Thanksgiving 2015

I know I have been a total blog slacker lately, but it has been for a good reason.  Over the last few months I have volunteered to keep the youth group at church running after the previous youth director had to step down.  I have enjoyed it so much and just recently I was hired to be the middle school youth director at church.  This will be a family job as Kyle is in youth now, David will be next year, and Mike is my faithful helper.  I am a blessed woman to teach preschoolers in the morning and then work with middle schoolers on Sundays and Wednesday afternoons.  What an honor to be in two different positions where I can teach the next generation about Christ.  I am so excited and humbled for this endeavor.  

Thanksgiving 2015 was spent with Mike's brother and his family in Pigeon Forge, TN.  It has been many many years since we have done a family vacation together and  it was time.  

Here are their three boys and our three.  Andrew (holding David) is a college freshman, their redhead Kevin is 10, and their middle son Christopher is a sophomore in high school.  The last time we were together for vacation and not a funeral some of these kids were still in diapers.  Here is the crew before snow tubing at Ober Gatlinburg. So much fun!! It was kind of weird to snow tube in 60 degree weather-we were certainly blessed with some amazing weather.

We realized that our kids have really grown when they filled up the cabin!  Our cabin was perfect because the boys had their own room downstairs which was connected to a game room.  

My pictures are out of order, but here is Hope and her Daddy snow tubing.  What a fun time that was!  

The only bummer of the trip was that this little gal had the stomach bug the first day.  She was pretty sick and sadly her brother, Kyle caught it on the last day of the trip.

We ate Thanksgiving dinner at the Applewood restaurant and here is our three before the big meal.

We spent Black Friday at 60 degree Dollywood and it was such fun.  The place was packed but we got to do everything we wanted to do and the kids had a blast.  Our oldest three boys went and did the rollercoasters by themselves which was fun for Kyle.

Between Black Friday shopping and spending the day at Dollywood we were all put into the Christmas mood.  As we were leaving Dollywood the characters from the  Christmas parade were waving from the balcony and snow was blowing everywhere.  What a sweet memory for this little gal.  As I realize how fast the years have flown by with our oldest, I appreciate all these sweet memories with our youngest.  The years really do fly by so fast.  

Our cabin had the views to the prettiest sunset each night.  It was really wonderful to get out of town and spend time with family.

This fall has flown by so fast-with all the kids activities, preschool, Mike's job and his teaching job for ODU, youth, and fall fun, I am blown away that we have only three weeks left until Christmas break.  I am thankful for all that God has blessed us with and all the doors he has opened for us in 2015.