It’s been a very full last three weeks, and we are so thankful! We had a lot of school to do the week before Thanksgiving. We took off to Missouri for two weeks to be with Josh’s family for Thanksgiving. So the kids worked hard and got most of it done, and we only ended up taking a few things to Grandma’s house for school. Below are some fun photos: Aaron and Andrew teamed up on a Geography project with legos, Asher fell asleep on the stairs “reading” a magazine, Anna was so proud of herself for getting dressed up for Church all on her own, and Asher came down with pink eye halfway to Missouri (I am so thankful for friends and family we could call on for Asher’s sake–no long wait in an Urgent Care in the middle of Illinois).
I am thankful for the opportunity to home school my kids. We have so much fun and learn all kinds of cool things! I am thankful for a 7-year-old who likes to dress up and let me do her hair. And I am thankful for the cutest 3-year-old in the world, who can fall asleep almost anywhere!
Thanksgiving Day was a blast. I got to cook a few things alongside my sisters-in-law. There was so much yummy food. We simply had a blast being together. The first picture below is of Josh’s sisters and us, then there are some fun scenes around the tables. I am so thankful for Josh’s family. It’s been over 10 years since we’ve been able to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. They are so caring, considerate, and lively, and we will miss them terribly.
Grandma Goshert loves to take her grandkids out one at a time and spend time with them doing different things as unique as each child. Which, contrarily, meant that a couple of our kids got to take a sibling along as a playmate on some of the more rambunctious adventures. It was so cute! Asher was able to go to a Chick-fil-A with an indoor play area, and instantly made new friends. Andrew went to an art studio where an instructor taught him how to paint an octopus; which actually turned out really well! Anna requested that Andrew go with her to a bounce place, followed by a trip to a local Christmas parade with her cousin. She brought home a teddy bear for Asher that he affectionately named Black Berry (or Beary?). Abigail wanted to go to a local shopping mall to listen to a quartet put on a Christmas concert, but it was canceled last minute, so Grandma took her shopping instead. Grandma took Aaron to a trampoline gym, but decided to let Abigail and Andrew bounce with him in her place. Afterwards she took him to HuHot for an all-you-can-eat Mongolian grill, and of course, he got her money’s worth! And finally, the last few pictures in this section are of the kids playing a game at their Aunt Hannah’s house. I am so thankful for my mother-in-law and her love for her grandchildren. I know she trusts God and His plans, and is generous towards and supportive of our plans to move out of the country, but I also know she will miss our kids terribly. I am so thankful we were able to spend Thanksgiving with her and Josh’s family.
On Monday, after Thanksgiving, I was able to meet up with my bestest friend near Kansas City for some fun. We enjoyed catching up, eating out, playing a fun game at a coffee shop, and shopping for Christmas presents. It has been such a treat to see her the several times that I have this year. It will help the four years of being unable to see her a tiny bit more bearable. I am so thankful for this friend of mine who is more like a sister! We are so close and pray for each other and stay in touch despite the miles between us. God has really given me a kindred spirit in her, and I am so grateful! The below picture is a photo booth type of picture that is actually an app on my phone. It is our tradition to take at least one photo strip every time we get together.
A couple of days before we headed home we had a Goshert Family Christmas. Of course, without Josh’s brother and his family, it wasn’t quite the whole gang, but we had to make do. To start the evening we had a lovely Christmas meal, then the kids played a fun game where they took turns unrolling a giant ball of saran wrap that Aunt Hannah had randomly interwoven with candy, dollar bills and other treats. And although it wasn’t quite the same as Grandma’s traditional pinatas, the kids still thoroughly enjoyed it! Then we all opened presents and discovered that the rest of the whole family had worked together on a Christmas present for their #sigosherts. They printed t-shirts that read “My Family Is Praying For Me” and painted their handprints on them, except for Asher’s shirt, which was so little that they used their thumbprints instead. SO CUTE! We feel so blessed and loved. To end the evening we lit candles and sang Christmas carols together. It was so beautiful. I am so thankful for this special time that we had. I am thankful for cousins and aunts and uncles, for music and Christmas, and most of all for Christ’s birth and death and resurrection which makes this life so much sweeter. It is because we have His power in us that we are able to truly love one another, and which will one day deliver us to be with Him for eternity!
