|| Let Hope In ||: Giving praises of thanksgiving...

How we post on Instagram:

How we are in real life:

For starters, I want to say that Matthew seriously has no idea how proud of him I am. He has come a long way. I know he's turning 13 in just a couple of weeks, but seriously. I remember when he used to poop his pants. It's so weird looking at him now and not seeing him as I saw him when he was 7, with his big ears and small head and obsession with video games (he never lost that). I pray that he yields his heart to God more over these next years. It's weird sometimes because looking at him and how he sort of shadows me is like a reflection of myself and how I would shadow Billy. I feel like I see similar changes happening in him that happened to me although we're different people. I hope he encounters God in ways he could never imagine. He needs it more than anything. He's going through a lot right now. Him and Emily (who I am also proud of) and my sister both. I pray for them often and pray that things get better.

Even with circumstances as they are, yesterday made for a great holiday. Everyone cleaned, waited/helped cook, set the food out, ate, put the Lorax on and fell asleep, had a tickle fight and laughed. My family isn't really like most families, but that's okay. God put me here for a reason, and everyone is different. I wouldn't want to have anyone else. Sitting at the table yesterday I felt like I realized that I was sitting with my best friends. Although I have built many friendships over the years, no one can replace my family no matter what, because they have always been there and we've seen eachother at our worst and best. Nothing is perfect in our family and that's quite alright with me.

How mom acts in the kitchen as she listens to 80's music while cooking: