She's here!!!

On Friday, November 9th - Our sweet baby niece, Kenleigh Anne Thomas, was born in Blairsville, GA weighing 8 lbs!  When I arrived home from Florida on Saturday, Rance and I jumped in the truck and headed to Georgia so we could get our hands on the newest addition to the family! 

 I am going to love the mess out of her...

mommy & baby & daddy right after C-Section!



Rance kept saying "I can't believe my baby sister has a baby!"

  

IN LOVE!!!



She is so loved by her aunt & uncle & her Heavenly Father!
Lord may she KNOW your love for her & that you died for her

Babies are miracles...

XC States 2012

It seems like just yesterday the cross country season started!  Zoom by 3 1/2 months and we were headed to the STATE Championship XC race in Kernersville, NC this past weekend! 

Lil Frank & Shawnda both qualified to compete for State this year and to say they did amazing is an understatement.  Lil Frank is a sophomore and Shawnda is only a freshman but that did not stop them from competing well against the very best in the State.  They are both extremely dedicated and disciplined athletes.  Rance and I have thoroughly enjoyed investing in their lives one on one this season and it's been a blessing to watch them grow & change not only athletically but spiritually. 

On Saturday, both Frank & Shawnda were ALL-STATE - ranking in the TOP 10 1A runners in the State of North Carolina.  Basically, the weekend before state is regionals which narrows down the runners that qualify for state to 132 runners per guys race and 132 per girls race.  Frank placed 2nd (10 seconds away from winning the State title) out of those 132 runners and Shawnda placed 6th running her best time to date!  

Stretching it out on Friday on the State course.

Shawnda trying on Rance's STATE rings!

Saturday morning heading to the STATE race!

*Frank & Shawnda*

Pumped Up!



Rance putting shoe tags on Frank's racing shoes!



Irvin came to support Frank!  This makes me smile!

Zach also came to support Frank!

Shawnda is ready to run the race of her life!

Coach putting tags on Shawnda's shoes!

Shirts designed by my husband!!!
CROSS country

THE BEST FAMILY EVER!
Cousin Brooke, Cousin Mandy, & Mama Gale came to support Frank & Shawnda & Coach!
*This meant the world to us*

I love them & how they are all decked out in Black Knight attire!

Rance & Mama Gale!

The distance Frank was from Dylan (#1 in the State)

Shawnda heading towards the finish line!

Lil Frank & parents!

So proud of these two!

my running partner during the races!

Shawnda & her parents after her race!





Coach Shuler's Wife & Coach Shuler

Lil Frank - 2nd in the State!

Go Shawnda!

Shawnda - 6th in the State!

Mandy, Brooke & Mom road the short bus with us!!! :)

The weekend was a blessing and cross country season was too!  We are so thankful for the relationships we have built with Frank & Shawnda & many other runners!  May what we studied this season not be a passing memory but a heart change that's forever.

It's the little things...

...that warm my heart!  Let me explain...

Last week, I got a text message from my bff Mandy with the picture below! 

Oh Starbucks, your CHRISTmas cups make me smile!

Yes, the Starbucks CHRISTmas cups are out and yes, this is what warms my heart.  It does Mandy's too!  Since I moved to Robbinsville, we don't exactly have a Starbucks so Mandy allows me to live vicariously through her picture texts.  There is just something about the changing seasons and this time of year and those red, warm Christmas coffee cups that mark the CHRISTmas season!

Let me tell you what I consider a God wink!  This morning I went through McDonald's drive through to get me a medium coffee and I was handed a red, warm CHRISTmas coffee cup too!  I cannot even tell you the smile it brought to my face (call me crazy) but I think it was just God's way of winking at me this morning.  He has allowed me to grow a fond love towards McDonald's coffee and He even loved on me through McDonald's now offering CHRISTmas coffee cups! 

Thank you McDonald's!

Don't miss the little ways God winks at you daily!  Today, He winked at me through a CHRISTmas coffee cup at our very own Robbinsville McDonald's!

*Trick OR Treat*

Halloween was SUPER fun at the Shuler household this year!  Considering last year we lived on the mountain top and noone wanted to drive up our driveway for trick or treating - this year was Rance and I's first experience handing out candy & lovin' on kids at our house.  We were told by our landlords that we would have LOTS of trick or treaters this year but I honestly had NO idea we would have as many as we did! 

I loved the costumes, the kids faces as they eagerly awaited their handful of candy, and the excitement of my husband the entire evening once he realized he could hide behind the bushes and scare kids!

Our FIRST trick or treater! JK! 
Lil Frank stopped by to hang out with us for the evening!

Our 1st official trick or treater!
*Meet Rapunzel & my scary faced husband*

HAHA!  Rance hiding in the bushes!
He had WAY too much fun!



He didn't scare this lil guy at all!



Cody & Rachel!

The Cline Family!

My FAVORITE part of the evening is when this tractor
pulled up with a hay ride FULL of trick or treaters!



Please note the Indian costume!  That's our landlord's wife Nina!!!
We are SO blessed by this family!

 

What a trooper of a mom participating in dressing up!



Candy PLUS Apples!
Rance and I were determined to give these kids something healthy
whether they wanted it or not!  They were fresh apples
from the apple farm in Waynesville.

Lil Frank passing out candy!

Rance officially scared this bunch right here!

Hey Snow White!

Oh my - if I could only explain how amazing this Apple Cider is!
*The best I've ever had to date*
Aunt Shirley picked us up a gallon yesterday & Rance,
Lil Frank, and I drank the entire gallon almost while handing out candy!

Yummmmm!

Uhm, this cat appear out of nowhere and decided to hang out
with us for the evening!  Rance and lil Frank ran off with
the cat several times and it kept appearing back at our front
doorstep!  It was quite humerous.  FYI - I'm not a cat fan, hmph.

Giving us the pitiful look through the window.

A fun evening it was!  And on a side note, Rance ended up feeding this cat about 10pm - yep, he caved.  

Happy ending to October!