Remember when we used to have our photos developed?

On shelves in our office/school room closet we have several dozen Creative Memories scrapbooks that hold photos and memories from my childhood all the way to 2013!

I still really enjoy looking at photos and reliving our family memories that way!

Times are changing when it comes to technology – faster than this Mama can keep up with – but I do kinda feel like I am still scrapbooking our family memories when I gather them here on this little blog of ours.

Just look at this first photo!

Wouldn’t you want it preserved too?!

This photo is a treasure to me!!

All those precious children on that couch!!

Grant’s road crew job ended right around Thanksgiving and so he shows up at Twin Oaks more often than just dinner time now!

Do you remember way back at the beginning of November when we had some illness here?

Eliza was really sick and she scared us to pieces – one day in particular.

We ended up at the neighborhood clinic on day six of her having a high fever and got some help for how tight her chest was.

We spent over a week and a half watching Eliza sleep and sleep and sleep!

Then she would perk up for a little while, and then sleep some more.

Sweet baby!

I sat next to her, held her, and had her sleep by Blake and I for many days.

These photos are a memory for sure.

We were so relieved and thankful when Eliza got better!

Her illness made me diligent in all the extras to try to keep everyone else healthy.

We moved our three hens and their coop into our garage for the winter months, and they are doing very well there!

We do have a light on them and also a heating element in part of their coop.

Tate is still the one who loves to collect each days eggs, but Lane takes care of watering, feeding and cleaning up after the hens.

Grant lasted one whole week off of work before he had found a new temporary job for the month of December!

Before that one week was up though I had so many things checked off my to do list here at Twin Oaks.

That guy cannot sit still!

I have no idea where he got that from, ha, ha.

He and Lane even ran some spot lights up into our trees so we can sled and play on the land after it gets dark!

After thirty years of marriage and twenty-six years of parenting, photos of every day life still really look the same as they always have.

Lots of laundry, chores, food prep, training up the younger ones, and just managing all the crazy around here!

I’m thankful that once in a while schedules change in a way that I get to have some precious one-on-one time with a child.

Even if they are helping me run all the errands on a Friday morning!

Friday mornings are NOT for the faint of heart!

I enjoyed having Addie’s help and that coffee we decided we deserved!

I had these two grocery helpers on Thanksgiving weekend.

They make everything more fun!

Speaking of Thanksgiving weekend – Addie sent me these photos of my kitchen crew as we got all the food ready!

This first photo is one of my favorites!

Blake and I are still sneaking away on date night on Friday nights when we can.

I honestly am very “off” in my mood if I do not get time with my husband!

Just ask him!!

We are each other’s best friends and making time together is a huge priority!

Here’s a GREAT November memory – the guys got not ONE, but THREE deer!!!

Which filled our freezer with 100 pounds of ground meat!

Thankful!

November gave us a bit of snow.

Not very much really, and we are ready for some more!

It is actually snowing as I am typing this!

After one snow storm Chad went out to clear the driveway.

He can clear about half of it before his left hand hurts too much and he has to take a break and finish it later.

BUT – that is progress!!

Tate told me he was going out to help Chad….hmmmmm…I think the photo tells all!

Winter months turn me into a deep cleaning crazy lady.

Isn’t that what the holidays are for??

I’m getting old, you all, because our little nest tends to get too far gone before I realize it needs a good scrubbing!

I tackled the basement one afternoon with all my tribe of helpers and just had to take this photo!

Sparkling clean!!

AND…no nerf bullets anywhere! WHAT?

No legos to step on! EXCUSE ME?

AND you can see out of those windows!

Does anyone else of my elderly age still clean their windows?

I am being more diligent (since that deep cleaning day) in holding all the people who live downstairs accountable for all the things.

Let’s hope I can keep that up!!

Just look how much these two enjoyed a clean space!

While we are looking at photos of the downstairs, there is also this photo I took the day we helped Addie Mae make her bed when all of her new bedding arrived.

Her old quilt had a huge hole in it!

I love the colors she chose!

Isn’t it pretty?

November still brought my daily time in God’s Word in the wee hours of the morning – which is the only time Twin Oaks is quiet!

It also still brought us all together to sing every morning, but we changed from hymns to Christmas carols!

Of course the winter months mean that we play more games!

And read more books!

Every single one of us enjoys playing games and reading.

A post here in my little scrapbook would not be complete without at least one photo of the sky.

It is just SO beautiful!!!

November was a great month.

Full, as usual!!

I read a quote from Bob Goff the other day that I loved:

“It’s easy to confuse a lot of activity with a purposeful life. Do what lasts; let the rest fall away.”

Isn’t that GOOD?

Life here at Twin Oaks is busy, yes – a lot of activity.

But what I see when I look back at these photos is us ALL doing life TOGETHER.

Which is the vision Blake and I had for our family before we even had a family!

How awesome is that?!

The Lord has truly answered our prayers and fulfilled the desires of our hearts!!

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for trusting us with SO much!