So Much to be Thankful For!

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing loves continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. "
Psalm 100:4-5

What a week of thanks it was - a time that reminded us how much we are thankful for family and friends and so very thankful for out little boy.

On Saturday, November 17th, we got to go enjoy a special treat with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Josh and Aunt Stephani. Grandma bought us all tickets to go see Nemo on Ice. We have gone in years past - and had fun, but this year was even better as we got to see Kegan look in amazement at all the bright lights and costumes, and dance and clap along with the music - he REALLY liked the music that had strong beats in it...little boy can groove!
Wow! Is that a fascinated look or what!?!

The costumes were AMAZING - here is just a little example (I took tons of pictures of all the different costumes) of how they did some of the fish. Below is Dori and Nemo's dad.

The family together enjoying the show! (Kegan stayed in his dad's lap most of the show...but certainly made his rounds to every ones lap for a time during the show!)


Sunday night we got some sad news that my Poppa was (and still is not) not doing well in the hospital, so Monday morning we packed up and headed to spend a few days in Houston. Kegan can always bring a smile to Poppa's face and Meme and my Uncle Danny (who was up at the hospital with them) said that when they told Poppa we (especially Kegan) were coming up to see him, Poppa perked up! Kegan's laughs and smiles and joy are contagious to all around him! I was so proud of Kegan he was not afraid of Poppa or the bed. He would hold Poppa's hand and crawled all around the floor by his bed and pull himself up to where Poppa could touch him with his hand.
Meme, Matthew, Kegan and Poppa.

Kegan, Gail, and Poppa

I was glad we were there, because they got to bring Poppa home on Tuesday and them put him into Hospice care. I honestly think having Kegan there when Poppa got home was a stress relief and a little boost for him and Meme, plus, Matthew was able to help my Uncle Danny move furniture around to prepare a place for my Poppa's hospital bed to go. Wednesday morning we got up and headed back down to Corpus to spend Thanksgiving day with the Setliffs.

Thanksgiving day was a lot of fun - Kegan kept us all busy and entertained! He seemed to really enjoy all the food from the day, too! We had a good time with everyone and are very thankful to be apart of a loving family that we can share some special holidays with!
Our little family on Thanksgiving day!

Playing with one of his favorite - and most noisy -toys at his Grandparent's house. Everything on the "tractor steering wheel" moves and sings or honks or clangs...he loves it all and knows how to work it VERY well!

Kegan's Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Kyle were not able to make it to his birthday party, so they gave him his presents on this day - a toy hammer that makes silly noises when you shake it or hit it on the floor, a little piano, and a drum - all make noise, so they are all PERFECT for him!
Kegan is playing a song, on his new piano, for his Aunt and Uncle.

What is better after a big Thanksgiving meal than a nap...well not for Grandpa today...he has a little grandson who wants to play!


Friday morning we packed up again and returned to Houston to spend more time with my Poppa and the rest of the family - we fear this may be the last holiday...or at least Thanksgiving Poppa will be with us and it was nice to have most of the family there to spend time together and enjoy Poppa. We got in Friday afternoon and spent time with Meme, Poppa, and my mom and Dad. I was worried that Kegan might not go immediately to my parents, because he is getting more attatched to Matthew and I and more timid of people he does not know or does not see very often...well, I was mistaken. The moment he saw Grams, he reached out for her and when straight into her arms and stayed there very happily...happily for both of them. That evening we got to see my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Glenn - who made a scrumptious meal.
Saturday morning we got up and Matthew, Dad, and Poppa watched Kegan while Mom and took Meme to an appointment she had. When we got back Kegan was still in his pjs, but Poppa was out of bed and in good spirits - who wouldn't be, though when you have Kegan playing around your feet!
Poppa sitting up in the recliner, Meme giving him some late breakfast, and Kegan pulling at Poppa's toes. Personally, I think Poppa was enjoying his "little buddy" (that is what Poppa always calls Kegan) more than the breakfast!

Saturday we got to see my Aunt Melba and Uncle Danny some as well as my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Glenn and their daughter Shannon who came back over to visit.

Sunday, Aunt Wendy, Uncle Nolan and Karsyn came over (just home from there Thanksgiving visit to Tatum) for the afternoon. I was sitting on Poppa's bed, at one point in time during the afternoon, and he said it did him so much good to have all the family there and to see his great grand babies playing and laughing. What a reminder of what things to be truly thankful for - a happy and loving family!
Meme, Kegan, Poppa, Karsyn, and Wendy (and that is me behind the flash).

Enjoying some sort of treat he was given - probably crackers, which he learned was great fun to smash up in his hands and get crumbs everywhere before trying to eat them...what a handful!

He found his Cheerios in his diaper bag and took them out and played hide and seek under the couch with them for a little bit, before giving them to me to open up and let him eat a few. It was funny to watch him play - each time he looked so happy when the Cheerios were found.

Karsyn and Kegan trying to figure out a puzzle together, while Grams watches on.

Sunday afternoon we said our goodbyes - some tearful ones to Poppa - and headed back down to Corpus.

I would have to say although there were sad moments this Thanksgiving, with Poppa being so ill, it was a great time to remember what to be truly thankful for - I am thankful that both Matthew and I were raised up in Christ loving homes and had/have grandparents who loved the Lord, passed that down to our parents, who passed down that love to us, and now we can pass down a love for the Lord to Kegan, so one day he can have a personal relationship and love for the Lord and raise his own family in a home centered around Christ. So much to be thankful for.

Below are some more pictures from this week, since returning from Houston, and some pictures from the week prior to Thanksgiving, that I never had a chance to post - enjoy the glimpses in the life of our little joy!

What a grin!!! (I know - balloons and babies, not safe...but we were always right there with him when he held it and he was not aloud to bite it or it was taken away - for those of you who were worried and thinking us bad parents.) Like I said, though - what a grin!!!

Static head!

Bundled up nice and warm...and perhaps a bit stiff!

Eating is such hard work - he fell asleep with his hand in the cup and everything...I got a good laugh out of it!

He likes to reach through the slats in his crib, now, and pull out his lovie and blanket and play with them or cuddle with them on the floor - it is sweet to watch.

Here is just a representative picture of one of Kegan's favorite new things to say (thank you mom, dad, and Matthew). He will look at me, take what ever is in his hands, say "uh-oh" and then drop what ever he just had in his hand - what a fun new game a meal time, and when he has a toy in his hand...keeping him happy...on the changing table...haha! (He had just said "uh-oh" and dropped a toy into the tub)

Trying to get a pen out of daddy's mouth.

Kegan's got the world in his hands...and he looks a bit worried about it!

Here are two videos I took of him yesterday!

Kegan pushing a tractor. With-in the past couple of weeks Kegan has really started to know how to push his toy tractors and cars around...like a big boy does.

Here is a tape of Kegan laughing...cracking up really...as I was reading "When the Leaf Blew...", to him. He laughed like this...if not more so when I read this to him before, so I think he must really like it. In fact he had handed the book to me and then sat down, right before I took this.