Hard to believe it has been so long since I blogged. Fall is my favorite time of year. Between college football, Reece's tennis, Holden's preschool activities, play dates, fall festivals, travel and get togethers with family & friends, we have stayed busy. 
But we have been having a blast!For me, this time of year always makes me appreciative of the family and friends we have in our lives. I know how fortunate I have been to grow up in a close-knit family and to have friends that are like family to me. I can see how Holden values these relationships already and it warms my heart to watch him interact with all the amazing people in our lives. We traveled to Brevard earlier this month and Holden was so excited to spend time with his Aunt Amy and Granma Deda . He loved playing with the hand-made puppets, watching the Nutcracker Music Box and hiking in the mountains. But most of all, he liked being surrounded by his family!
Holden is turning into quite a little ham. He loves performing, dressing up in costumes, action-figures and playing anything outside. For us, Halloween started in early October when his costume (Beast, from Beauty and the Beast) arrived. He literally wore it every day until Halloween. He even won first place in a Halloween costume contest. We had a great time trick-or-treating with neighborhood friends.
Thanksgiving has now officially become my favorite holiday. I love that everyone seems to take the time to think about what they are thankful for. Holden and I started a "Blessing Tree". Each morning we would ask each other what we were thankful for that day. I loved that his answers varied from "I am thankful for Mommy and Daddy" to "today I am thankful for the TV". He certainly knows what is important in his life! 
In many ways, every day is Thanksgiving for me. Holden has been such a joy and his health has been the biggest blessing we could have asked for. There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for the miracle child he gave us.
Five years ago, I sat at Santa's lap at Dollywood and asked him for a baby. I must admit, Santa didn't seemed phased at such a big request. He assured me that if it was part of God's plan, then I would get my baby. Last weekend, I was able to introduce my "baby" to the same Santa! And my baby wasn't phased by Santa this year. He hopped onto his lap and jumped into his top requests. It was one of those moments that I'll remember forever. As I stood there and watched Holden with Santa, I couldn't help but count my blessings!
