Season of Celebrations

we had a grat thanks giving

Kate started the letter for me today. We did, indeed, have a great Thanksgiving! We drove to Houston to Todd and Pam’s lovely new home. The only thing missing was Todd, who is wrapping things up in Australia. We drove into Houston just after dark and the freeway took us right past the downtown. Jane was gazing out her window at the glass buildings. Josh had told them we “made it to Houston” and Jane was taking everything in. After a few minutes I said, “Jane, do you remember what these big, tall buildings are called? They are skyscrapers.” She was quiet for a few seconds and then replied, “And they are also called Houston.”

It was so nice to be with family rather than feeling far away. The girls were a bit hesitant and shy at first, but it was fun to watch them discover how fun their cousins are. By the time we left each cousin had become a “fwavorite cousin.” We had two fun nights of staying up way too late. The first night Pam, Jon, Laura, Josh and I talked and cooked until the wee hours of the morning. The second night we played games with Nathan and Carson until the wee hours of the morning. Why do we do this to ourselves? It is just so fun to be together that we forget it is our only chance to catch up on sleep too. This is the first time the Texas Woodfords have gathered since we joined that elite crowd. Hopefully we will be able to make excuses to gather together often. It was so nice to feel at home rather than lost in this great big state.

On the way home we stopped over at the LaPierres’ house. When we arrived the kids instantly disappeared up into the playroom. Lisa and I started cooking, and Josh and Bryce set out to find some bluebell ice cream. We had another wonderful evening of laughter and games and good food. When we had to leave the next day we were all in a bad mood. So far, my favorite thing about Texas is definitely the people who have also gotten stuck here!

I heard a story several years ago about a woman who kept a basket on her counter. Every time she baked she would wrap something up, write a note, and send her children to a neighbor with a small treat. Ever since I heard that story I have wanted to have a basket like that in my kitchen as a little reminder to make time for simple acts of service. After we painted my kitchen a happy green color I went to the store and found a great basket to make that little dream come true. This week we initiated our “giving basket” by taking little loaves of banana bread to neighbors. Kate wrote notes to deliver with each loaf of bread: “Dear ___, We are grateful for you!” The morning of my birthday we went around making other people happy, a great way to start off the best day of the year.

And, since the topic came up...Yes, it was my birthday this week! We had a great day. I made myself a german chocolate cake, we had friends over to play during the day, and more friends over to play in the evening. Josh gave me a food processor, which has been on my wish list for years. Kate kept asking throughout the day, “Is it time for presents yet?” I kept putting her off saying we would do it later when Dad was home.

When the time finally arrived she ran upstairs and came down with a stack of the sweetest cards ever made. One of them was taped shut like an envelop. When I opened it there was a necklace and earrings inside. Josh didn’t know anything about it. I seems that Grandpa was the facilitator, but Kate approached him with the necklace in hand and asked if she could get it for me for my birthday. I wore it all weekend. Amazing how much it means when your child does something thoughtful for you all on her own. The other great gift I got for my birthday was an extra year of life. I thought I was turning 34! I told Kate I was and she drew 34 candles on my birthday card. It never even crossed my mind to do that math. Well, it turns out I turned 33. I instantly added an extra year to my life. I guess I had better make it good.

Having a week off of school was wonderful. We didn’t do anything grand, but it was nice to just be together and take everything a little slower. Jane took a nap one day and was enjoying her chance to stay up late. She and Josh were wrestling and her happy laugh was filling the house. After a good romp she looked up at Josh and said, “Do you want to play Mulan?” “No,” he replied, “because you should be in bed.” Considering, she came back with, “Do you want to have a sleepover?”

And so season of celebrations has begun! We ate german chocolate cake for breakfast, got our fill of turkey, and listened to Christmas music on the drive home.