Happy Thanksgiving

"AHHH....I'm stuffed!" Just what the cook wants to hear. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! For the last couple of years we have celebrated this day sparingly. Two years ago we drove to KY to spend time with our friends and family there. Last year I made a turkey but none of the other delights for the day, Sean had to work and the kids could of cared less about what we ate as long as they got to eat.

But this year...like years past we have much to celebrate! We are so thankful for all of the many things God has blessed us with! This year we had a wonderful friend of ours over for dinner as well. Ken and Darlene have been great friends and have poured their love on us and our children in great and small ways. Darlene went to Chicago to be with her niece who just had eye surgery due to complications with diabetes. Keep her in prayer, the doctor is unsure if she will ever see again and she is only 24! So we had Ken come and have dinner with us. He is a joy to be around, full of life and laughter. In fact I have mentioned them before, and our family fall pics were taken in their back yard. The live on the lake and it is just breathtaking there. They have their home for sale right now so if anyone is interested in a lake front 3 bedroom 2 bath home with boat dock in southern Illinois let me know.

Anyway, I made all the typical yummy foods....

Herb (Mrs Dash Chicken Herbs Seasoning) Roasted turkey

Mashed Taters

Cranberry Stuffing

Gravy

Broccoli Casserole

Candied Sweet potatoes

Fresh Green beans

Fresh Cranberry sauce

Biscuits

Veggie Tray with dip

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pies

Oh and can't forget the Cheetos. Yes the kids, well two of them anyway had Cheetos with their turkey. Sara and Eli enjoyed helping me skin the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Sara really loved helping me prepared dinner today. I know that I will cherish today's time of teaching her how to peel the potatoes and watching her has she tried to teach Eli!

I have to say this year was the best Thanksgiving dinner we have had in a long time! One because of great food and company but even more so because all the diaper heads sat at the table...including Kristofer. As most of you who read my blog know, Kristofer is on the autism spectrum and has many sensory issues. Part of his sensory issues deal with oral issues, he can not stand certain textured foods and the smell and sights of some foods sends him into orbit and causes him to start gagging. Eating lunch at school (brings his lunch) has given him much practice about looking down at his own food so as not to gag or be grossed out. Normally when we eat dinner he usually eats super fast or not at the table. Today for the first time, he was able to sit with us at the table and not gag. There was no screaming, whining or complaining at all from him. YAY! It was a peaceful dinner! It was great.

Oh we have gone out to dinner and he has done well but that is usually because we are all eating the same thing as him (pizza or chicken & fries, ect). But today he chose to sit in front of the broccoli casserole and mashed taters...two things that normally send him gagging and running to the bathroom. I thank God for helping Kris be able to remember to use his social stories and remember to look down or away from the things that gross him out. It was pure heaven to have everyone sitting and enjoy their dinner and participating in the conversations.

This week we put the tree up and I painted and created a new ornament for SeanPatrick. Something I haven't done at all. All the kids have pics of them from their 1st Christmas on the tree. Well this year I decided I wanted a pic of every one of my precious children on the tree. Here is a picture of the ornament I made for SeanPatrick...

You can also see a little bit of the popcorn and cranberry garland Sara and I made. We had a great time last night stringing the popcorn and berries. I plan to make another strand or two to make the tree look fuller. The tree is a bit lopsided and bare despite the ornaments. Next year I hope to get a real tree. This year we were planning to but we are going to Florida for vacation, unfortunately not at Christmas, before hand but we are thankful we get to go. It's been 3 years since the kids have been back to Florida. They are so excited! Anyway we decided to save the money we would have spent to get a tree and use it to go to Florida. I think its a great trade.

Happy Birthday SeanPatrick

Today 12 years ago our precious little boy SeanPatrick was born quiet on this earth but rejoicing in heaven in Jesus' arms. The joy and pain of that day is still as fresh as if it was today. How I wish I could hold him close again, how I wish he was here to be the big brother to Jaron and the rest of my diaperheads. Two years ago I posted the whole story about our precious little guy. If you want to read about him go here. This year his birthday sorta crept up on me. I knew it was coming, a momma never forgets their baby's birthday even those in heaven. But this year I guess I have been so busy with ministry and the excitement that we get to go home on vacation for a week that I just haven't thought about taking time to plan something special for this day. I was listening to the radio the other day and the song below came on. They were doing an interview about the song and when it played it hit me so hard I lost it. I bawled my eyes out listening to the interview and the song. I have to warn you if you listen to the song you may need tissues. I just have to declare that even if I had known the outcome of SeanPatrick's life I would have carried him the whole time! Memorizing the hiccups, kicks and movements. I cherish those memories more than anyone could every know. I remember every detail of his birthday, the cold rainy day, the smells outside and inside the hospital. I remember how he felt in my arms and how wide his hands were...Jaron had wide hands like his big brother.
SeanPatrick Eugene Kelly, I love you baby boy! Happy Birthday! I hope you are having fun dancing on streets of gold, running through fields of sweet grass and flowers and most importantly are enjoying the warm embrace of Jesus today.






I Will Carry You
by Selah

There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?
People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
But there's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this

So I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And I will praise the One who's chosen me
To carry you

Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness
But I know
That the silence
Has brought me to His voice
And He says

I've shown her (HIS) photographs of time beginning
Walked her (HIM) through the parted seas
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her (HIM)like this?

I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And I will praise the One who's chosen Me
To carry you

*I added (HIM)

Fall Fun

What a fantastic family we have been so blessed with!

My wonderful Diaperheads! They are growing up way too fast! This was taken at some friend's house Friday. That is their dog Cloe in the back. Cloe is a black shepherd and she loves the kids! She climbs up in the van when we come every by every time!
Kris and Sara were rolling this pumpking down into the leaves and then the other would go searching for it. They had a blast doing that.

Kristofer's favorite spot in Ken and Darlene's back yard!

Our little model!

School pictures

So I haven't been writing. To be honest I just haven't been in the mood to. I have so many other fires burning that I just haven't been all that interested in writing. But I will get back to it I am sure. I wanted to share some recent pictures. The kids had their school pics taken in Sept. We didn't purchase them but every student regardless of whether they are purchased receives an ID card with their pics on it. So I scaned and cropped them so I could share. Not the best but relatively recent. I am hoping that this week I can take the kids to a friends house that sits on the lake and take some fun fall pics. We shall see what the week holds for us.

Oh an announcement must be mentioned! The last week of Oct. Sara lost not just one tooth but both bottom teeth! She was SO excited! The 2nd one came out during our Fall Festival at church while she was apple bobbing. She thinks its wonderful that she lost them before Eli has. Eli has always been a little but farther along in developement than she is. So this is a first for her.