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I turned 31 and as I think about my many blessings I am "overflowing with thankfulness" indeed! I could have never imagined where I'd be today and who I'd be holding. I am grateful for God's plan and the abundance of joy I have in my life. Joy does not come from your circumstances but from your focus. I have always put God first in my life and He has shown His magnificent hand to me continually. I am forever grateful for my faith and family.
This picture was taken right outside Magnolia Market. For my birthday, Ben took our family to Waco so we could visit the market during the Silo-Bration. I love the tv show, Fixer Upper and had been wanting to visit the market, so this was exactly how I wanted to celebrate my birthday. We arrived a day before the Silo-bration to enjoy the market without the crowds. We shopped, picnicked, played games on the green, and ate cupcakes from the Silo-Bakery.
That evening tents were being set up along the streets for vendors to sell their goods during the Silo-Bration, the next day. Aubry, shop owner of "Hello Maypole" came all the way to Texas from Utah to set up shop. I follow her on Instagram, and Ben knew her from being in the same Singles Ward back in the day, plus she is friends with Ben's sister, Ali, and was at her wedding. We decided to sneak in to the vendor area, even though it wasn't open to the public. We wanted to find Aubry's shop and say, "hello." We walked right on by security like we belonged there and searched for her shop. When we found the shop, it was the only one not set up yet. She had arrived late and had missed the time slot where she could pull her car up to the tent to unload. She was clearly overwhelmed with everything she needed to do before Chip and Jo showed up for their special shopping trip. Turns out sneaking in was the right thing to do because Ben was able to help her get everything set up rather quickly (while I chased our boys around). Aubry was so grateful and later wrote in her blog about how Ben was an angel and how grateful she is. We were so glad we could help, and we ended up being there when Chip and Jo were there to shop and take photos with the shops. On our way to Waco, I told Ben that I wanted to get a picture with Chip and Jo, even if it means, I am holding up a peace sign while they are off in the distance. Well, I got lucky and we got much more than I wished for---I was able to meet and talk to them and take a picture. They told us how cute our boys are and we told them how much we loved them. I'm not star struck but I do think they are super cool people who are talented, and have turned Waco into a beautiful and sought after place to live. It is amazing what the Gaines family has created and that they continue to stay humble and faithful to God.
