An Illinois Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year, we traveled to Illinois for about 4 days. We got up there late on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and left early the next Monday morning. We enjoyed Thanksgiving with both sides of our family, an extended family Christmas, seeing good friends at church, celebrating Uncle David's 40th, and also spending a day celebrating a dear friend's birthday with some of our favorite people. Although the air was utterly freezing, our trip was full of warmth, laughter, and thankfulness. It was definitely a weekend to be thankful for!!

Thanksgiving with the Knapps...The little girls have Grandpa wrapped around their finger. 

 

Then...Thanksgiving and birthdays with the Banwarts! A picture is required when we are all matching.;)

 

 

Of course, Seth wanted his picture taken too!:)

 

 

Celebrating Uncle David's 40th birthday along with some very *ahem* classy gifts.;)

 

 

...Like an inflatable toupee!;);)

On Saturday, Seth, Megan, and I got to spend the afternoon with some great friends, Derek and Kate. It was Kate's 15th birthday and it was so special to be able to spend it with her! We went out for lunch and bowling, but I think it's safe to say that the highlight of the day was just hanging out together and talking! At least, that's my view;). It was short, but special and since we don't get to see them as much any more, I've learned to treasure the time we do have! 

There were many various emotions expressed while bowling...confidence...

...resignation...I will never be good at bowling...

...and excitement!;)



The beautiful birthday girl and Megan!

The only picture I have of all of us!;) I am so thankful for these friendships!



Later, on Saturday night we went to David and Melissa's house for a party to celebrate Uncle David's 40th birthday! We had a blast! Aunt Melissa had put together a scavenger hunt based on David's life that sent all 5 teams scattering all across Fairbury and Forrest. There were things on the list to complete such as sharing a sucker with a pig (don't ask...;), taking a picture in front of David's childhood home, and a picture in front of the place where he went to school. Finally, all the teams came rushing back to make the time limit and Melissa tallied up the scores. Now, you would think that Team David would win since he probably knows the most about his life! Wrong! We came in last! But we had fun and were great sports, so that is all that really matters, right?!?;)  

The winning team with their prize...an autographed picture of David!;)

...And the losing team! This picture was slightly embarrassing to take with all the other teams laughing at us!;) It was still a lot of fun though!!

~Lexi



November Life

November has been a busy month, yet one full of special times. For example, we celebrated Micah's 11th birthday on November 3rd and Paige's 4th birthday on November 17th!! It is so exciting to watch them grow up and to imagine what God will do with their lives and unique gifts. On our birthdays, we get to chose where we go out to eat for supper (within reason;). Micah chose to go to Moe's and Paige chose Chick-fil-a, of course!!;)

 

 

Opening gifts!!:)

I do not know why he was wearing shorts in November...

He looks pretty great in this shirt!;)

We love him!!



Eating at Chick-fil-a with the excited birthday girl!

Listening to Dad talk about the day she was born:)

We have a girly-girl on our hands! She loves clothes and anything pink!;)



New boots!

New dress up clothes!

Like I said....anything pink!!;)

A strawberry cheesecake ice cream cake from Dairy Queen!



Also, we were so blessed to witness Seth's testimony and baptism the weekend of November 14-15!It was a very special, God-filled weekend where we were surrounded by so many who are very dear to us. We were very blessed those who made an effort to spend the weekend with us.  We are very thankful for the work Christ has done in Seth's life and the work He continues to do.  Praise God for His redemptive work!! 



(So sorry for the delay in posting!! I have had this post in the draft folder for awhile and hadn't posted it! I will try to get more up about our Thanksgiving and our time in Illinois soon!:)
~Lexi

 

Fall Weekends: Part 2

And I'm back...that wasn't too long, was it?!?;) After our weekend in Kentucky, my siblings and I went to Illinois for a week. We had a great week spending time with friends and family, getting to know new people, enjoying Illinois weather (I think I'm getting too used to GA weather though, because it was COLD!!;), and being in a place that holds so many memories. It was also a special time of bonding with my siblings as I helped them work through things and spend some fun times with them! It is an awesome thing to truly be able to say that your siblings are also some of your best friends, no matter how much they tease you about your bowling score!!;) (And that does not mean that we always get along!!) I truly think that moving to Georgia brought us closer and I'm so thankful for that! Anyway, we finished off our week with an uplifting, God-glorifying weekend that was a great time of being with some of our best friends. I can't wait till next year;)

 

On our first day, we went to Arthur, IL and Tuscola Outlet mall with this great group of girls!!



The candy aisle at a bulk food store in Arthur was slightly tempting...;)

Two of my favorite fall things: Bonfires...

 

...And hot lattes!!

One day, Seth, Megan, Micah, and I went bowling! As you can tell, we take bowling very seriously...not that our scores showed that!!;)

Micah always managed to have some crazy throw that almost always worked and he won the second game!

Another great throw!!;)



"Is that going to be another gutter ball?";) (I am not telling what our scores were!!)

Look at that form!!;)

On the weekend, we sorted eye glasses for Haiti at Stollers! There were a ton of glasses!!

All the girls wearing the ugliest glasses we could find!

I'm not sure what we were discussing here...

 

Also, I got my senior pictures taken in Illinois!! I'm so happy with how they turned out and how they captured personality which was what I wanted most. I had an incredible photographer and "creative genius." (I didn't forget your title, Lydia!!;) I had so much fun taking them with great friends, despite the scratches on my legs from the tall grass and the collateral damage to my knees from trying to protect the camera when I fell.;) It feels weird realizing that school is almost over. That school, the only thing I've known for the past 12 years of my life, is almost over. This growing, changing, hard, yet beautiful season of high school over the past 4 years is almost over. It scares me and, yet exhilarates me!! To know that I have a God that holds every single moment of my future in His hands is an overwhelmingly exciting thought! Our God is so good!!! Here are just a few of them:



They had so many good ideas for fun props!!

My love for reading...;)

 

~Lexi



Fall Weekends: Part 1

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!" ~Anne of Green Gables

 So far, our October has been wonderful, busy, yet wonderful. The trees are changing color, the weather is getting cooler, the air is brisker, everything is pumpkin and cinnamon flavored, and I could go on forever about how much I love fall! It has a beauty and majestic charm that takes my breath away every year! Only God could think to make a tree's death so glorious.

Anyway, we have had a month full of traveling and company and crazy!;) While we are ready for this slower pace the next couple weeks, we have enjoyed being with friends and family and our time away. Two weekends ago, we met our good family friends Stollers and Bluniers at a cabin in Kentucky. It was a great time to reconnect with them. Since our time with our IL friends is so rare, moments with them are treasured. The weekend was full of good conversations, singing, games, food, and much more. We had a sweet, relaxing time and the view was incredible! It was a great weekend!

 



Playing games...

...in a loft that made half of us miserable because it caused us to sneeze!!

Like I said, the view was incredible!

The backyard

The front yard

In the van! (Sorry about the low quality this was about the only good picture...)

Playing mini golf! I almost won...;)

The older kids

The younger boys

The younger boys enjoyed playing a giant game of Jenga while we where waiting to leave

All of us!

 Our wonderful Mothers!!

And finally...Our view at sunset...did I mention that I love fall?!?!

It was great! After our time in Kentucky, we went to Illinois for a week! There will be a post of our time there coming later! (I don't know how much later!!;) 

~Lexi