Happenings lately

We recently went home for an extended trip to SC for Thanksgiving.  I was counting down the days and even had my CBS group pray for me as we took trip home because I just knew I'd be so homesick after we came back to Memphis that I'd start over at square one.  We had an awesome time.....

First we stayed at Papa Mark and Gram's house and had the Thomas Thanksgiving....



Aunt Anna always does so good with the kiddos

We always decorate Gingerbread houses to kick off the upcoming Christmas season.  All the kids enjoyed it with their cousins.

B loved eating her decorations the most.  But look at her pretty Gingerbread house.

The little cousins loved hiding under the table and squealing at each other:)

After a few days we went to Linny and Elba's house to spend the rest of our time.  This is Mama Irene with some of her Great-Grandkids.

Joey and his brother with the children.  What a sweet picture...

We made time for a Clemson basketball game.  B loves going to Clemson bball games and JP loved meeting the Tiger for the first time.

She always dances with the Rally Cats...

We went to Papa and Gram's one last time to see them and play in the beautiful weather

Leaf piles were a favorite of the day

The cousins watched a Christmas movie and ate warm cookies.  Such great memories they'll have together.



On our way back to Memphis we visited Mimi Sara and Papa Jim.  It was so nice to see them and get a chance to run around before our long trip home.



We had a wonderful visit but God heard my CBS group's prayer.  I was anxious to get home and start our new Christmas traditions in our new house and neighborhood.  It felt good to pull into OM and walk in our door. The Lord tells us to go forward without looking back because we can never be fully in a place with our heads looking backwards at what we just left.  It was a real comfort to my heart.

We came back and unpacked and put up the Christmas decorations.  I'll give you a little preview of some of our new traditions in Memphis and now, this year, with 3 little ones....

B listening to Christmas music working hard on her Jesse Tree ornaments .This is the first year we are doing a Jesse Tree for advent and it's awesome.  She loved making her ornaments and learning about Jesus' family tree leading to his birth!  It's been fun for all of us

Baby Josiah busy with the OM house church women baking cookies for girls club that night.

It's no secret I've had a hard time "loving" house church but the Lord has blessed our HC with some really special women.  This is Jessica helping B roll dough 

More OM HC women busy at work

Girls club is chronicling Jesus' birth story for Christmas but we always have a fun craft!

Christ Communities Christmas party

These two wallflowers didn't do much but eat at the party

Breakfast with Santa at the Botanical Gardens.  They had a petting zoo, crafts and Carol-oke

JP singing a song he doesn't know during Carol-oke!

These sweet things have enjoyed the holidays

B making some ornaments for family

We had a first annual Wiersma-Patrick Mountain get-away to ride the Polar Express. Those pictures coming soon. 

We also baked pumpkin bread and roasted pecans and delivered them to our neighbors.  It was an awesome way to meet some of my neighbors I haven't meet.  Sadly, many of them were skeptical when they opened the door but as soon as B flashed her smile and explained that we had a present for them from "Joey and Tia and the kids, and from Bethany that loves animals..." they opened those doors up gladly and welcomed us in!  It made me wonder why I had never thought to do this before. 

That's the thing I love about Memphis and OM, it's made our family intentional. How can you go back to complacency when you've seen the blessings of intentional?

Be intentional this season.  Reach out to someone close by that you don't know well.  Christmas is the perfect time to walk to a neighbor's house and give them a baked good or Christmas card. I'm sure, like me, you'll wonder why you hadn't done it sooner.