Happy Thanksgiving!

On this day of Thanksgiving, we think about all the many, many things we have to be grateful for. As I write this, we are headed up to Alexandria to spend a few days with the Lawrence's, which is always filled with lively conversation, a messy kitchen that produces a great meal and just genuine family time. I am blessed that my mom and Ronnie are also invited, so I get to see some of my family, too. As we're riding, here are a few things we thank God for:

1. Pregnancy - as tired as I am from lack of sleep still, it is quickly forgotten when I feel Mary-Michael kick and think that she will be here in our arms in just a few months. I really do love being pregnant and am so grateful to be able to carry a child. We have taken a jump start on this parenting thing as this past Sunday we started Growing Kids God's Way - a 17-week parenting class at church. Not only will it focus on encouraging and disciplining your children but it will also focus on the importance of a strong marriage and regular self-reflection.

2. Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins - you can guess who said this...and yes, it was a sorry game, but as Geoff reminds me a win is a win no matter what. He is very excited to gloat to Keesha today at dinner. Sorry Keesha!

3. Family - while we can often frustrate each other and have trouble seeing eye to eye, we are still family, and we are blessed to have so many that live near us and support us in our lives. Thanks for putting up with our antics and loving us no matter what. We were able to get together with my momma's side of the family on Sunday for Thanksgiving - Carla entertained the little ones, and it was great to have my Mimi and Grandad from Alaska with us.

4. Friends - the fall is always an exciting time at our home because fall=hunting season, and while neither of us hunt, we have many friends that do, and our land apparently is filled with deer looking to be eaten. This often means early morning arrivals and late morning check-ins at the house to eat breakfast, warm up and sometimes take a little nap before heading back out. These are some of my favorite days. And we've enjoyed over this last week spending time with April/Jared and the girls, Anne (my running partner whom I love dearly), Ash (the name says enough), my monthly dinner ladies (April, Lacey, Renee) and the usuals (the Young's and Klug's). We love all of you!

5. Our jobs - we are so grateful that Geoff's company continues to thrive and provide, and while owning your own company has its ups and downs no matter what stage you're in, they have managed to make it and grow in a tough economy. God is good! And while the last few months have held some long hours for me, I really do have a great job, am part of a great team and am managed by a great lady. If you want to see what TNTP is up to and how we're changing the education landscape, check out http://widgeteffect.org/.

As I look at the length of this post, I can see that I need to be better about updating regularly. Thanks for those that made it to the end of this. I still have more I want to share, but I'll save for next time. Below are two recent pics of our current "baby" - Carla. Happy Thanksgiving!

We've had a busy but enjoyable last few weeks - sorry for the lag time in between posts! Last weekend we enjoyed a much needed, unplanned weekend away, which took us to Shenandoah Crossings outside of Charlottesville. We spent a lot of time reading in front of the fire, enjoyed visiting with Christian, Mike and Lilly Kate and took the annual trip to Carter Mountain Apple Orchard. Carla joined us and was the star everywhere she went. Several people came up and took pictures of her, which freaked Geoff out a bit since he didn't know these people and he was holding her. After apple cider donuts and over 20 lbs of apples we left and enjoyed a quick dinner and finished our registry at Target - so fun!

This past weekend Charlene's stepdaughter came to stay with us so the newlyweds could have a night to themselves. Geoff and his partner, Chip, split firewood on Saturday while I enjoyed piddling and cleaning. Saturday night Geoff and I led a seminar on Marriage and Money for a conference put on by Entrust Federal Credit Union. It's the first time we've spoken together in a more formal setting, but we really enjoyed it and loved meeting some new people. Sunday was a perfect Sunday - a day of rest! After church, I went shopping with Mom, while Geoff spent some time with friends and the dogs. We wrapped up the evening with a visit from a friend and Geoff's parents who had spent the weekend golfing in Williamsburg. It was an eventful weekend and great to see so many people. I can't wait until Mary-Michael is here to meet everyone!

She is moving a lot these days. It's hard to believe she'll be here in just a few months. We were reminded this weekend that while we can't do much but make sure I take care of myself, we can begin praying for her - praying for her future husband, friends and that she'll be a loving, caring person that looks after those who are in need. I only hope we can halfway model what this looks like - I think we better be praying for ourselves, too!

This weekend we start a parenting class called Growing Kids God's Way...my Nana commented today that by the time she's old enough for us to instill some of the ideas we learn we'll have forgotten them...maybe we're getting a little ahead of ourselves, but it feels right to try and get prepared though I know we'll be in for some surprises along the way.

Once I find my camera, I'll add some new pics. Have a fabulous week!

Pictures!

Sweet baby Carla at 6 weeks...

Mary-Michael healthy and active at 20 weeks...

Momma tired but grateful at 20 weeks.

The Last 2 Weeks

I didn't mean to take so long to update, but it has been a very busy 2 weeks. Here are a few highlights:

1. Mary-Michael and I took a work trip to Brooklyn, NY (and squeezed in a little fun with a visit to my favorite New Yorker, Faith!)
2. The family also took a trip to West Virginia to visit Kameron with Keesha and Brian. We enjoyed a very entertaining ballgame between WVU and UConn followed by a night on the town (Morgantown=smoky bars=pregnant lady standing outside). It was great to see Kam settled in and reminisce back to our old collegiate days.
3. Geoff and I found a baby beagle pup that we have fallen in love with. We have named her Carla, and she weighs a whole 3 pounds. She has literally captured out hearts, so we can only guess that this is a fraction of how we will feel when our baby girl comes.
4. Mary-Michael had another ultrasound on Friday to get some better pictures of her heart; she must have known it was picture time as she was in the perfect position for the tech to take pics and for us to see her sucking her thumb, drinking and wiggling.
5. I have officially started registering - who knew there were so many gadgets for babies! If you have any "must-haves" please share.

Look for pics from the 20 week ultrasound and our newest addition (Carla) coming soon (my regular computer is being worked on, and my loaner is not quite up to speed). Have a great week!