The boys are playing happily together on the floor at my feet. I'm relaxing in a chair with the mini laptop we got for Paul to skype in China. We started cooking some of the Thanksgiving foods today that will be heated through again on Thursday... in ORLANDO!

It's been a wild and crazy few months and everybody was in the mood to bust loose together and goof off for a couple of days... where better than Orlando? We will be leaving Ft.Myers on Thanksgiving after about the first hour of the Macy's parade on tv (Karrie NEVER misses it). Paul has to drive the night before and won't get home until 9am or later Thanksgiving morning. We will be stopping by Nana's for a hug or two and then making our way north. We will staying in a lovely suite with a couple of bedrooms which my talented and adorable Son in Law got us for a song. It has a full kitchen and a dining room table that seats six. We'll shimmy one of the patio chairs in there and get all seven of us comfortably positioned for a feast of celebration!

We are doing an off the beaten path week end of experiences. There will be a tour of the Disney Resort Christmas Decorations, including the giant gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian!
The Rudd clan will not be doing a theme park but we will be living it up for two days window shopping in downtown Disney, playing Disney Miniature Golf, enjoying a long anticipated boat ride on the lake and a picnic or two. Gates will be having his first boat ride, carosel ride, visit to Lego land and the opportunity to set the table with his big brother for his very first Thanksgiving!

We are all very excited. I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving. Some will be quiet and reflective and others boisterous and over crowded but in the spirit of gratitude I pray that each of you will have time to pull up a chair and talk to God about how very thankful we are for his presence in our lives. We love you!

KW Breakfast Blessings

Our family was invited to attend the Keller Williams first annual inspirational breakfast this past Thursday. We were lovingly welcomed by many fans of little Gates and a room filled with realtors from around Ft. Myers and a large representation from Teen Challenge. Gates was very uncomfortable at first (Paul thought so many men in white shirts, ties and dark slacks, China uniform of choice). Bridger was so relaxed as the only other child in the room that at one point I looked down where the boys were pushing matchbox cars next to our table on the carpet and Bridger had unbuttoned his jeans because, 'the muffins in my tummy need more room'. Bridger usually says what is on his mind. That can be impressive or somewhat embarassing. After the third or fourth person bent down to try to get Gates's hesitant attention, Bridger piped up loudly, "That's okay, I know I'm not invisible." Not sure who he was talking to exactly. I think it was just one of his general announcements. Like when we go into the Ladies Room and he shares, "I'm in here. Nobody use the hand dryer it hurts my ears."

Paul and I were given four minutes to fill at the microphone and Bringing Gates Home was our topic.
Aimee brought Gates up at the end and the applause was warm and generous toward us all. Pastor Mike from Next Level Church who is also our personal friend was invited to offer a motivational message to those in attendance and he talked about keeping the dream in your heart alive even when all the input in your current circumstances leads you to hopelessness. He used the story of Joseph's captivity and deliverance as his example of triumph in adversity. It was wonderful!

Gates warmed up after Aimee handed him her digital camera so that he could review some recent pictures on it's screen. People sitting close by were able to hear his little voice at last, "Bridger Look! Monster Truck!" (Bass Pro Shop Pictures). As we were leaving, I shook hands with a very young man from the teen challenge drug recovery program and he offered, "I was adopted when I was two." I responded, "Your parents must be so thrilled to have you for their Son." He smiled and received my compliment humbly, but with a smile of consideration making me think that he was aware of his parents' love for him. May God bless our little boys with a knowledge of our devotion and His that will saturate their hearts and motivate them to wholeness in in this often very broken world.

Long awaited pictures!

Just a few fall ish pictures for you all. Computer time is at a premium. Mom's doing double duty, poor Daddy is still working nights and needs to sleep in the day time. Poor boys are still miserable about that but we have some awesome week ends! Enjoy!