families for a yummy and kid friendly meal. We chowed down on deli sliced turkey, crudites with ranch dip, rolls, mac n' cheese, fruit and Thanksgiving decorated cookies. Levi was so excited to have his family at his school (especially his Daddy)! He had made a lovely head dress and placemat, and was thrilled to show them off. He was very enthusiastic during prayer time (no surprise) and while eating. I'm so glad we could all be there with him, it was so fun!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well, and were able to enjoy time with family and/or friends.

Abilene Fun!

Our sweet nieces Kynlee and Kamryn were performing in The Nutcracker this past Saturday. We couldn't miss seeing the cutest little mouse and angel on stage, so we all headed out to Abilene to watch them dance. Since Papa and Nana Dee were going as well, we decided to have a Thanksgiving meal on Saturday before the show. It was a simple, but tasty meal, and so much fun to spend time with family.

After cleaning up lunch we all dressed up and headed downtown for the show. The Nutcracker was on stage at a historic theater called The Paramount, which gave it a very festive feel and made the girls really feel special. Unfortunately, Levi got car sick on the way (he is prone to motion sickness, especially when we circle around looking for parking) and ended up throwing up in a trash can in the lobby. So, we only stayed through Kynlee's part and then headed back to the Long residence and put the boys down for a nap. The boys took a long nap and woke up feeling great. After a dinner of leftovers we headed back to the theater to watch Kamryn steal the show as the most expressive tiny angel. Her part was just a few minutes long, right after intermission, so we all snuck in the back row during intermission and crept out as they changed scenes after her adorable performance. Back at home the kids got baths, changed into their jammies and played and played with their cousins, remaining on a excited high the whole evening (weekend)...causing an interesting bedtime (every night).

After the show, Philip and his dad headed out for a few days of hunting at the deer lease while the boys and I stayed in Abilene until Tuesday afternoon to spend some quality time with Aunt Tamara, Uncle Derrick and the cousins. We all had a wonderful time! It was very cold and very icy/wet the whole time we were there, so we spent a lot of time playing indoors, having long lazy snugly pajama days. Levi and Joel played so well with Kadin, Kynlee and Kamryn, it was a great break for me! They didn't require any entertaining at all :). We did take a couple of small outings to swim at a local indoor pool and to a park filled with Dr. Seuss sculptures (Levi insisted I take his picture with each one! ha!). It was a wonderful long weekend, and really made me wish we lived closer and could let the kids play, while the adults enjoy each others company, much more often!

Thank you so much for the fantastic weekend Long family! We had so much fun and appreciate you letting us invade your home for a few days. It was a great way to kick off the holidays, and we can't wait to see you again for Christmas!

Philip's Elk Hunting Trip

Philip and his best friend, Sean, went on a trip to Colorado the first week of November. I encouraged Philip to write a post about their trip (and I hope he one day updates this post to include more of what really happened) but he hasn't had the desire or time just yet. These two guys have been good friends since 6th grade, and have grown up backpacking, camping and spending time outdoors together. For this trip Philip was hunting elk, while Sean was enjoying the scenery, hiking and experience of days away from the stress of everyday life. Unfortunately, Philip was not able to bring home any meat (seriously I was disappointed, elk is really tasty), but he did see some elk and learned a lot on his first ever elk hunting trip. He hopes to go again in the next few years and hopefully have success. I won't try to recount any of Philip's stories, but he had a wonderful time adventuring in God's amazing creation and getting close to some stunning creatures. He took a few beautiful pictures...no wonder he always talks about moving to Colorado for a few days after a trip to the Rockies.

driving in to the back country

I've often called him my pack mule...hiking into set up base camp (his pack weighed about 100lbs!)

 

 

Sean and Philip bundled up and ready to sleep

The boys camp

 

 

Philip and Sean both enjoy cooking and enjoyed this fancy camp meal of lamb steak, zucchini and baby bok choi

Philip's lunch break while hunting

I think any Texas hunter would think stalking elk in this weather and terrain is an adventure...and Philip LOVED it :)

Seth & Morgan Got Hitched: Part Two

Saturday, November 9th, 2013 was the big day! It was a perfect fall day, the weather was cool and partly cloudy, the leaves were turning and the rolling hills were still covered with green grass. Everything went off without a problem, and the day went very smoothly. In the morning, the girls all met up at the bunk house where Morgan and her Mom were staying and spent time getting ready and enjoying a delicious lunch provided by friends and family of Morgan's Mom. While we were getting ready the guys met up for lunch as well. After lunch we took some pictures. Morgan was a truly stunning bride! Her dress and accessories were perfect and she was glowing and beautiful. One of my favorite parts or her ensemble was her custom made boots complete with her and Seth's initials, their wedding date and a little "something blue" trim.

enthralled by her cousin in her dress!

Bennett was so sweet and an angel baby the whole day!

Morgan's Mom, Carmen, is so sweet. Here she's tying Morgan's sash.

Four Knochel Sisters!

I couldn't stop taking pictures of Morgan in her dress...absolutely GORGEOUS!

Sage wanted to eat the bouquet!

I loved the braid in Morgan's hair!

Glowing, stunning, and the scenery and lighting didn't hurt either :)

After we finished the girl and guy pictures we took a little break before heading to the ceremony. The wedding was located on my parents land, and the scenery couldn't have been more magical! The lake was mirror smooth surrounded by beautiful fall trees, and it was calm and quiet with only the sounds of nature surrounding us. Morgan and her Dad rode in on two of their horses and the sight of her coming up on her special pony, Sage, with her lovely dress and veil flowing behind her was out of a fairy tale. I was so impressed with how well Morgan rode, mounted and dismounted her horse with grace in her full gown! Seth chose my Dad as his best man, and his brothers-in-law as his 3 grooms men. Morgan chose her best friend Christina as her maid of honor and her 3 sisters-in-law as her bridesmaids. It was so special to have so much of their family standing with them. The ceremony itself was perfect. Father David, who has now married 3 of the 4 Knochel kids, delivered the rites and message beautifully and there was hardly a dry eye in attendance. Seth and Morgan were glowing, calm and a gorgeous couple. It was such an honor to stand with them as the committed to each other as husband and wife, and I know God is going to do big things through their union. Congratulations Seth & Morgan!

Bride and Groom with the littlest attendants :)

 

After the ceremony and post wedding pictures, we all headed over to the club house for the reception. Morgan and her Mom did a wonderful job planning and the reception was wonderful as well! The food was southern comfort food along with a s'mores station, chocolate dipped pretzel bar, and cookie favors straight from Guam (where the majority of Morgan's family lives). There were lots of cute horse and country details, and the photographer appropriately described it as out of Better Homes and Gardens. Celebrating with so much of our family was really fun! The kids and adults alike enjoyed the dance floor after the meal. Morgan and Seth danced sweetly to "The Chair" by George Strait and then her and her Dad shared an emotional dance to "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts. Then, my Mom and Seth got their groove on to "I'll Always Love My Momma" by The Intruders (check out the song on you tube...the lyrics are precious). Watching Seth let loose and be his goofy self with my Momma was a blast! They ended with the cake cutting (so yummy!) and toasts before running off together through an tunnel of sparklers. It was a great night! I took a lot of pictures, but I can't wait to see what the photographer captured. I wish I could have some how been in two places as once and captured pictures during the ceremony and grand exit, but you can't really experience the moment, or hold a bouquet or a sparkler while taking pictures :) The wedding was breathtaking, and I hope and pray it is just a magical beginning to a beautiful life together for my brother and his bride!

  

 

 Congratulations and best wishes to a wonderful couple! 

May God bless your life together!