Monday, November 29, 2010

I can see you all around me

Dear Lord,

When I see amazing things like this, I always think of you.
  

The setting sun at dusk in my neighborhood






You light up the sky to show me that You are with me ~ The Afters



Thank you,

Allyssa

Giving thanks and bugs...


My brother Brandon's beautiful bird stuffed with onions, carrots and rosemary

Well, last week started off super stressful for me.  I was trying to get over a terrible sinus infection and get the energy up to get some things done around the house.  I offered to have Thanksgiving at my house this year which meant a whole lot of cleaning and some cooking as well.  Luckily and thankfully, James took a week of vacation because although I was off from mother's day out, people still want their hair done so I was at the salon Monday, Tuesday and most of Wednesday.  I had only planned on working half a day on Wednesday but one of my clients called on Tuesday wanting to get in Wednesday afternoon.

I am ever-so-thankful for my husband and children.  They all went above and beyond for me, cleaning the house, getting things set up, doing dishes and laundry.  It was truly a blessing to come home from the salon and walk in the door to a clean house and I mean "to my standards clean."  The little ones were beaming with pride when I came home and made such a big deal of how great everything looked.  James even rewarded them by letting them pick something out from the dollar store.  Bless their hearts, they truly earned it.

My brother Brandon volunteered to do a turkey, but since I am a worrier I decided to pick up a turkey breast just to make sure we have enough turkey to go around.  Everyone brought two or three dishes and a dessert.  Everything was perfect, as always.  Amazing food...I don't know if I have mentioned it but we have some pretty amazing cooks in our family.  We truly love to eat and also enjoy the art of preparing the food.  There is so much love involved when cooking, you can just taste it.



My first turkey, breast that is...


Family...I have an amazing, loving and silly family.  It's always a good time when we all get together, lots of love and laughter, talks of old times and past memories, oh and picture taking too!  My aunts have ALWAYS been big picture takers so you know there is always a camera around when our family gets together.



The girls on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was wonderful!

The week wouldn't be complete without some kind of craziness though, it just always seems to work out that way.  I got home Saturday night from work and Channing was itching her head like crazy.  The first thing I thought of was lice.  EEK!  I checked her head but didn't find anything so I gave her some allergy medicine and put her in the bath.  Her hair was so tangled that after I put conditioner in her hair I decided to comb through it and with that loose hair came out in the brush along with BUGS!!!!!!!!

My suspicions were right.  I was totally freaked out and so was Channing.  Chayce has never had lice and this was Channing's first experience.  She was scared and crying and I immediately sent James to the store to get treatment...enough for all of us.  All of the chaos surrounding the lice fiasco began around 7:00 pm.  I literally started combing through Channing's hair getting out what I could until James got back from the store.  When he got back I started shampooing us all one by one while James went through the house stripping all the bedding and spraying down all the couches and pillows in the living room.  I had to comb through Channing's hair looking for leftovers.  Camden and Chayce had no sign of it which was wonderful news.  Chayce ended up helping me with one last inspection of Channing's hair and we finally finished up with her and she was able to get in bed at midnight.  James, Chayce and I still were washing and drying our sheets and blankets.  This went on until 2:00 IN THE MORNING.  Bless James' heart, he fell asleep on our bed before we ever even got it made, I had to wake him up so we could get our bed made.

I checked Channing's hair every hour on the hour on Sunday and I am proud to say that every last bug and it's future offspring are GONE!  THANK YOU JESUS!!

Needless to say, it was an eventful week and a half.  Major sinus infection, dr. appt for antibiotics, shopping for our Thanksgiving feast, my family cleaning the house for me, I made my first turkey (breast), had a fabulous time hanging out with my family and our household being totally disinfected due to poor little Chan getting lice.

                                                                  I love my crazy life!


The birth of my love...



My sweet husband had another birthday last weekend.  We didn't do much, poor guy...he always gets the short end of the stick with his birthday being so close to Christmas. 

I cooked him chicken spaghetti and Camden and I made him an oreo trifle rather than a birthday cake.


Camden helping daddy blow the candles out
Camden insisted we have candles for daddy

James, you are a wonderful, caring and loving husband.  It has been an eventful 10 1/2 years with you...you took Chayce and I in and loved us both in a way that we had never been loved before.  You gave me two more beautiful kids to complete our family.  You have always worked so hard for our family, providing for us, going to work sick and rarely ever taking a day off so that you can work overtime to do all you can for our family.  You love me unconditionally, you see the real me and love me anyway.  You make me feel beautiful, you are so respectful of me and I admire that most about you.  Thank you for being so affectionate with our kids and for always being at Chayce's activities.  I see that you have grown spiritually, mainly in small ways but the effort you put forth has given me hope and made me so proud of you.  Thank you for laughing at me when I am goofy, you make me feel like you are my biggest fan.  Thank you for never giving up on me even though I probably have given you reason to.  Thank you for stepping up your game when mine is lacking...together we make an amazing team.  You seem to pick up right where I leave off and I am so thankful that you know when I need you most.

James, I love you so much and I love that you love me in the way that you do...I am forever greatful that God brought you into my life.  Thank you could never be enough.

Happy birthday my love!!!