Tis the Season...

...of thankfulness.

And can I just say that Brian + I have so much to be thankful for. We talk about it all the time. God has blessed us beyond anything we ever dreamed. But please don't think that means everything is perfect. Because it isn't.

The other day Brian said that 2011 has been rough on us. And I thought what in the world is he talking about? And then we went on to discuss the stillborn birth of our niece, 2 failed fertility attempts for us and a large possibly-cancerous tumor discovered on Brian's knee. The tumor turned out to be non-cancerous, but needed to be removed ASAP. So surgery. And then the awesome recovery from that surgery. Oh yeah, all that stuff.

Brian + I learned very early in our marriage that we are not in control. We learned that when I was sick, for you know, almost 2 whole years. And it just completely changed our perspective on everything. Gratitude.

And during this season, like most everyone we know, the first thing that comes to my mind, is being thankful for our family.

I didn't know when I was 18 years old and moved to the NW that I would be here soooo long. But I met the raddest guy who made all kinds of promises to me years ago, and he just never lets me down. And so I stay here in the rain. And he keeps taking care of me, and this year we celebrated our 10th.

And then it took us a while to start a family. But we were never worried. God had brought us through so much. And we already learned the We-Are-Not-In-Control lesson, so we just waited. And decided to take advantage of the extra time with just the 2 of us. We are sure glad we did.

And bam! We were pregs with twins. And we knew it was going to be a wild ride. But we were so thankful. Just beyond grateful.

Now we have the pleasure of raising two of the raddest little humans that ever were. They have made life more colorful for Brian + I. They make the happy times even more joyful and they remind us the rocky times are temporary.

We are so thankful for their healthy, strong bodies. Those are the same bodies that we watched grow and develop from...well, the very beginning.

Lila Pearl is just a tender-hearted silly-willy. She reminds us a fake belly-laugh sometimes just lightens the load. That pretty things make you feel....pretty. And that a hug can turn your day right around. I've said it before, but she is every reason I ever wanted a daughter. I'm so thankful for this little lady.

Lincoln brings the house down with his gut-busting laugh. When he's laughing, if you're not, then something is wrong with you! He reminds us life is too short not to dance when the music is pumping and that nothing is impossible with a little imagination. We are so thankful for this inquisitive, bright and determined little dude. He is just a perfect fit for our family.

We are so grateful these guys love each other so much. (Because they are together all. the. time.) And we are so thankful that they made us a family of 4.

So let the good times (continue) to roll! I know these turkeys will be down with that.

Happy Thanksgiving-month!