November 2015 is right around the corner. I am bound and determined to get caught up! So let’s go back eight months to November 2014...

Checking out the candy stash the morning after trick-or-treating. I was still away on my silent retreat, and even to this day, I don’t wanna know how much candy they ate while I was away.

That first weekend in November was stunning.

Matt’s dear Grandpa turned 97 years old in November and was quickly declining in health, so Matt flew out to Virginia for a few days to celebrate Grandpa’s birthday with him and to savor some precious moments of Grandpa’s remaining days. We are grateful Matt was able to go. Grandpa passed away this past March, and Matt got to hold onto the memories of those days in Virginia filled with great smiles...

proof that there are still places in the country with a true Fall...

unforgettable shared moments with a faithful, godly man...

sisterly affection...

good ol’ pints...

and lots of laughter in the midst of doses of the fragility of life.

While Matt was in Virginia, we had a visit from Popsie and Meesie. One of our most favorite places in Austin is the Zach Theatre. They have amazing children’s plays, and we take the opportunity to go whenever we can. In November, Toad and Frog was playing, and it was delightful! The kids still sing a song from the play.

My monkey. Any art project he can get his hands on he will do, even if it’s a replication of what he’s already done at school.

He keeps getting bigger and bigger.

For the Thanksgiving season, the four of us wrote something we were thankful for at each meal. We piled our offerings into the bowl and saved them to read together on Thanksgiving morning. It ended up being a highlight for me the month of November. 

Celebrating Ellie’s birthday! Grateful these friends of ours are back in Texas.

She’s in one of my childhood dresses. I love her and that crinkle smile so much.

Brennan’s Thanksgiving program at school. These are special days.

Popsie and Meesie spent the whole day with us, going from one program to the next <grin>.

The teachers and directors at Kensie’s school made an entire Thanksgiving feast for the students! 

A bone that befits the dog.

Two easy-going peas in a pod.

November 23rd...the day we celebrated my Momma’s birthday at The Gristmill with Mac, Julie, Wynn and Maysie, and also the Francis fam! It was a gorgeous day by the river, and we were incredibly excited to all be together.

We are grateful for any cousin time we get! And for little Kensie Jane, any opportunity she has to be a little mommy to someone smaller than her, well, she’ll jump right to it.

Julie was our very patient and loving photographer who captured more than enough pictures for us. We should have paid her for her time!

I was very grateful Matt took some extra days off Thanksgiving week that helped us have time to decorate for Christmas before we left for Thanksgiving since the holiday was so late last year. 

If it were up to me, and not to be a scrooge, but I’d pass on most of the Christmas decorating. Each year I have to suppress the anxiety it stirs up in me to get it all done, and I feel like we are decorative minimalists as it is. So it’s love. Deep love for my children that we pull out all the boxes. Their sparkly eyes of wonder make it worth it (at least I’ll keep telling myself that).

Playing school.

Simple pleasures. 

Finally! Our Thanksgiving celebration we’ve been waiting and anticipating for months: Lost Pines with the D.C. clan! It was an absolutely gorgeous Thanksgiving weekend; we soaked up every moment. 

Little Maysie was a fan of the bike ride; Wynn, not so much.

We never pass up an opportunity for s’mores…except for my Daddy. 

This is our collection of thanksgivings from the month. Our family woke up and read them together to start our Thanksgiving morning.

He’s goofy. And she adores him.

Well, the gentleman we asked to take our picture was fairly eager to get it over with. Granted, it was a parking greeter we asked <grin>. So this was the best we got.

Later that evening, Mac, Julie, Matt, Brennan and I jumped in the car and headed to College Station to watch A&M play. Our little guy was so excited! I’ll refrain from posting the picture in which Brennan and I inadvertently stepped on the MSC lawn...probably one of A&M’s most important legacies we defamed. I’ll never, ever do it again!

She loves beans. She LOVES beans.

It’s pretty fun to have Thanksgiving and the next morning wake up to a hotel lobby that was transformed overnight into a winter wonderland. Lord, bless those employees!

This girl played with this fuzzy caterpillar for nearly an hour.

And then the space in her heart that already longs to be a momma was filled to the brim instructing and helping Wynn and Maysie down the slides.

A State landmark, this is one of the largest trees in Texas.

Next thing we knew, it was December!