A time of Thanksgiving

What a wonderful time of year! I love the chance to get together with family and relax with good food and fellowship. This year we started out the day by heading to Darrell & Sherry's house. Even though we had plans to eat at our next stop, David and Peyton couldn't help but sample some of Nana's food!!

Here's a photo of the boys with their cousin Riley.

I can't believe how big they're all getting.

With Uncle James before he headed to watch the Cowboys beat up on the Seahawks.

We then headed to Whitesboro to David's Aunt Jane & Uncle Brian's house. There were 18 of us there and there were still plenty of leftovers! It was definitely a time of thanksgiving as we celebrated the upcoming birth of a new member of our family. David's cousin Michael and his wife Amber are expecting and we could not be more excited! Here are some photos from the day. We are most certainly blessed!

The Reed Family-Thanksgiving 2008

Peyton & Preston in front of the Parish's back gate

Amber & Michael or Mom & Dad!

Smiling with Pap & Gran

David with the pilgrim boys.

Raking the leaves

Enjoying a football-shaped brownie

Holy Ground

Today was a special one at Parkside. We officially broke ground on a Family Life Center. The building of this facility is so exciting and one that we have prayed about and saved for. It will be a wonderful gathering place for our church body, but more importantly it will be a place where we can offer programs and events to further our mission of bringing people to the Lord. We met together as one congregation for worship today and then all headed outside to the construction site. As a body of believers we prayed over this Holy Ground and joined our voices together to sing those beautiful words. Afterwards, just as any good Baptist congregation should do, we had lunch together! I have no doubt that will God will bless the building of this place. I'm excited to experience what's to come!!

Brother Chet praying before we broke ground

The group getting ready to turn the dirt

The Reed boys with the golden shovels

Happy Birthday to the man of my dreams!

David is 36 years old today and I am thankful every single day that this wonderful man is in my life. Here is a list of just some of the many, many reasons why I love him...

1. He is a Godly man!

2. He is the world's best dad~our boys follow his every move!

3. He bails me out when I overspend. (Too often I'm afraid.)

4. He is a pretty darn good sportscaster. (One of his coworkers recently bragged to me about his skills, but made me promise to not tell him!)

5. He makes a mean Panini sandwich

6. He is the MOST unselfish person I know and always puts my needs and the boy's needs above his own.

7. He gives the best hugs.

8. He knows more useless sports knowledge than any person should know.

9. He's patient. (A good thing when you're married to me!)

10. He's a snazzy dresser. His shirt/tie combinations are impressive.

11. He is a leader.

12. He has beautiful eyes.

13. He loves my chicken enchiladas. (one of the few recipes I cook)

14. He always comes up with interesting vacation spots.

15. He loves me unconditionally.

The Gift

Today was The Gift. It's the biggest event that the Women of Parkside host each year and it's tons of fun. The purpose is for women to take some time to relax and reflect on the upcoming holiday season. We all have so much to be thankful for, but in all the planning the true meaning
of this season can so easily be forgotten.

Before the event, women in our church (and this year another sister church in our area) decorate a table. Generally the seating is for 8 and the theme is Christmas. It's amazing to see the creativity that comes out in these tables! I wish you could have seen them...and you would have had I remembered to grab the right memory card that holds more than like 12 pics...grrr...

We had close to 240 women there today! How awesome is that? I've decorated in the past, but this year I just helped behind the scenes. I sat at a totally cute table decorated by my friends Alexia & Theresa. Their theme was blue/white with snowflakes & snowmen. It was deja vue because that was what my friend Lindsey and I did a couple of years ago.

Our speaker this year was Gency Fortenberry. She is a PW (pastor's wife) from Paris (Texas, of course) and was too cute! We enjoyed beautiful music, noshed on the best food (The Paper Plate catered...yummy!), and truly got to fellowship with sweet friends.

Alexia, Theresa, Lindsey & Me today.

This is the table that Linds & I did back in 2005

B-A-Y-L-O-R, Baylor Bears Fight!

After a night full of Halloween fun and Friday night football, the Reed Family packed up for a road trip to Waco. It was Baylor Homecoming weekend and we took in as much as we could. David wanted to check out the Castellaw Communications building where we both spent many, many hours during our time at BU. Although there wasn't anything going on with the Telecomm Department, we were happy to catch up with one of David's favorite professors during a breakfast upstairs in the Journalism Department. Carol Perry was instrumental in
getting David involved with Waco ISD's broadcasts.

At Baylor, we don't have the traditional sorority or fraternity houses, but instead there is one building where each of the sororities have their own chapter room. This was built long after we graduated and while we've been to Waco many times since it opened, I had yet to check out the AXO room...until now. How exciting! The Alphi Chis have a beautiful room on the second floor. Of course it is decked out in red & green with lyres (our symbol) all over. Their chapter sponsor Laura is a Baylor Charter member and her enthusiasm about the chapter and the room was infectious! It made me want to be back in college all over again!
Here I am in one of the MANY pics that I took in this beautiful room.

Next it was game time and the Bears did not disappoint! While the first half wasn't so great for Baylor, the second half was very exciting. Sadly, we lost by a field goal to Missouri who was ranked #14 in the country. Our freshman quarterback is really something and I fully expect that watching BU football over the next couple of years is going to be more memorable than the past couple of decades. Here are several photos from the game.

Members of the Baylor Line (all Freshman) carrying flags

I think this must have been special for Homecoming because the Baylor football players entered the field down through the stands! It was awesome to see them file through the Baylor Line.

How many college teams out there have players that head to
the endzone for a pre-game prayer? It gives me goosebumps!

Don't they look sweet? Just minutes before they were trying to tackle one another!

Sic 'em Bears!