It's December Already?

First I have to admit, I have been extremely bad about blogging and sharing my story online lately. Recently a series of guest posts by Travis Haney on his wife's blog have reignited my passion for writing.

Thanksgiving

Dinner for 10

Thanksgiving brought with it family, food, friends, conversation, stories, plans and more food. We (Abby and I) hosted both our families for our "First Thanksgiving" (although we aren't married yet) and we had a great time doing it!

When you put ten people in a one bedroom apartment, you lose any ability to have room to cook, or for much anything else other than eating and playing games. So, we did the only logical thing there was to do, we ordered a Thanksgiving feast from our local Hy-Vee grocery and relaxed as the food warmed up. Then we enjoyed playing games, fighting the tryptophan, and catching up with loved ones.

Between the meals, I got to enjoy spending time with both my family and Abby's family, and we did some other fun things I've never done before. We went glow-bowling...for those who aren't familiar, that is when they sit the lights off at the bowling alley and turn on the strobe lights, disco lights, neon lights and any other kind of weird bulb they can find. 

As a former bowler, I was really looking forward to showing off my skill to my family, but was quickly humbled by my brother (tied me once, beat me once) and his uncanny ability to make everyone laugh with his pre-bowl wind up and post-bowl moonwalk.

Football

No snow can stop these fans!

Abby and I did get the chance to go cheer on our Buckeye Football team last month at the University of Minnesota. This was a fun and exciting trip for us because we'd never been to a game away from the Horseshoe. We spent the day cheering the Buckeyes to victory as the snow fell. 

I now know what it feels like to sit in the snow during a game. Don't be fooled Ohio, snow in Minnesota (even in November) is different than snow in Ohio! I was worried that the fans around us would be rude and make it less fun to be there, but we experienced just the opposite, the fans around us were very nice to be around and very sincere people.

Submit to God, Take the Journey Give Thanks, Embrace Life

As I reflect on the holiday we just had, and I look forward to the holiday that is coming, I'm finding that it is important that I stop, take time to be with God in prayer and thank Him for the wonderful life, family and journey he has blessed me with. 

As I grow on my own, and as Abby and I grow together (work in progress...I'm pretty stubborn), I realize the value of embracing life and the situation that God has put me in. My journey is unique and it is different because no one in my family has done this before like I am. Which of course means no one knows how it will turn out except for God. By embracing the journey I have received blessing in the strangest of ways, and I believe that is something that God wants us all to do, to put ourselves out there for him. Embrace the world he has given to us. If we do so in a way that honors and pleases the Lord, he will reward us with life, sweet, strong, passionate, healthy and full life. 

Nothing is better than a loving family

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through the generations." Psalms 100:4-5