Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone...a day late!  We enjoyed family time yesterday so we didn't get a chance to write a Thanksgiving Day blog.  We hope that you all were able to enjoy some amazing quality family time yesterday.  We did and enjoyed every minute of it.  We had an amazing realization yesterday.  Caleb decided yesterday that he wanted to cry more than normal and as this can sometimes be stressful we just realized that we feel blessed every single day that we get to spend with him, even if he is being a little cranky...or like my mother-in-law likes to say he's just singing. :)

There are so many things to be thankful for like Jesus, my hero Dave, our little bundle of joy Caleb, our families and friends, our health, our warm place to live, food on the table, our church, our business, our jobs, our safe cars, our country and so many other things!  I am so grateful for everything God has given us and I hope all year round we are reminded of how blessed we really are and not just thankful one day a year.

We absolutely love this time of year.  It's the time of year where things seem to slow down a bit and you really reflect on family.  I'm so very thankful for family all year round but there's just something about this time of year that brings it out!  I feel like it brings out the gratefulness in everyone obviously with Thanksgiving as well as every one's giving spirit around Christmas.  It's the time of year where maybe you haven't seen some of your relatives since the past holiday season but you can just pick right up where you left off and enjoy a lot of laughter and love!  It's the time of year where your heart wants to give abundantly to so many others and every one's selfless side shines.  It's the time of year where you enjoy warm fall scented candles in every store or those traditional holiday decorations that your mom always puts out or that feeling you get during the first snow fall and seeing Christmas lights sparkle everywhere and of course baking your favorite cookies all day with your mom until you are exhausted!  Whatever it may be, this time of year our hearts are always just a little bit warmer and I love it!

We hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving and we pray blessings and quality family time over you and your family this time of year!

Love,
Dave, Carissa and Caleb

Love

Dear Caleb,

I wanted to write a personal letter to you, hoping that this will benefit you in the future. I had a great opportunity on November 6th to vote for men and women who will lead this great country we live in. Because your mommy and I follow Jesus and what the bible teaches, we have a responsibility to do what we can by voting. God makes this clear in Exodus 18:21. He says that we shall choose people from the people, God fearing people of truth. So your mommy and I went and voted. Although many of the people we voted for did not win, we still have a responsibility to respect people in authority. We will continue to respect and pray for our president, his family, and all the leaders of our country.

You see Caleb, we live in a great country and we serve a great God. And regardless of whether or not we get our way all the time, we still have a great life. As you grow up, you won’t always agree with every person you come in contact with and that is okay. But God does call us to love one another. When you are playing sports against an opponent, when you disagree with a classmate in school, or when you get frustrated with a friend, we still are called to love these people.

So, regardless of anything you do in your life. Whether you go on to be a great athlete, a successful business owner, an engineer or an artist. Regardless of when you make good or bad decisions, mommy and daddy will always love you. There isn’t anything you can do to make us love you less.

Love,
Daddy

Time to Vote

I have always felt blessed to be born in the United States of America!  Every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner I am overwhelmed with pride and it never fails that I get tears in my eyes.  Freedom is so important and has been an ever growing passion of mine over the past 10 years.  It's election day and I am excited to get out there and vote!  It's always important to vote but I feel this year it's more important than ever.  I believe our country needs Godly leaders that bring this country back to what it was founded on so many years ago which developed us into the leading nation.  I've always voted based on standards and principles that line up with the word of God and because of that my voting choice is always clear.  I pray this morning that the right leaders are elected into office this year.  Prayer is powerful so please pray for the leaders of our country and be sure to vote!  May God bless the USA today!!

My song of choice today!  God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E