Thanksgiving...

I had one condition to agreeing to be away from home on Thanksgiving. This past Thanksgiving was perhaps (more like our HoPe!) our last Thanksgiving in the states for a while, for we sincerely pray that we will be in Zambia next year by that time. God knows our timing and also if & when we will be ready!

All that being said, my one condition was that we would be with the closest thing to family 1300 miles away... at that is "The Hayes".

in Oct 2009

This is the same family that kept our three youngest children when we went to Zambia on 2006. A three week time period in which my children experienced sickness the likes of which I never experienced with them. It was "Ma Hayes" that got All the puking, fevers, puking, and more puking. I, to this day, don't think I understand the completely sacrificial way they cared for my family that week. I pray their reward in Heaven will be rich and sweet for that act of mercy and selfless love alone! That was also the same three weeks Ma Hayes turned my once coffee loving youngest child into a tea drinker, but that is another story!

Oct 2000

It is also the family that has three boys that are nearly twins to each of my own male children. All alike and different at the same time, and within months of each other in age. It is perhaps one of... if not the only place that everyone has someone to be with... including the adults. "Mr" just takes turns between the adults and the kids.

We were so thrilled to be in their "new to them" home in Southern Louisiana for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful and warm. The fellowship was even warmer and more wonderful! We have been there four times since they moved there, and this was the first time Olivia was able to join us. 

I also had one major request that I added to my "one condition"... that we could fly her to where we would be for the holiday. I say "request" loosely. It was more of a demand veiled in sufficient submissive womanly eyelash batting and extra back scratching. There would have been temper tantrums and feet stomping and crying and hunger strikes (who am I kidding?! It was Thanksgiving... That was for sure an idle threat!!) if she couldn't come.

It was a terrific week. We LOVE them all and are so very Thankful for them. We were able to get our Christmas pictures taken there as well, which was a special treat in that it allowed outdoor photos with smiles without teeth chattering!