Thanksgiving blessings

I can't help that I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are so many people that have already decorated their homes for Christmas. What weirdos right? HA, well I am one of them. I also am one that has always said, "Let's just get thru Thanksgiving first people."

The Naron family Christmas always began the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We would go and buy a LIVE tree (did you read that part Chris?) from the boy scout troop on 4th Avenue in the 4th Avenue Church of Christ parking lot. Mom's job was to get out the stuff throughout the house that she decorated for for Christmas and we would all get the ornaments out with Dad. My job was to help dad untangle the lights. We had the best live trees back then and I thought they were beautiful!! (until dad put those hideous icicles on there!! Right Nat?) I would run home from school and plug the tree in. Many memories of great live trees........except for the year it went up the fireplace on December 26th. Really dad??? What were you thinking? Were we trying to make our own Christmas Vacation movie?? : )

Anyway, I always have stuck to that time frame of putting up a tree. BUT it is always me and now two sweet little girls!! Chris has no part in it and I used to try to make him help me early on in our early years of marriage and I would just end up in tears, because he could care less what or even if we had a tree to put up. After several live trees that fell over and broke several ornaments and a new tree stand that was supposed to be screwed and NOT HAMMERED I gave up on the idea/tradition of getting a live tree. NOT the tradition I was looking for from him!! (Maybe that should be a question asked of couples in premarital counseling!! Do you believe in putting up live trees at Christmas??? Ha!) Well this year we are having Chris's work Christmas party at our house for the North Stewart Christmas party. They picked the date to be December 4th!! Yikes, I thought I need to get rolling. So, since I was off last weekend the girls and I put up a few trees. A few you ask?? Yes, I don't know why or when I started to decorate more than one. We never had more than one growing up. I just think that it was such a great childhood memory for me that I want to decorate ALOT at Christmas. So, this year the girls have a new hot pink tree outside their rooms and we have a small one in the entryway and our new skinny tree in the foyer. **Pictures to follow!!

I didn't want to be completely through with all my pumpkin decor before Christmas, so there are still a few pumpkin things out with the trees!! You all that don't decorate don't get that do ya?? If you want a good laugh, stop by the house this weekend!! But the pumpkins will go up to their resting place this weekend. (I really thought I was the only crazy person to do this, UNTIL my sweet friend Beth, who cracks me up and I can't believe we aren't related because we are similar in our crazy ways, she has pumpkins and trees out too!! That is why I love you my sista!!)

This year I am thankful for

1. My job!! Many others are not as fortunate. I come across MANY clients these days without a job and it breaks my heart.

2. My family, both of my parents are living, one grandmother and I couldn't ask for a better life!! Linnis, my father in law has struggled with some vision problems and just last week they have diagnosed him with Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. The treatment is a very high dose of steroids. He hopes to regain his full vision within a year possibly.

I am thankful that I get to go see my sister Sherri and her family tomorrow in Corinth. I am leaving with the girls in the morning and we will be back on Thursday. My mom and my other sister and her family will be there and I can't wait to surprise mom as she doesn't know we are coming! I am thankful for my car to get me there!!! (hang in there trailblazer!!!)

3. I am thankful for my true friends. Life is hard and busy and after you become a mother it is even harder to stay "connected" to true friends. Thank you to those of you who never have given up on me!! I love you

4. I am thankful for my pillow that awaits me!! Good night all and Happy Thanksgiving!

same kind of different as me

I finished reading same kind of different as me last week. BY FAR it is the best book I have read in the past several months. It is by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent telling their story. A friend of mine from high school, Julie Phillips Staley, recommend it over a message I posted on facebook. I must admit that when I saw it at Hastings and it was on the bestseller table, I hesitated to get it. I read the front that it was about a modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together......hmmm didn't really sound like a winner to me!! BUT, I thought it sounds like an inspirational story and I am ready to be inspired. I did purchase it with 5 other books.....at the rate I am going I need to get an ipad or some digital reading device, right? I was drawn to it for multiple reasons of which I will list here, but if you are reading this blog and you are my friend, you must read it!! I will lend it to you when I get it back from a lady at work that I have already pasted it on to.

1. I loved it because the co-author, Denver, is a black man who is almost 70. That pulled at my heart strings immediately because I work with a gentleman named Ruben. He is a 74 year old black man who has worked at a veterinary clinic in Clarksville since he was 14. At one point in his life I have been told he could do the veterinary work just as good, if not better than old Dr. Young. He is very special to me and I have nicknamed him "Big Papa". Like Denver from the book my sweet Mr. Ruben is a very quiet type, and has the gentleness and wisdom of anyone I know. He is the first one I want to seek out every morning when I arrive to work because he blesses me with that toothless smile! I love to pat him on the back, hug him if he will let me, and wish him a good morning. If I don't speak to Mr. Ruben within the first 30 minutes of my day, he says, "Well, Dr. Lewis I didn't think you were even going to notice I was here." I love this man and have come to respect him for everything he has given to this veterinary group. Ruben was in a very bad car accident several years ago and broke one of his knees and severally jarred the other one. He hurts everyday, but will never say a word about it. Well, Denver from the book just melted my heart the way Ruben has. Denver tells a wonderful story of his life. Started in Louisiana as a cotton picker/slave. He was saved, raised by multiple family members, and sees his grandmother die a tragic death. In his 20's he catches a train to anywhere. That anywhere turns out to be Ft Worth, Texas.

2. The book deals with homelessness. I have always had a compassion for this mission field. Why? I don't really know. Other than how can you not be humbled to see how these people live? God has called us to take care of others, make a difference. Our church, like many, is involved in Room in the Inn during the winter months. Our church provides a meal on Wednesday nights to the homeless men and a bed/nights stay and then they are served breakfast before returning to the men's shelter the next morning. Chris has helped out with this and I really feel led/bothered if that is the right word to DO MORE.

3. Debbie Hall, is Ron's wife and such a godly woman!!! She brings the whole story to life. She begins working at the mission house once a week with Ron and she tells Ron that God has told her that he will have a friend for life from the mission house. Ron thinks she is crazy, but she was dead on. When she met Mr. Denver for the first time she told Ron, "that is him."

4. A Christian Friendship to last a lifetime, how can you not love and want that? These two men become friends and now are known around the country for their story and the difference they have made and continue to make.

**At the end of the book Denver states: "I used to spend a lotta time worryin that I was different from other people, even from other homeless folks. Then, after I met Miss Debbie and Mr. Ron, I worried that I was so different from them that we wadn't ever gon' have no kind a' future. But I found out everybody's different--the same kind of different as me. We're all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us. The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin in between, this earth ain't no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless--just workin our way toward home." AMEN!!

Even better, I was so excited to see that they published another book together entitled: what difference do it make?

Have a wonderful week and good night everyone!! WE love and miss you all. Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. Remember to stop and thank our good Lord for all that you are thankful for. We have sooo much to be thankful for.

Halloween 2010

Trying to get Claire to sit and take her picture in her costume with Addie was not working so well. Addie is herding her to sit down on the front porch, but that didn't happen.

I think Addie Lou looks like her Aunt Sherri in this picture : )

not sure what this look is about.....

We went by to see Aunt Rhonda and Uncle Jim

THERE....we caught cha!!!

Will Gee and his cousin

Our class prepared and helped serve the BBQ sack dinners. We raised close to $1,800 for missions!! GO LEWIS/BEST LIFE group!!!

I love his woman.....man!!! Pat is always this funny and NEVER a dull moment around him. Like my pink hair??

Terri and Pat

Jamie wearing it well

Saturday night we went over to Pap and Nanny's and trick-or-treated. Addie decided to put on Clay's Darth mask.

Clay and Claire, Claire with a sucker of course!!! She isn't wanting to eat anything but CANDY!!!! I am going to have the only 2 year old with rotten teeth before long.

"more candy please"!!

Addie and Lacy as Dorothy

Addie's homemade Halloween sugar cookies...yum yum

Carving Pumpkins

The Pumpkin Patch

Addie's kindergarten classes from NSE left for the Patterson Farm last Friday. She had a great time meeting all the animals there on the farm and playing with her friends. Claire and I got to come along also!

The hayride

Part of Addie's class

Claire and Addie had a great time picking out their pumpkins to carve!!

Ghouls at Grassmere 2010/Halloween Party at School

Kristin and I take the kids to the Nashville Zoo Halloween event every year. Ghouls at Grassmere is something we look forward to every year. This year we went on a Thursday night. It was not packed and the kids got to do things several times with hardly any lines. Friday morning was a little bit of a challenge to get them up for school, but we had a great time. Claire in this picture with Addie looks like Trey's baby pictures to me.

The kids loved the dance floor!! They were tearing it up!

Grace and Hunter dancing the shuffle...

The Carousel

The Hayride had the headless horseman this year!! Very cool

Two Ariel mermaids and one Minnie Mouse!

Sweet Grace as Ariel

Hunter as Darth

Claire and I got to go to Addie's Halloween party at school!! Claire thought she was a big girl and really enjoyed her time with Darryll and Lucynda.

Addie with her new best friend Darryll!! Isn't she so cute??

October Festivities

We had a Lewis family reunion in Dover a few weekends ago. We all had such a good time seeing Chris's family. They used to get together every year, but it has been a while. We had so much fun with all the kids at Dyers Creek. Claire slide down a big girl slide for the first time.

Claire and Brandon

Pap and Clay

Nanny and Claire: two very important people in my life!

Van and his babe in the corner, Claire with Lynn and Clay

Sweet Natalee being shy to the camera.

Rachel, Uncle Randy and Addie playing redneck golf?

Brian and Dana

We had a LIFE Group social at our house one weekend and we had a Bonfire/Hayride. It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed having everyone over for the first time. We had about 60 people over and about half that number in kids. Addie ended up having Hannah B. spend the night so she was in heaven! Claire was a trooper too and bonded with Michelle and Dan Dickerson over some cookies and s'mores!!