We had a very busy Thanksgiving week! Ryan had almost the entire week off, which I was very excited about. Unfortunately, my sweet Aunt Virgie passed away over the weekend, so we had to start our holiday with a trip up to the region for her funeral. My parents went on Tuesday night, and Ryan, Krista, Briggs, Kinsie, Kerigan and I drove up the next day. Ryan Robinson was still in Muncie (yes, my sister’s husband is in Muncie too…I mentioned earlier that we always do things the same!) so he met us up there later when he got off work. The trip with all the kiddos went wonderfully, as all 3 of them slept most of the way. This was the first time Kinsie was meeting my dad’s side of the family…which is a lot of people. They all completely adored her and Kerigan (how can you not!) Sadly, Aunt Virgie never got to meet the new babies, but she knew about them. The last conversation my dad had with her was to tell her about Kerigan being born. I know she is smiling down on them from heaven!
My beautiful Aunt Virgie
Early the next morning, we had to get on the road to get back in time for all of our Thanksgiving festivities. I have to admit, I started the day a bit overwhelmed and stressed. We had a lot of places to be that day, which normally is no big deal, but with a 2 month old baby, it makes things a little more hectic. We were supposed to be at Ryan’s aunt’s house at 11am, but after packing all our gear, eating breakfast, feeding and taking care of the baby, we didn’t even leave Portage until 9:30 and still had a 2.5 hour drive. I was stressing out about having such a late start with all the places we needed to be, but after a little reminder from Ryan and my parents, I remembered how blessed we are to even have so many places to be. We are very lucky to be a part of these families with so many wonderful and loving people…so I carried that reminder with me the rest of the day.
Kinsie slept the entire way home, allowing me to nap as well, which I was very grateful for since she kept me up so late after all of the stimulation of meeting my huge Mexican family! As soon as we got home, we ventured to Thanksgiving #1 with Ryan’s dad’s side of the family. We had a great meal and Kinsie got to spend some quality time with her Grandma and Grandpa Matthews and the rest of Ryan’s family. Next was Thanksgiving #2 at Ryan’s other aunt’s house with his mom’s side of the family. Most of this family hadn’t met Kinsie either, so she was quite a hot commodity! Everyone took turns holding and loving on our sweet girl. Finally, we ventured back to my parents house for our final meal of the day, where we spent the rest of the evening with my family and my sister’s in-laws. Overall, Kinsie was a champ the entire day. I was one proud mama! It took several difficult days and nights to get her back on a normal napping and sleeping schedule because of all the stimulation she had in those 2 days, but I was glad that we got to spend Thanksgiving with both of our extended families.
Laying around with Addie before our Thanksgiving adventures
Our sweet little turkey
Lots of grandparent, aunt and cousin time!
I wasn’t one of the people who listed what they were thankful for throughout the month of November on Facebook, but I definitely have SO much to be thankful for. Rather than sharing it on social media, I just shared it with my loved ones and my Lord. Here are a few that stand out…
- I am thankful for my amazing husband, Ryan, who supports me and makes me feel loved every single day.
- I am thankful for my beautiful daughter, Kinsie, who lights up my world and gives my life new meaning.
- I am thankful for my parents who would do absolutely anything for me.
- I am thankful for my sister, Krista who has always been and always will be my best friend.
- I am thankful for my nephew, Briggs, and my niece, Kerigan, who add sunshine to my life.
- I am thankful for my brother-in-law, Ryan Robinson, who has always embraced every aspect of our family.
- I am thankful for my husband’s family who have always loved me and welcomed me into their family.
- I am thankful for my dogs, Koda and Addie, who protect me and keep me company when Ryan is away.
- I am thankful for my teaching job and the opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives.
- I am thankful for the wonderful and supportive staff that I work with at Mill Creek.
- I am thankful for my church, Trader’s Point, and our life group that helps me grow spiritually in my walk with the Lord.
- Last and most important, I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus Christ and His grace that He has blessed all of us with!
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