Cold weather, Missions and baby Gideon

It is soooo cold outside today!  It got down in the 30's at one point so there is NO chance we were attempting an outside day.  The past few days it has been rainy and cold so we have basically been stuck inside and the walls are caving in on us.  In the mean time, I have started some random projects in the house such as cleaning closets and making goodwill/yard sale piles.  Have I mentioned before that I HATE CLUTTER?  I do and when I feel like things are heading there, I just start chunking stuff!  Don't tell my husband...he might be looking for something haha!  Just kidding!

Lucy is pointing to her candy cane on her shirt...she has shown me this 100 times today (as well as a few fits too...she is getting an opinion and an attitude and having to learn the hard way)!

I love this picture...so sweet!

What more does a girl need...her purse and a good book?!

Apparently these goggles were a hit today because I think every one of the kids had them on at one time or another!  :)

Speaking of weather, a tornado came through my house and hit the playroom.  Did it come through your house too???

Notice they are upside down haha!

Tonight after dinner and baths the kids were watching Kids on Mission videos.  We have several at the house and they love to watch them but tonight Jay found a bunch of them online.  They are videos about different parts of the world and how people (especially kids) are on mission in those areas.  The kids LOVE the videos.  We let them stay up until 9:00 (late!) tonight and they were still begging to watch "just one more!"  I even heard Karis say, "I want to be a missionary when I grow up!!!"  :)  You can watch the videos online here.

On a side note, one of my friends Megan (who now lives in Budapest, Hungary) just had her first baby on Sunday.  This is her before leaving to go to the hospital....yep, doesn't look pregnant, had on her high heels and pearl earrings...sickening but absolutely adorable!  Megan was in our youth group years ago, got engaged in our apartment (that was sooo fun!), Jay and I were in their wedding and they are VERY dear friends of ours! (Oh and I totally stole these pics from their facebook...I am sure they don't mind!)

 And here is baby Gideon...just perfect!

Dad and Gideon...so sweet!

We can't wait to meet baby Gideon in person!  Oh and Megan, I know you are reading this and you and Matt will be AMAZING parents!  Love yall!

Nason Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family today (the Nason clan).  I always love to get together with my family...I love them so much!  

Brayden and Timmy decided to start off the day with some graffiti...hhhmmmm.  NOT SMART!  They found some of my mom's hair dye outside and sprayed the house with it!!!  OH boy did they clean it up?!?!?!  You betcha!  Check out their artwork...

Lolli cooked a yummy feast and here is her helper...

My brother and his wife Tiffany

My brother Jonathan and his wife Jenna

My mom's brother Jack and his wife Carol came from Milan, TN to celebrate with us...so glad they came!

Here are the graffiti artists Brayden and Timmy...

The girls Lucy, Emily and Karis

Watching Toy Story 3

Me and my hunky husband

My mom and dad

Me and my 3rd brother Allen

The kids helped my mom put the ornaments on her tree tonight.  It is always fun to reminisce about me and my brother's childhood.  My brother is almost as tall as the 7 ft. tree!

Lovely bow Lolli!

This is Jonathan's foot ornament from when he was 2.  He now wears a size FOURTEEN!!!

The kids helping with the ornaments...

I love my family!

Thanksgiving in Corinth

For Thanksgiving we went to Corinth to see Jay's family.  Most of the cousins don't come in town for Christmas but come for Thanksgiving so we look forward to seeing them!  They came in from New Jersey and North Carolina.  We missed the ones who couldn't come (Craig, Nicole, Scout, Jett, Grandmother Thomas and Scott and Emily)!

We started off the trip with movies going in the back for the kids...it kept them occupied for most of the time.  We also started something this trip that my parents did with me when I was little.  They got $5 worth of coins in a bag for the whole trip and everytime they argued, complained. were mean to someone, asked "Are we there yet???", or disobeyed they got a coin taken out.  Whatever they had at the end of the trip they get to spend!  We didn't have to take out one coin the whole way there...it was great!

Wednesday night we went to eat at Mi Toro with Katie and Kaycee and they all were an itchy mess after riding this bull...bad mistake!  

Thursday morning they found some poppers left over from 4th of July and went outside to use them...they were burning holes in their pockets!

Thanksgiving day we headed over to Grandmothers to see everyone and to eat lunch.

We usually smoke a turkey but this year they decided to try frying it.  How many men does it take to fry a turkey?  haha

Nonnie and Lulu

 L to R: Jay, Cousin Matt, Uncle Hudson (Uncle Haha) and Pop-Pop

Letting that 16 lb. turkey go in slowly...

The cousins L to R: Brayden, Kaycee, Katie, Karis, and Evie

The kids had fun playing outside in Grandmother's backyard and collecting things.  Here they were busy collecting acorns...they were everywhere!

Brayden was a bit outnumbered by all the girls so he climbed a few trees!

Karis and Evie

Look at that beauty!  It was sooooo good!

Grandmother always cooks an incredible spread of food!  There was enough food for an army and seriously it is best food I have all year.  She is truly a wonderful cook and she is my inspiration in the kitchen. When I grow up I want to be like her!  This is Aunt Judy with Grandmother...

Brayden convinced some of the men to play ball with him...

And they didn't have a bat so they used a piece of the gutter...ssshhhh!  Don't tell Granddaddy!

Evie and her mom Didi (they are from Jersey)

That afternoon we went down the street to the Corinth Contraband Camp to let the kids play a little bit.

They made some cupcakes at Nonnie's house...

Took baths together..

Thanksgiving night we also took the kids to see Tangled and it was sooo cute! It wasn't in 3D although I would love to see it in 3D!

Friday morning we all got ready and went shopping a little bit around town including my MIL's store The Square Nest.  

My Christmas babies

We took Brayden and Jay to Lonnie's since we had been to girly stores.  Brayden was SOOOO in his element there!

Then we ate lunch at Sweet Peppers with the cousins.  This is me and 2 of Jay's sisters Kelly and Jessica.

We dropped by to say bye to Grandmother and Pinto before we headed out.

We were sad to go but so thankful we got to see everyone!

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!  I could never list it all but I am so thankful for a wonderful husband and a great marriage, my 3 beautiful, healthy children, an incredible extended family and most of all my Jesus.  I have so much I don't deserve and I am in need of nothing.  My heart is indeed full and I never want to take for granted all the blessings the Lord has given me.

I saw on a friend's facebook something I haven't been able to get out of my head.  Jimmy is a friend now living in Ghaha and he stated, "Isn't the American Thanksgiving holiday a bit strange?  It is a day where we say, 'I have enough,' but it also kicks off a 3-4 week period of ravenous consumerism where we scurry around saying, 'I don't have enough!'" And how ironic that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are back to back days?! Pretty ironic!  Just some food for thought!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Be truly thankful that we do have more than enough and we don't deserve any of it.  Our God is truly gracious to us!