Thanksgiving, brotherly love and outtakes.

This Thanksgiving we have a lot to be thankful for...you know, all the typical stuff like family, friends, our church, jobs, house, cars, food on the table...

But this year as we prepare to welcome another into this dysfunctional family of four, I can't help but be thankful for the relationship the boys have as brothers.  They are fiercely protective of each other, but will turn on the other in a heart beat when one doesn't get his way.  Yes, Sam bit Charlie on Monday because he wanted to play with the car Charlie had.  (Side note:  This Mommy promises you that will be last time he ever tries that!)  They take turns and share.  But argue over the dumbest things.  They want to be together all the time.  But jump at the chance to have solo time playing video games. 

I know they love each other.  And I know that the depth of that love comes from only having each other for a season during their lives.  They depended on each other because they had no one else. 

I'm thankful their relationship has been a constant for them.  I already see a love for their little sister, even without knowing what she looks like.  I just pray that the Lord grafts her into our little family perfectly and they grow together as siblings...loving each other, hating each other, picking on each other and protecting each other.  They way sibling love should be.

Changing gears slightly...

I try to get in one good photo shoot each year with the boys.  Since they loathe having their picture taken, it's not easy.  But it's just something they're gonna have to get used to with this camera-happy Mommy. 

This year we went up to Taylorsville Lake State Park.  Nicole drug the girls along too.  I thought it might make it go easier for the boys, but all it really did was make Sam super silly.

As for the good pictures, you'll have to wait until the Christmas cards go out to see those...enjoy the outtakes for now...


Of course the monkies had to come with us.  It's the only way to get them to genuinely smile.

Goofball.
 

Notice Charlie in the bottom left...yeah, he was pinching Sam.
 

Taking pictures of girls is way different than taking pictures of boys.  But clearly in the bottom picture, they were DONE.
 

Pictures with Sam are always an adventure.  The faces this child can make are endless...

 

Who needs to smile for pictures when you can climb on picnic tables??
 

See pic on bottom left.  This is a prime example of how taking pictures with these two goes...
 

Sam COULD NOT make his hiney stay on this fence!  And he was afraid he was going to fall into the water.  Yeah, in the lake that is probably half a mile away in the background.
 

Behind the scenes.  We may not look it, but we're exhausted.  We just spent two hours trying to keep the two little ones somewhat clean, combating attitudes from the two big ones and acting like fools to get all of them to smile.

 

Yeah.  That pretty much wraps up how I feel too, Charlie. 

Hope you were able to spend the day with people you love!

Happy Thanksgiving!