Ella on Thanksgiving Day.
All the McCraw grandchildren...back row: (l to r) Stella, Tina, Emily, Heather..front (l to r) Abbey, Tye, Amber...this is going to be a Christmas present to my Granny (all of her grandchildren)
Abbey, Emily, Amber...taking pictures in front of my granny's old house.
It has been a while since I have posted, so I wanted to recap a few things we have done over the past couple of weeks. We went home to Columbia for Thanksgiving, and had a really good time. We spent Thanksgiving lunch with my Granny and my dad's side of the family. And, afterwards went to Rob's sister's Damea, for lunch/supper again. We ATE alot that day! Austin was so excited because he got to spend the night with Damea's 4 boys, which we didn't plan, so it was a great surprise for him. He had so much fun, and had LOTS of FUN stories to tell the next day.
I am not sure that they slept a whole lot, but that didn't matter, because he had a blast.
Before we ate lunch at my Granny's, all the grandchildren met up at her old house in Foxworth and took a picture together. I don't know if we even have a single picture, other than this one, of all of us together. It will be a gift to my granny on Christmas.. which I think she will really enjoy.
Austin went hunting with Rob on Saturday night, I think, and shot a 8 point buck. They came home from hunting and knew that they had shot something, but it was not a very good shot, or something like that, so they had to wait to go back and look for it. Rob said it was a big doe.. but when the deer was found, it was a buck. He called and told me to get the camera ready, but wouldn't tell us what it was..so when Austin saw it he was extremely excited. This makes his 3rd buck..he has shot a 4 point, 7 point, and now an 8 point. It made his weekend.
When we got back home, I started pulling out the decorations. We get a real tree, which may change after this year.. because ugh..they are a mess..but Austin, Ella, and I decorated the tree and put up the other decorations.. things really look like Christmas around here. The kids are getting excited...On Saturday they awoke to find that the elf on the shelf had come to visit us. Ella was sooo excited. She had told me about this because her teacher had told them. A Special Elf comes from the North Pole, and spends the day with them, and then at night goes back to the North Pole to report to Santa about their behavior, etc. They decided to name him Junior..then Ella added the name Cooper, but she calls him SHELF, in lieu of ELF. So his given name has become Junior Cooper Shelf. And, they have enjoyed looking around and finding him the past few mornings.
We have been a little busy..but at church sunday morning, Chip, the preacher, was talking about just that..the holidays getting too busy and losing the real meaning of the season. I hope this year that I can be reminded daily that it isn't about the toys, and the food, and all of the hustle and bustle that goes along with Christmas, but that the true meaning is of Jesus, and his birth.
I read a great book to Ella last night, about the Crippled Lamb. It has such a wonderful message of being where God wants you, and it may not really be where you want to be, but God has a special purpose for each of us. The lamb was crippled, and because he couldn't go where the other lambs had gone, he was in the stable where Jesus was born, and was one of the first to welcome Jesus. He realized that God's purpose for him was to be there, and witness Jesus' birth. So sweet. Ella said when I closed the book.. "I really like that book." That is what Christmas is all about.
James 1:17..."Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
My Family..these were forced smiles..as they were about to all go shopping with me!!!YIPPEE!!
This is how we do yard work...work really hard to make a pile then see who can mess it up the fastest.
Running and jumping in the leaves...
