Usually my family rushes to the table for dinner and flurry, but tonight i was magically able to seize an opportunity for calm and everyone waited for all others to have food and then they even indulged me by taking a moment to think of something they were thankful for.  Lewis is thankful for Charlie and Oscar, his friends, because they can play with him when Ben can not.  Art is thankful for tics and that they aren’t that bad lately, and he is thankful that he has a family and that he is alive.  He is thankful that he is ALIVE!  Bailey and Netta both piped up that they were thankful for Charlotte.  So, there you have it.  I guess we need to get those kids together way more often!

—
Jessica

Ben here, updating this nice little post with the funny wrestling scene I came home to today.

These are my new shelves that I’m super proud of. Thank you for the idea, Cynthia! A wall of shelves to hold kids’ books, grown up books, baskets for toys, etc. I selected the lumber, stained it, poly’d them and they came out exactly the way I wanted! I could stare at them all day. (Ben notes I have been staring at them all day!).

This is a photo I love from Nanna’s most recent visit.

Recently I was in Dallas to shoot a football game. And I got in Abram as my assistant! What an incredibly fun day that was. Abram, for those who don’t know, is a great friend from childhood who lives in Texas with his wife Tati and two sweet kids. Here we are at the game together.

Abram actually photographed the game and, as you can see here, chose interesting shooting locations. In his defense, he had no idea where he was until I showed him this hilarious photo…

This is Abram’s photo, a key touchdown play that I didn’t get. We used it in the online gallery, too!

A nice shot of me doing what I do all game, run around and look nervous.

what a pro.

I stayed an extra day in town and we went to this place, basically warehouse covered in trampolines. Super fun. However both of us injured ourselves. My back is still hurting and Abram hurt his foot. We’re old farts.

Selfie with Abram and Tati.

Finally, Abram with his beautiful wife Tati and children Bianca and Thomas. Loved meeting his awesome kids, they remind me so much of Abram and his sister Rayna when they were younger. Except Abram’s kids are more well behaved…:)