These are a few of my Thankful Things...

Today is a day of giving thanks.  Before I deleted my face book page I have for the last three years listed something I was thankful for every day in November.  It isn't that I am not always thankful for these things it is just that November seems to be a time of year that we associate with giving thanks.  I am blessed, beyond measure, sometimes I feel guilty and even a little bit fearful, if that makes sense, for ALL my blessings. 

I am overwhelmed with gratitude and love for my healthy children, for their zest for life, for my parents and their health and the fact that I still have them both in my life.  They are strong sources of strength for me.  I am thankful for my husband, he can be difficult at times but watching a dear friend grieve the loss of her young husband this year has certainly enlightened me to how harsh and fast life can be.  I have some of the most faithful, loving friends anyone could ask for, some of them are fairly new and some of them have been in my life since I was a child, wow!!!  They know me inside and out, secrets, failures, flaws, successes, the good, the bad and the not so pretty and yet they still, somehow love me. 

I could blog pages about my family farm and my love for being there, for getting my kids OUT of the city and on the dirt!!  We love it there, I am SO thankful for a place to go, to breath, to see all God's beauty in its fullness.  We had a huge meal today at my parent's, I am thankful for that, there are those that struggle to buy groceries.  We often take these small things for granted.

Dear God,
You are the almighty, the Giver and the Taker.  Thank you for your abundant presence in my life, for all your gifts and blessings that never stop coming even when I am unworthy.  I am emotionally overwhelmed by your goodness and I love you!

CAshism's

Last Sunday Cash wore a cross necklace to church.  When we got home he came up to me and said, "Mama you gotta take this necklace off of me, it is giving me a heart attack" :)

Arden Caroline turns 3!!!

After a very long and busy month of agritourism on Ard's Dairy Farm I was ready for a break, NOT ready to plan a birthday party for my baby girl.  Maybe also because I didn't really like the fact that she is turning 3, where have the years gone?  When Cash turned 3 a girl told me that 3 was the most fun age and she was right, Cash was hysterical at 3, so much fun and Arden is already showing those same traits.  Instead of a party this year I just let everyone know that we were going to eat supper at Rocket City Diner and we would love for anyone that could join us to come on.  It was loud, wild and so much! The kids hula hooped there socks off and Arden had a great time.  She actually had school on her birthday so I baked some home made strawberry cupcakes with home made cream cheese icing and we had a little "party" with her friends in her class.  I will brag, the cupcakes were really good! :)  Happy Birthday to my beautiful, energetic, challenging, determined, strong willed, loving Arden Caroline James, I will never forget the first time I held you in my arms, my love for you grows more by the minute! You rock my world!

Milestones...

I am not sure if most of you would consider this a real milestone but it was for me!  My little boy has gone on his first trip to the deer camp with his daddy, 3 hours away.....for three nights.  He is only four years old and I won't lie, this was a little bit emotionally difficult for me.  He is my baby and he is only four.  I really thought I had a few more years before this was an issue, did I mention he is only four?  P Daddy is in two hunting clubs, one is right south of Hattiesburg and only a 20 minute drive so Cash goes to that camp and spends the day often, that is not a big deal.  The other camp is in Louisville, almost 3 hours away and Patrick has never considered taking Cash this year.  There has been talk of me going up for a few days and then he would get to go but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that he would go now, at this age, without me :).  Yesterday after church Master P was packing up his truck to leave this morning, that is when it all began.  Cash started whining, kicking  his foot in the dirt saying "I want to go to the deer camp" then it turned into crying.  I don't mean the yelling, pitching a fit, typical four year old tantrum, I mean heartbroken tears, crying that made your heart ache.  I asked Patrick how he could say no to that and he said "I don't guess I am.  You can go with me buddy".  Cash started asking me right away to pack his stuff, he started getting his boots, toys, guns, ropes etc... All his boy paraphernalia.  He piled a bunch of it up on top of P Daddy's stuff, now for the count down!!  

Patrick was awaken this morning by Cash coming into the bedroom, fully dressed pulling his suitcase behind him, ready to go.  I started looking around for Cash's hunting boots and he informed me that he had put them in the truck last night! :)  I took  a few pictures of them loading the truck up, I am sure neither of them understand the big deal but it is my babies first trip to the deer camp, he is only four, did I mention that?  I did put my disclaimer into Master P before they left, it went something like this, "if my baby is exposed to anything like a bunch of loud cussing and drinking I will fly up on my broom and you will all suffer my wrath.  Protect his spirit or else".  I know this is a big deal for daddy's and sons, this time to bond and do all the nasty things that boys do at deer camps but I wasn't ready just yet but I am happy that the boys get to bond.  

Cashisms

This morning we woke up at the farm house.  We have spent most of October at the farm due to our newest farming adventure.  Cash was woke up by Ella and Arden at 6:45, seriously! After working on the farm all day and staying at the corn maze until 9:45 I was hoping to sleep a little bit later :).  The kids were all so giggly and loud this morning and since it was raining they immediately began wrecking the house, first with a "fort" in the living room with all the chairs and a blankets they could find, this is my favorite thing to play with them. :)  They were being hyper and loud and Cash blurted out "Mama, I got the silly willies down in my heart this moring"! :) I am so glad you do baby boy, I am so glad you do!

Oaisis of the Seas

Luckily I made a few notes and took a lot of pictures on our cruise this summer since I am so late in blogging about it. Patrick works so hard all the time and he won us this amazing vacations this summer.  A seven night cruise on the largest cruise ship on the ocean, The Oasis of the Seas.  We decided that we would leave Arden behind since she is only two so we only took Alese and Cash.  Patrick's parents also went, their last Nationwide trip, they went out with a bang!  We had the friendliest staff on the ship, every where you went the people were all above and beyond hospitable!  


One night at supper I had escargot.  I have had it before, actually the first time I ever did have them was on a cruise years ago.  I knew Cash would try them, he is every bit my child when it comes to trying foods! He loved them, in fact he asked for them again the next night even though they were not on the menu.  Our super awesome waiter made the request to the chef who was so impressed with a 4 year old requesting escargot that me made some for him! :)


One day while we were walking around on the ship we stumbled on the casino, Cash quickly looked inside and said "whoa, I hope Nana and Papa don't find that place"! ha! To late Cash, to late! :)


Here are some of pictures: