Thanksgiving

Lily Grace came home from school wearing this hilariously cute turkey leg headband. 

She also got her hands messy helping out with the homemade dressing.  

We spent an afternoon down by the water and enjoyed a visit from Gran as well.

New England Welcome!

I love this picture of our house last night as the snow was falling. It reminds me of a Thomas Kinkade painting. 

Early Morning

I truly think this dog could run around in this all day.

Cute! 

Why yes...those are snow pants!  In Memphis, snow pants would  have meant about 3 layers.  HA!

Mother Nature has certainly been providing  us with a New England welcome since we arrived.  We've enjoyed a mild summer (in a Southerner's book), beautiful Fall, our first hurricane and now our first Nor'easter.  The last two occurred within a week and a half.  I mean really, what else?
The  high winds very cold high winds started yesterday and brought with them a rain and snow mix and by the afternoon it was all snow falling.  Again, it is COOOLLLLDDD!  We woke this morning to several inches of snow and I will say, it's beautiful and not like the wet stuff that Memphis would occasionally see, it's fluffy and well in Molly's eyes, down right perfect.  That dog is loving it!  Thank the Lord our house has a breezeway for her to dry off before coming in.  
Lily Grace is pretty excited about it too and just had to have a little time to play in it before school this morning.  That's right!!!!  *SCHOOL*  I am slowly getting use to how life goes on when this happens here.  Honestly, this would have shut things down in Memphis a good two days.  Not here, no Lily Grace got a 90 minute delay but will be off to school in a bit.  Now about that, let me just say that I am scared to death about driving in this stuff.  Yes, they are equipped for this type of weather as snow is nothing new around here.  The plows have been all over and cleared much of the road while I slept, but the fact remains, I'm not sure I'm equipped.  Have mercy!  Again, back in the south a light dusting would come with pleas to stay off the road but again, different area and different way of life.  I  must say it's a wonderful change, but doesn't make me fear skidding into the ditch any less.  (Could make for an interesting post though and just wait for my post on my first time with the Snow Blower when Matt is out of town. -Ha! Honestly, that thought is so not funny.) But I  must carry on.  I mean hey, it's my Target day and let's face it, what could keep you from that?  

Picture Day

Today is Picture Day at school.  I couldn't resist taking my own pictures before leaving home this morning.  So sweet!

Surrounded by Love

Friday I celebrated my birthday. (I see no benefit in sharing the number associated with this day.) Matt and Lily Grace had already given me my gift early, a large painting I had been wanting for the dining room.  

Lily Grace LOVES birthdays.  She could care less if it's hers or not.  She gets especially excited when Matt or I are celebrating a birthday.  She was out of school all last week due to the weather.  On Thursday she asked me what I would like for my birthday.  I reminded her that she and daddy had given me my gift early and he would  be taking Friday off and we would all spend the day together.  She then goes on to tell me that I need something to unwrap and asks me again what I would like.  I'm bustling about cleaning the house and respond that, "being surrounded by your love is the best gift in the world" and with that I continue my cleaning.  

Lily Grace shouts, " I have it!  Mom, stay out of the playroom please."  I'm not paying much attention, but notice that she has worked away in there at her table for several hours and then comes and asks if she can call Matt at the office because she needs to see if he has a small box that he can bring home to her.  

Once Matt arrives home, she declares the box he's brought home "perfect" and enlist his help after dinner.  

Those two huddle up in the guest room after dinner for almost an hour.  Once they emerge the end result is a wrapped box and the sweetest little girl carrying several red hearts with a couple of notepad papers with rooms written on them.  She starts by hanging up two red hearts in my bedroom per her notes and then moves about the house with Matt as her tape dispenser.  How sweet!!!  She has made these red hearts and hung them as decorations to greet me when I wake on my birthday she says.  She melted me right then and there.  

Friday morning, I wake to a little voice shouting Happy Birthday as she climbs into my bed with her box in hand.  When I open this box, I find in it the sweetest handmade card along with SEVERAL hand traced and cut hearts.  And then she says to me, "Well, you said you liked to be surrounded by my love."  I MELTED!!!  It's these gifts and moments that mean the whole world to me.  What a special gift from a most special girl.  

I am so blessed, humbled, gracious, thankful and yes completely surrounded by LOVE from both my heavenly father and the most amazing husband and daughter.  What an amazing gift my Lord has shared with me.  

Thank you so much Lily Grace and Matt!  I had a wonderful birthday.  I love you both very much!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  

1 Corinthians 13:13

High Winds and Halloween

Being surrounded by large colorful trees is awesome.  The clean up of all the leaves, well that's another story.  We spent the day before the storm trying to clear away as many as we could to avoid stopping up drains etc..  Now that the storm has passed our efforts look pointless.  

Some of us found other ways of working with the leaves.  I will have to give it to this girl..she loves to rake.  Let's see how long that last.

Poor Molly didn't stand a chance and gladly accepted the piling on of leaves.

You know how just before a large storm you see on the news all these nuts who feel the need to go down to the water and see if anything is happening and you think to yourself, why?  I'm sad to say that we were those nuts on Sunday afternoon.  I'm still wondering why???

On Monday morning as things started picking up several of the animals were out feeding in our yard.

Blessed that this is our only damage

Living in New England is providing Matt with a whole new skill set.  He now owns a chainsaw and can even use it.  Ha!  Just kidding Matt.

Doc McStuffins: Source

       The Doc is In                        

Lily Grace and Lucy having fun trick or treating

I've lived in the south my whole life and only once do I remember a tornado coming within very close proximity to where I lived.  I've lived in CT for just under 5 months and I have lived through a big hurricane.  Nonetheless, we made it through and are so blessed to say that we never even lost our power. We were a part of the only 11% to do so.  Blessed is an understatement as so many people sit with their homes flooded, in the dark and buried under trees.    Please continue to keep all of those people in your prayers.  
I won't lie....it was very scary.  Matt and I really had no idea how to even prepare.  It wasn't until just before the storm that Matt informed me that if we lost power, we also lost water because we are on a well.  We did the usual things like make sure anything that could fly about the yard was put away, filled the tubs, bought cases of water, brought the mattresses downstairs to make it through the night and just watched, prayed and found ways to keep ourselves entertained while we waited.  Again, blessed, blessed, blessed considering the only damage we suffered was the splitting of one of our large trees in the back.  
The next morning brought about the sounds of chainsaws, neighbors calling and helping out neighbors and even a little bit of sunshine now and again.  I  must say, we live in the best little area as people are so helpful and thoughtful around us. We even enjoyed a cookout with neighbors up the street Tuesday evening while Matt and Mike cut up a tree that fell on their back porch, barely missing their home.
The kids have been out of school all week and are scheduled to return on Monday.  I am happy to say for Lily Grace's sake and at least for all the kids in the surrounding neighborhood that Trick or Treating survived the weather.  On a side note about Trick or Treating around here- even after a hurricane, they really do it up.  I can't tell you the number of houses with sound affects, luminaries everywhere and even our next door neighbor with a R.I.P. fog machine filling up his cove.  Lily Grace had the best time meeting up with her friend Lucy who lives just a walk through the woods.  
This year Lily Grace asked to be Disney's Doc McStuffins.  Doc is an adorable character who's stuffed animals come to life in her presence and help her in giving care to all sick and broken toys.  It really is very cute.  It's also a very new character so there is no costume out for her.  It took a good month or two to locate different articles of this outfit to piece together a costume.  She looked adorable I must say!  It was so cold that she had to bundle up and at each house insisted that Matt take her jacket off so when she went up to the door they would know who she was.  A few minutes in, she tripped and fell and after getting up only wanted to know if she still looked good and like Doc.  Funny!!!  This girl takes the costume serious. (like she might be denied a treat from someone if she didn't look like Doc because they would surely know- ha!)
Thanks to everyone who has called, text and emailed.  We are fine and truly appreciate your thoughts and prayers.  I happen to think this Southern family of three held our own pretty well in our first hurricane.  Now let's see what the snow brings this year.  We miss you all bunches!