Our Fantastic Family Of Four Forever Believes

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family" Anthony Brandt

Thursday, November 27, 2008

OUR THANKGIVING DAY 2008






What a wonderful day we had! Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year! As must of you know, I am now "giving Thanks" everyday now, instead of one day of the year! The kids woke up this morning with a wonderful smell of my cooking!

Normally, they wake up to wanting breakfast, but they were wanting sample a bit with what I had cooking! What a wonderful childhood memory to have! I can soo remember waking up at my home, with the smell of my mom cooking her special recipes. My mom to this day,the best best cook in the world! I wanted to be like her so much! She was the best mom in the world! She was taught very early the secret of our family's old recipes by her grandmother Minnie, who was my grandmother's mother. I never got to met her, but I know she was a very special woman. I do remember my great grandfather, Paw Trout, who used to join us at Mammaw Faye"s every Sunday for Sunday Dinner.I have some of the most special memories at my grandparents house. They used to live in the plant village in the good old town of Fairbanks. Me and my brother and sister used to climb the old trees that were in their yard. We loved to visit the pecan orchard that was there, picking pecans, and we will never forget the little tree swing we swung from for hours! Especially with our dear little friend Marsha, who was slightly mentally challenged. I can remember going to my grandmother crying over her, because I felt so much sorrow for her and I wanted her to be normal. But Mammaw Faye reminded me that God makes all people special in His own way, that she was a blessing in disuse. Thank you Mammaw Faye for explaining things where I could understand them! I love you! Marsha is the reason why I felt so much compassion for those less fortunate, and I soo wanted to make the world better!

I was so happy that Bailee wanted to help me cook, again, it was a flashback of me, helping my mom cook, I spent many of days of the holidays, stirring over the stove, sitting on a stool, cooking my mom's special buttermilk candy, and it was soo good! Thank you mom for including me in on those specials times, I soo love being your first born daughter, Bailee is me soo much, and I cannot wait to teach her like you have taught me! I love having a daughter, and I hope she will carry on the Franklin tradition, we have such strong woman in our family! And our Little Bailee Grace is so special. God has a special plan for her, she is truly a blessing from God!What would my life be without her, I cannot even imagine! I love the nightly talks we have in bed, about how much she loves me and our family, and she is always so grateful for everything she has, just like Jerry, she would give the shirt off her back for someone in need! How blessed I am to have her!

Caiden and Bailee has some time together, playing games, and even some basketball! I love to have friends over to play, but I also love for them to just have each other. They need to learn to appreciate their relationship together. Yes, they fight sometimes. more than I like, but they really appreciate each other, the different views on certain issues, and they know that when it comes right down to it, they will always be there for one another, this is just one of the benefits of having more than one child. One day, when they least expect it, they will need one another and will rely on them for many things!

I have been planing my Thanksgiving menu for weeks! And I also took into consideration that Jerry might not be with us. I always try to look on the positive side, but then again, I am a realist! It is what is is! I have had a hard struggle with it, for this makes 2 years that he was not with us, and I was kinda upset with it. But then again, I was also grateful for having a family at all. My family is the most important thing in my life, and with out God, and his blessings, I would not have a family to love, to care for, to look after.

Even though Jerry was not with us, I had placements set for four, like I said, he may not be with us physically, but in spirit, he WAS THERE! Jerry, we missed you , but you were with us, you were sweetie!

This is our family spread with me and the kids! I had fried turkey, the kids loved watching me carve it, and even wanted to help, and I so gladly let then help. I had dressing, good old famous self-rising rolls, barbecue beans, seven layer salad, corn, for my Bailee Grace, onion rings for my C-max and for dessert my famous pecan pie!

Ok, I did not fry the turkey, but i was so proud of carving it! The look on the kids eyes when I was doing was so was like a kid at Christmas!

My famous pecan pie!! I love cooking this dessert, when eaten with a strong pot of coffee, yum yum, so much a southern tradition!

I let the kids go first, of course, and they were so ready to eat!

After we made our plates, and settled in Caiden volunteered to say our prayer of Thanksgiving! I thought it was very mature of him to do this, I think he felt it was his duty to be the man of the house, since Jerry was not there! Thanks Caiden for stepping up, you are going to be an awesome dad, and man! I love you!

We has a great lunch and talked about what we were most thankful for. Caiden and Bailee are really grateful kids! They recognized the struggles and problems of the world, and they are have such a awesome concept of it. They are most grateful for family, and I could not be more proud of them. They are not prefect, but they humble themselves from time to time, and that is all I ask of them, they are awesome children, and I am soo blessed to have them!



Thank you Dale, for the well prepared turkey and Ham! He is absolute the best male cook I know! I love going to my mom's house for dinner. He loves to cook, and even better, he cleans up the kitchen! Mom, you have a great husband, and you deserve nothing but the best!

This is me and my Bailee Grace and my sister Erin, she is the best aunt, and even though she does not have children, she treats Caiden and Bailee like her own. Thanks Erin for always being there for them, supporting them, you are the bestest aunt in the word! You are going the be a awesome mom! I love you!






My mom is a decorator at heart! When we have a special occasion, you can rest assure that she will have the best prepared! Her table settings are the up most. She has such a wonderful table set before us! Even a fabulous dessert table. Thanks mom for the wonderful prepared setting, it is always so prefect and it make me feel right at home!

I love seeing my mom and Dale together. They are 2 peas in a pod! God knew what he is doing, when he brought together 2 people who have always know each other for years! Dale always helped my mom with Christmas when my father had died at such a young age. Thanks Dale, you are so special!

OMG, my Mamma's famous chicken and dressing! There is nothing better than this!! You rock Mammaw Faye, and you know I have to always make a to-go-plate with lots of this!

I know they will not always be with us, but I love for my Mammaw to be with us! Bailee is the second Great grandchild, and I am soo glad that Bailee got to spend some time with her this week . Bailee also got to play with her cousin Marlee!


Mammaw Faye and her first born child, AND my favorite aunt in the world!! I love you aunt Deb, I will miss you dearly!Please keep in touch! When I listen to Neil Diamond and Barbra, I will think of you, the great times we had, nothing will replace it!

We had 17 people with us this Thanksgiving! Minus my brother Chad, his wife, Casey, and My niece Isabel. Also my cousin Judd and his wife.
So , we would have had 23 people present. Wow, what a great Family! Thank you Lord for our family and for continually blessing us! I am soo thankful for each member of our family!
The Things that I am so thankful for!
1. My salvation, with my hope of a better life, I could not go on!
2. My family, I so longed for a family of my own, and I am soo blessed to have them, they are the reason why I live!
3. I am soo thankful for being a mother, I soo long for many years for a child, praying to the Lord to give Jerry and I one, in turn, the Lord soo graciously blessed us with two, Thank you Lord for these great bundles of Joy!
4. I am thankful for my mother and for the Lord allowing her a second chance. She has been thorough soo much, and I almost lost her, but the Lord had something special in mind for her! She is such a strong person, and she has lived a life that is such a testimony! You are truly the best mom in the word! I love you J.K.
5. I am thankful for brothers and sisters, you made me realize the bond that goes on between blood, you will forever me a part of me that will live on forever, I love you more and more everyday!
6. I am thankful for food, shelter, and a place I can call home! Jerry has worked soo many cases in where people have lost everything and had to start all over again, and I feel so much for them , I wish I could help rebuild thier lives, but I realized that a simple"I am praying for you" is all they wanted to hear.
7. I am thankful to be able to wake up in the morning and breathe in all the sunshine, and all the things that the good Lord as in store for me!
8. Most all of, I am thankful for LIFE, A chance to bring glory to the Lord, God All Mighty!
9. I am thankful for Jerry, you put aside all your hopes and dreams for the better of your family, you always make such a huge sacfrice for our family, and that always asks a lot of you! You are the best man, I love you soo much!

Thankgiving should be a everyday thing, For the Lord blesses us eveyday, God bless everyone! His blessings will forever humble me!






























HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FANTASTIC FAMILY OF FOUR: WE ARE SOO THANKFUL FOR SO MANY THINGS!