Last week we headed to Indiana to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family. (I will try to post some pictures later.)
We spent an evening with our best friends. The kids enjoyed hanging out and playing, while the adults talked and played cards. It was so good to be with them. The evening went by way too quickly.
On Wednesday we headed to Chicago to have our Christner Thanksgiving meal. We enjoyed the opportunity to be with our family and to meet our newest family member (niece and cousin Clara). The food was excellent and the company even better.
Thursday we had our Maxson family Thanksgiving meal, minus my brother's family. Again the food was amazing, but it was so fun to be together.
After the meal, our kids went to Uncle John and Aunt Laura's for their annual sleepover which includes watching The Polar Express and drinking hot chocolate. Aaron and I headed out to Walmart for the early Black Friday specials. We didn't get what we went for but at least we survived. It was CRAZY. People can be so controlled by their desire for material things. It was sad. On a happy note though we ran in to a few people we haven't seen in a long time.
On Friday we headed to Indianapolis to celebrate Christmas with the Maxson side of the family. My brother is currently doing a trauma rotation in Indy and so we were able to be with him and his family. It was so good to see everyone and spend some time together.
Saturday we hung out with our families and just enjoyed each other's company.
On Sunday we traveled home. Last year we got stuck in holiday traffic on the turnpike and so we opted for another route this year. Due to a few accidents though, this route ended up taking just as long. We sat in slow or stopped traffic for at least two hours. But we made it home safely.
It was cool to see God's hand in our trip home. We made a 10-15 minute bathroom stop that was unplanned. Had we not stopped we would have been to the first accident site around the time it occurred. And while stopped in traffic the best thing happened...Emma asked how to ask Jesus into her heart. We talked and prayed together. I love how God works!!
We were reminded often throughout the past week of God's faithfulness and goodness. We are truly blessed by God. We have so much to be thankful for and this past week reminded us to take the time to thank Him for those blessings of life, family, love and safety.
