Thank You God For Eli Thomas

Thank you God for the continuous blessings you give our family. 

Thank you especially for our wonderful boys.

Today, I thank you especially for our happy sweet Eli!

A year ago yesterday, you blessed us with a sweet baby boy. This boy is our 2nd child you have blessed us with.

Little did we know at the time, how different he would be from the first.

He is so much smaller and so much more delicate than his brother, but you gave us another joyful child.

You gave us a boy that is always smiling, unless there is something truly wrong. 

You gave us a boy that lights up the room.

You gave us a boy that has made our hearts grow. 

We are so grateful.

I don't know why we deserve this love.

I don't know why we deserve this child.

I feel like we don't.

However, thank you for choosing us to be his parents.

Help us to be the best parents we can be.

Help us to be the best parents for these children.

Help us to love him as much as he loves us.

Help our hearts to continue to grow with love.

Help us to guide him as his parents.

Help lead us on this journey of being these awesome kids parents.

Thank you for continuing to watch over him.

Thank you for continuing to keep him safe.

Thank you for being patient with us on the many occasions he has been sick.

Thank you for time and time again answering our prayers that he be okay.

If you could make his pain a little less and make him sick less frequently, we'd appreciate it.

We are thankful though that you continue to lead us through and on the other side.

Help us to always appreciate the blessings and not focus on him being sick.

Help to continue to lead him through.

Thank you for always making him better.

Thank you for always leading us through.

We don't deserve these kids to be so amazing. 

We don't deserve anything.

You have chosen us and blessed us.

We are grateful for these blessings.

We are thankful for Eli.

Thank you God and please continue to bless this family.

Amen

Here are pictures of our sweet baby through his first year! Happy Birthday Eli!

At Birth

2 days later

After Baptism

With the man he's named after @ 5 months

5 months old with big bro

6 months old

9 months old

Always Smiling

Riding with his best bud

Doing the warchant going into the college football HOF 2 weeks ago

- Noland

30 Days of Thanks {LINK UP}

November: the one month a year we take the time to share what we are thankful for! I started this link up because I've seen a few people take part in "30 Days of Thanks"... Each day, they share one thing that they are thankful for via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter...etc. I thought it would be cool if we could all get together and write one blog post on our blogs to share our own 30 days of thanks!

So here 30 items that I am thankful for... 

{LINK UP yours @ the bottom}

1. My Catholic faith in a Loving & forgiving God

2. A kind-hearted husband who is not only my husband but my best friend!

3. our Sweet Baby Boy

4. Family: both mine (some pictured) and husband's side (not pictured)

5. Good Girl Friends: who always got my back!

6. Health

7. To live in the Land of the Free & the Home of the Brave. Good ole' U.S. of A.

8. Weekends. At least we have 2 days to share with loved ones every week.

9. Reflection time.To think of all the things you are thankful for...

10. Television

11. Blogging & all the wonderful blogger friends I have met through the blogging community. 

(Sponsor Love.. Check out the sidebar!)

12. Pacifiers. Nuk. He loves them.

13. A great childhood and wonderful high school years. Ahh.. Memories

14. Sleep. Sometimes it just feels good to sleep.

15. Sweets, Sugar, Chocolate, Ice Cream, Cakes, Cupcakes. Yes.

16. Education

17. the beauty in every day life... sunsets, beaches, babies...

18. A shelter and food to eat.

19. Comfy clothing: There is nothing more comfortable than a pair of sweat pants, t-shirt and slippers

20. Photography & the ability to capture memories.

21. the gift of LIFE because after all it is wonderful and tomorrow is never promised.

22. Transportation. When your car stops working, you'll remember to be thankful for transportation too.. Been there.

23. Telephone. No matter where I am in the world, I can always pick up the phone and talk to the loving voice of a friend or family member.

24. Hot baths. So relaxing.

25. Holidays. I always loved that song "It's the most wonderful time of the year"... because it really is the "happiest season of all"!

26. Our service men and women. The military. They keep us safe!

27. Air Conditioning...and heat. but I live in Florida so mostly, Air Conditioning!

28. Chapstick. Carmex. Blistex. Couldn't live without them!

29. Disney.

30. Flip Flops.

Happy Thanks! 

Now it's your turn! What are you thankful for?

This party will be open until November 30 at midnight!

Not Mandatory but Please:
1.  Follow these party hosts: It's just called Spicy, Catholic Newlywed & Beyond, Call Her Happy, Sunshine & Grey, Eat. Enjoy, Live
2. Comment on at least 3 other posts that have linked up!
3. Spread the news about the party via Facebook, Twitter, or sharing the button on your page somewhere:
 

<a href="http://www.thislittlelightblog.com/search/label/30%20days%20of%20thanks" title="30days thanks-200pix by spicy123111, on Flickr"><img src="http://www.thislittlelightblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/8177272447_3841761be9_m.jpg" width="220" height="225" alt="30days thanks-200pix" /></a>

30 days of Thanks {Link Up Coming Soon}

I love the month of November and the fact that we are able to spend a whole month thinking about what we are thankful for. I know a lot of folks on instagram and facebook are posting one thing they are thankful for each day. While I know that is a great way to spend the month remembering to be thankful each and every day, I would totally forget to post every day. I had an idea this week and thought I'd share it.

This Wednesday, I'd like to start a "30 days of Thanks" Link Up Party! I will post my list of 30 things I am thankful for and I'd love you to post yours too to your blog, then link up!!! The link up party is going to run for the rest of November. Be sure to come by, link up, and comment on at least 3 few others posts who have linked up. I'm lucky to have a few other bloggers who will be co-hosting this sweet thankful link up... that will also be sharing this same massive link up on their blogs on Wednesday Nov. 14, 2012! I love seeing what others are thankful for too because sometimes it makes me realize that I'm thankful for that too or it is just fun to get to know each other better. 

So excited to make new friends and learn more about each of you!

To promote, you can grab the button in the side bar (on the top right)! And spread the news! See ya Wednesday! 

The more the merrier.

So excited about this! & Looking forward to Wednesday!

My Mom's "Famous" Cranberry Fruit Salad

 Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

or as my adorable nephews say, "Happy Turkey Day" 

Now for my mom's "Famous" Cranberry Fruit Salad Recipe...

Ingredients: 

1 can of crushed pineapple

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 pack (3oz) of Raspberry Jello

1 can of Ocean Spray whole cranberry sauce

1 peeled and chopped apple

Directions:

Drain pineapple, reserve juice.

Add enough water to juice to measure one cup (this includes lemon juice) 

Heat liquid to a boil and stir in jello.

Break up cranberry sauce with fork and stir into jello mixture

Refrigerate until jello begins to thicken...

Stir in pineapple, apples (you can also add celery and chopped nuts 

but we are picky eaters so we leave those out)

Pour into 4 cup mold, chill until firm...

{Serves 8}

For variations, you can use any type of red jello except cherry. 
Enjoy!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.  {Psalm 118:1}

Thanks for stoppin' by,
xoxo Jen.

Linking up:

Shabby Creek Cottage

Somewhat Simple

A Glimpse Inside

Delightful Order

Yesterday on Tuesday

Gluesticks

House of the Hepworths

Allie Makes

A Creative Princess

Easy Peasy Grandma