So Thankful!!!

Tonight the house is fairly quiet.  Ted and the older kids are out for the evening, and Brielle is already tucked into bed.  It's just me and the younger boys, and they are happily playing at the moment!  As I was sitting here missing the other half of the family, and the lively discussions that swirl around the dinner table and living room during our usual evenings together, I looked up and saw the photo collage the kids surprised me with at Christmastime!  And I was blessed all over again!  I LOVE this photo collage.  They are very special pictures, and the whole photo shoot has a very special story behind it!  I just realized that I don't think I ever documented that special story here!  So while I have a few spare minutes, here it is!

The kids know just how much I love having photos of them both to enjoy now, and to keepsake for them in the future.  So they began planning a super duper photo Christmas surprise for me back in October, I think they said!  The girls started scheming about how to get Ted and I out on a date, while they kept all the little ones with them.  They also hoped to do it on a day that was sunny with no rain, so they could take the photos outside on the Tevis' farm.  They also went through all their closets to find two different matching outfits for all 10 of them!  So after church one Sunday afternoon, they insisted that we get away just the two of us for a lunch date . . .while they quickly scurried over to the Tevis' farm for the very special photo shoot!   Funny thing was, the day before was the afternoon Joseph tripped and had to have stitches near one of his eyes.  And Ted woke up that very Sunday morning not feeling well!  So, the kids had to be a bit nervous about whether or not they could actually pull the whole thing off!  But they sure did!!!  Thanks so much to Rich and Janet too, for all their help during the photo shoot!  What a wonderful Christmas morning surprise I'll always fondly remember!

 

 

 Lydia did such a great job taking all these creative pictures!

 

I love Benjamin's expression in this one!

 

Thank you, thank you kids for this very special surprise!

Your thoughtful "labor of love"

is such a sweet blessing to me in so many ways,

 and definitely a gift that keeps on giving . . .

all year 'round!