Thankful Letter 2017

2017 Thankfuls

Our Family and Friends,

Our “Thankfuls" are one of our favorite things to look back on and as a family focus on it more daily.   We love to hear the girls’ comments throughout the weeks and in their prayers.   We hope you find them encouraging as you think of the big and small things that we all have to be thankful for, and that they give you a glimpse into our lives over this past year.   

Gracie:      One year into braces!  Middle School.   Overnight summer camp (although I did get a little homesick).   FirstWatch which has become our favorite breakfast spot.  Summer full of swimming at our house.   Grammy sleeping with me when they visit and back rubs in the middle of the night.  Bella snuggles before bed and as I wake up.  School football games.   Converse shoes.  My great group of friends.  Youth Group.  Swim meets.  

Maggie:       Having the mouth pallet expander turning process complete.   Mastering math facts and improvement in reading (thanks Daddy for the DMC aka Daddy Math Camp).   Deli Boys in Cleveland for weekend lunch.  Learning to tie my own shoes!    School supply shopping with friends.  Grammy and Papa have moved close to us!  Sunflower field.   Camping trip with Daddy.   Hurricane waves in Destin for Fall Break.  My first soccer  season!  

Rachael:  Coffee on quiet mornings.   Watching the girls turn into fish in our backyard as they swam almost every warm day we had.  Learning to provide the girls the appropriate balance of guidance with freedom to make choices (that is hard for this Mama).  Jimmy’s hard work that earned us a trip to Arizona in March.   Schmitz summer weddings of special ladies to our family.   Thanksgiving home in Ohio.   Quiet morning workouts to breathe a new life into me and fuel me for the job ahead (raising two spirited girls that God has created for big things).     Friends that we do life with and encourage us!  Hard moments with the girls that produce a greater dialogue and connection with the opportunity to love them deeper.    Any time we can snag together as a couple, but especially trips away.  

Jimmy:     Visiting with our friends Thomas and Mika in Arizona after they returned from Uganda.  Date Nights.  Understanding how my girls learn so I can teach DMC to both of them.  Watermelon Ball (a pool game).  An annual trip to Las Vegas.  Joining a hiking group and making it to top of Mt. Leconte with a kidney stone!  Family fire nights on our porch.   Watching Gracie thrive in Middle School (it was an easy transition) and watching Maggie enjoy life at her own pace.  Night crabbing in Destin.  Laughing with Rachael, even after 15+ years of marriage! 

May you know His love more abundantly as we celebrate His birth this season!   May you have a blessed new year!  

Jimmy, Rachael, Ruth Grace, Margaret Faith, and Bella  

Christmas Week

We celebrated Christmas with my brother and his family early as they are leaving for Canada right after Christmas for several months.

This is one of my favorite pictures of these kiddos. 

Santa stopped by to check his list... 

Lunch date with Daddy while Mama wrapped up at the office 

Bella doing what she does best! 

Annual John Deere Pictures

We have done an annual John Deere picture for my grandparents since I can recall Gracie being little.   Grandpa was a farmer and always had John Deere tractors.  We miss him so much and have continued the tradition for Grandma. 

Mommy / Gracie Night Away with Friends

Gracie and her dearest friend Lucy decided this year they would start a new tradition.... hotel sleepover with their mamas.   We had a blast.  Now will be doing that from now on and I will start it with Maggie when she is in 6th grade.  

We enjoyed lunch, walking around the Chattanoogan Hotel, walking around downtown to see the Christmas decorations, Starbucks, swimming back at the hotel, room service for dessert, brunch, and then the market downtown before calling it a wonderful time together.   

Moments like this we see so many prayers answered.   Prayers for good friends, quiet memories together, laughter, and parents that partner with us in raising our girls.   We don't take any of this for granted.  

December 2017

Snuggles are the best! 

We started to get a "snow" so the schools closed early.   We snagged a Friday afternoon home all together watching it flurry.  

We put the tree up (finally).  Mama was pushing for a Charlie Brown tree with just a few ornaments after all the house updates but that as not supported.  So we did the tree although more later than we normally do.   Some of the favorite ornaments are the photo ornaments from each year.

This girl had a swimming pool party then headed right to her first indoor soccer game.  She was one tired girl! 

this puppy thinks she is a human. 

 We headed to Nashville for a Wednesday evening SunTrust bank family work party.  It was fun to show off my family and connect with my team and their family members.

"Do I look like I am 10?" (what??  I don't need her growing up any faster) 

I spent a few hours with Maggie's class one day.  

So after 11 years and 190,000 miles it was time to say goodbye to the Tahoe.  So we sold it and got another one!

Thanksgiving/ Christmas 2017 Ohio

We had not been home to Ohio since August which was a very quick trip for a wedding.   It was nice to have more time home with my parents and my brother and his family too.   We snagged some moments with the Schmitz ladies (minus Chloe) and coffee with Leah too.   We also celebrated Christmas early with my family.  

Cute comments as we were planning our Ohio trip. 

Gracie said of the Toledo Zoo in the winter "I would like the lights at the zoo if it were inside and did not smell".  She is like her mama! 

Maggie said of the winter trees that had dropped all their leaves in the fall "The trees are naked".

Gracie as we were talking about the differences between Northern and Southern Thanksgiving food "what are we going to eat, normal food?"  as the discussion went on "what do these people eat" with a lot of expression.  ha 

Ellie rode up early with us.

Very special ladies to us!   Chloe we missed you! 

We had to document BLUE sky in Ohio! 

Gracie loves being a big cousin! 

A full house sure made my parents happy! 

Morning snuggles! 

This little boy only wants his Mama and Gjysh most the time! 

Thanksgiving Day ride on the golf car at my Grandma Sutton's house 

Thanksgiving Day next stop was Grandma Whitmer's house. 

 Time to celebrate Christmas with my family.  We love doing the big saran ball.

Mom and Dad are dreaming of a day they have a horse! 

My love!!  

 The girls played in the leaves with KK!

Before we left we stopped by the horse farm where KK volunteers.   The girls loved to see the new horses that were in.   Gabe and KK went to the Michigan- Ohio State football game.

We headed home but they stayed an extra day and enjoyed the parade with my parents.  It sure was cold! 

Mom and Dad have all kinds of fun things the girls can pick out of a treasure box.  Maggie picked  this pen to decorate the windows.  Daddy was so flexible.