hi grandma

my grandma emailed me this morning and said that she misses my blog, 

so i'm writing this one for you, g.

i really want to remember this time in boyd's life right now,

where he is obsessed with football. 

we recorded a cowboys game about a week ago because boyd fell asleep at the end,

and he's watched that thing 3 times now. 

here he is with some neighbor friends, getting ready to play flag football.
we had to improvise and use shop towels, in place of flags.

this picture just makes me smile.

we tried a bbq place in the stockyards last weekend.

it was good, but i'm still so partial to kevin's bbq.
these boys sure are cute, aren't they.

i have been looking forward to thanksgiving break and the extra time with boyd, 

and lots of fun activities,

but our plans changed a little bit, including a broken down car, and a funeral.

monday morning, boyd and i drove up to a neat little donut and coffee shop,

in denton.  

then, we saw some of our best friends and spent a few hours at their house.

when we left, we stopped to get a drink, and my car wouldn't start back up,

and we spent the next 4 hours at the gas station, waiting for a tow truck, 

our friends came back up to help, a neighbor came, 

my phone died, it was a mess, but it was all ok.
the sweetest stranger saw boyd and i standing and waiting for the tow truck,
and he kept looking at us, and finally walked up and asked if we were ok.
i don't know what it was about his gesture, but it was so kind.
 

on tuesday, my mom and i went to a funeral of a long time family friend.
when i got the message last saturday that she had passed away,
i was just on my way out to run errands.
i got to the store, and i sat in my car for an hour, and cried.

deda was one of the sweetest ladies we will ever know.

they sang the old hymn mansion over the hilltop,

and we know for sure that deda is already happy in that beautiful mansion.

she was so loved, and already so missed.

nerf

nerf 

nerf

nerf

nerf.

what can i say.

besides football, he is loving all things nerf right now.

thanksgiving.
we had a great day.
i took rolls, stuffed jalapenos, pumpkin pie, and a dip to my mom's.
and some wine.
everyone loved the dip, and it will become a regular for us, for holidays.
i'm wondering where this dip has been all my life.
it's that good.

 pickle and ham dip

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened
16 oz sour cream
1 cup dill relish
16 oz honey ham from the deli, shaved, then bring home and dice it up

mix well and serve with crackers.

i took very few pictures on thanksgiving.
it was one of those days that was so good,
i just wanted to be there.
andmaybeihadtoomuchwine.

what are you thankful for this year?
i'm thankful for simple things, for friends and family.
i'm thankful for the gift of today.
i'm trying to live in the moment, and not worry or wonder or overthink the future.
doing that only ruins the goodness of this day.
i read in my jesus calling devotional that god gives us what we need for this day.
he knows that the future would be too overwhelming if we could see into it,
and so he only wants us to concentrate on today.
and so, i'm thankful for today.

happy thanksgiving.

love,
nicolle