Baylor Football Season Recap

Well, regardless of how the season ends this has been an amazing ride in 2019.  After winning the Texas Bowl last season hopes were high for continued improvement, but no one would have guessed just how much improvement. As the season unfolded the wins kept coming regardless of how close the score was or how much we were behind. The Bears simply continued to find ways to win.  From solid wins to overtime games (3OT vs TCU) the team stayed alive.  However, after winning 9 straight we lost to Oklahoma despite initially taking a large lead by 30 points in the first half of the game. Despite the loss, the Bears continued to play hard finishing the season with two more wins against UT and Kansas. As a result, our ranking continued to improve each week and landed us in the BIG XII Championship Game against Oklahoma on December 7th. The cherry on top is that there is even a chance at making the CFP for the first time. The Baylor Bears (11-1) have moved to No. 7 in the latest College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings following the final week of the 2019 regular season, a jump up from their No. 9 ranking a week ago. 

The best part of the season was getting to enjoy the games with the family.  Whether it was being at the game with the whole family, just Stacy, or guy time with Cade it was a blast spending time with each other.  We can not wait to see what the postseason brings as we remember with joy another season of great memories: cheering as a family, sushi at 40 Tempura, Vitek's, Common Grounds, and getting to go on the field with Cade. Keep playing hard Bears and Sic'Em!

Houston Food Bank

So proud of Cade & Caelin for serving over 3 hours at the Houston Food Bank today. Being a servant is one job that ANYONE can do and gives the best return on investment in a happy heart! Cade said his favorite part was thinking about the people smiling as they opened the boxes.  Caelin said her favorite part was using the floor jack to carry her load of 816lbs.

The trees are up!

Feeling accomplished today. We finished all 5 trees and decorating for Christmas in the house! The kids love doing their own trees in their rooms, we have our big tree of memories growing up, our travel tree and a Baylor University tree. I am not a decorator by any means...so they all lean in some direction, have lopsided ornaments, and sometimes the lights go off for a short time. This is my favorite part as it reminds me of our lives...a bit crazy, unpredictable, and not always shining bright. However, at the end of the day, we are always still standing, full of color, and have the opportunity to choose joy. It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTmas!

Jingle flies in for another season of joy!

Jingle joined us as usual the night after Thanksgiving.  Jingle has been with us NINE years now (hard to believe) and she still makes us laugh each morning during the Christmas season. I am not sure who has more fun...the kids or us.  She flew in with a letter of arrival, elf poo, and reminders about the purpose of the season with learning more about Christ, giving to others, and loving at all times.  The kids both ran to find her on her first day back.  Of course, it didn't take long for her to start her tricks.  Tonight, she decided to feed dog treats to Caelin's puppies.  Jingle brings a lot of laughter this time of year!

THANKSgiving

This time of year brings a different warmth to my heart.  Sometimes when life gets busy, we forget to stop and be THANKful for what we have.  Life may not be beautiful, but the memories made along the way are what our hearts cherish.  This month I have focused on giving thanks daily for even the small things like warm coffee, comfy socks, and a bed to sleep in.  We forget that sometimes our "little things" can be the "big things" for others.  I also focused on praying more for those around me. The mail lady, the man in the car next to me, and even the lady in the grocery store who looks like she has had a bad day.  Just giving thanks for what we do have helps change our perspective on everything.  This is a perfect time of year to give thanks.  To celebrate the day, we went to lunch at Gamee and Grampee's with the family.  We enjoyed lunch with Christopher/Heather and the cousins, played hard outside, and even watched Andrew learn to ride his bike!  Dinner was the traditional yummy meal of turkey and fixings followed by a family game of Pictionary.  We all enjoyed relaxing and enjoying our time without plans or the hustle of the season.  We are so truly blessed as a family in more ways than we can count.  My prayer is that we are all able to see our blessings as we head into the Christmas season.