November kicked off with Eli's 15th birthday. All he wanted to do for his birthday was hunt and spend time with family. He got both. Unfortunately, all he saw while hunting was a squirrel but he enjoyed what is hopefully the first of many opportunities to hunt. We gathered together with family in a joint celebration for both Eli and his cousin Seth. There was lots of fun and laughter. It is hard to believe that Eli is already 15 and yet sometimes it seems as if he is so much older. Eli has a heart to serve and loves being at the church every opportunity he gets. He is kind and compassionate, has a silly side, and loves music and swimming. We are so proud of the man he is becoming.
The most recent swim meet was a ton of fun. The boys continue to improve and have a great time competing. Eli is now swimming for the Van Buren Pointers as well as our local club. He has added high school swim meets to his already busy schedule but loves every minute. We have a great coach and a fun team of kids who are a great group of kids to be around.
This month we had the opportunity to serve at church through Operation Christmas Child, FAME (a medical evangelism group), and our Community Rescue Mission. In addition to the girls packing gift boxes, medical supply kits, and providing food, the boys also helped haul and pack the trucks for Operation Christmas Child.
Eli had the opportunity to attend a youth retreat at Ozark Christian College this month. He had a great experience and his eyes have been opened to some possibilities for the future that he hadn't considered before. We love all the opportunities our youth have to live, learn, and grow in their faith!
Thanksgiving week was relatively low key. We went to several parks with the kids on days when the weather was nice. Sat around the fire reading and doing puzzles on days when it wasn't so nice. We also ate a lot of food, and enjoyed fellowship with Leigh Ann's family on Thanksgiving Day. We have so much to be thankful for!
As November wound to a close, we began our family tradition of doing advent activities. Each night we light a candle, read scripture and an advent story, and begin kindling the excitement for Christ's upcoming birthday celebration. We have done this the last several years and really love the tradition. It is a great way to set our hearts and minds on the true reason we celebrate Christmas.
We hope that you too have much to be thankful for and are looking forward to the upcoming celebration of Christ's birth. See you next month!
