We kicked off the month with more birthday celebrations for Elijah. He officially turned 14 on the second. He received a new smart watch in addition to the gifts he had already opened. We have had quite a bit of fun playing with his new Oculus.
The family received some hard news this month when Papa was diagnosed with prostate cancer. We are resting in God's sovereignty and finding peace in His arms as we await test results that will help determine the best course of treatment. This news, while very hard to hear, did not surprise God nor has it changed the number of days ordained for Papa's life (Psalm 139:16). Our prayer is that God would be glorified through our family as we walk this road.
We were chugging along with our normal activities until the weekend before Thanksgiving. Jeff ended up coming down with bronchitis while I fought sinus junk. Several of the kids also had sinus issues and a cough. Thankfully, Jeff was able to be quickly seen at a walk-in where an x-ray reassured us that his lungs were clear. He was given a steroid shot and a bunch of meds. I'm so thankful for modern medicine and the ease with which we can be seen and treated by someone in the medical community.
Eli had a neat opportunity to serve Operation Christmas Child this month. Our church is a collection point for our town and the surrounding areas. Eli helped unload boxes from people's cars, trucks, and van, and then reload them into a semi-trailer. He enjoys serving and is looking forward to doing it again next year.
Though the week of Thanksgiving started with us all a little under the weather, it didn't stop us from catching up on some projects around the house and having some family fun. Jeff replaced our back door and the framing. This project has been on the list for 5 years. It turned out so nice! Jeff also fixed the sliding door on his van, built loft beds for the boys, cooked most of Thanksgiving dinner, and still found time to play. We took the kids to see the new Disney movie, Encanto, at the theater. It was a cute movie with a heartwarming ending. We also went ice skating at the Jones Center. It has probably been more then 20 years since I have put on skates so I was thankful that I only fell once. Most of the kids took to it quickly. Jeff has been skating a good part of his life so he made it look easy. Marie struggled some but didn't give up. It was a great time.
We hosted Thanksgiving dinner for our family, Nana and Papa, and the Andersons. It was a precious time to be together. Singing Great Is Thy Faithfulness was such a good reminder that God provides ALL we need. We enjoyed eating, laughing, playing games, and just being together. After so many years of being apart, whether halfway across the world or halfway across the country, that we try not to take the times of being together for granted.
We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for starting with Jesus who provides all we need. See you next month!
