Nate and I have both been blessed with Grandparents who have been pictures of God's grace. They have not been perfect but they have made the best decisions they knew how and blessed our families with Love and we are so thankful for them. I am so thankful for the Godly example that both of my sets of Grandparents were. They showed how a pursuit of Christ is the number one priority! I am also greatful for grandparents who raised our parents in a way that introduced them to Jesus so they in turn could teach us how to love Jesus! Although we have lost 4 of our collective grandparents we are so thankful for the lives that they lived and are so thankful for the times we got to spend with them growing up. We had the opportunity to Celebrate Grandma Lane turning 90 a couple weeks ago (even though she doesn't turn 90 until Sept :) and it was so wonderful to hear others share how much she meant to them. She is such a strong lady and has served Christ through many hard situations. Grandpa Lane is an amazing picture of God's Grace as he overcame much to be the man he is today! Granny Cato is a picture of spunk and pizzaz. I am so thankful for her and how she has always been such an encouragement to me growing up. She is a true picture of a faithful wife who served her family and husband with much Grace. Nate and I are so thankful for every moment we get to spend with them as long as they are on this earth. We miss so much Grandpa and Grandma Gray and Grandma Stewart but we are so thankful that they are enjoying Heaven and their Savior!! Their lives are now much improved!
Over the past few months I have been feeling so extremely thankful for our parents. I could not ask for more generous and loving parents. I am so thankful for them and so thankful that God saved them so many years ago and gave them the determination to be faithful no matter what. They have by no means had a perfect marriage but I have learned so much from them about what it means to love your spouse unconditionally and fight for each other. I am so thankful that they are still married almost 40 years later and that God has continued to challenge and shape them in their faith. It is fun to see your parents in a place where they are excited about life and ministry and that is where I believe they are right now. God is giving them so many opportunities to impact the kingdom! I am thankful for that and thankful I get to be a part of it. My dad told me a few months ago, when talking about the fears I have about having children, that having adult children makes all the hard times with small kids worth it. I am so thankful to be an adult who can have real kingdom conversations with my parents and also have conversations that I would only have with dear friends! It is an amazing thing to move from young child/parent relationships to an even playing field peer relationship.
Nate's parents are no exception when it comes Parents that have made great sacrifice for their kids. I am so thankful for Rick and Kristy and so thankful for the way they have welcomed me into their home. I am so thankful that they raised Nate to be a man of God and that they instilled values into his life that positively affect our life on a daily basis. God has truly blessed me with such amazing in-laws. They worked so hard to send Nate to a Christian school where he learned so many amazing lessons about Christ and I am so thankful for that.
And Lastly, I am so so thankful for our amazing siblings. Life would be so much less interesting without them. I was lucky to have an older sister. Although we had some rough times and didn't always get along I am still thankful for her. I was a sensitive kid and cried a lot because of my dear sister but I am so glad to have her in my life now. Kristen always pushed the limits with life but she has always challenged me to think twice about things and she challenges everyone around her I think to enjoy life a little more. She has always had the amazing ability to just be herself and let fun happen. This is very obvious in her dancing. I have always wished I could dance and have fun like her. I am a bit more uptight ;) I am so thankful for my big sis who brought Travis into our lives. Travis is unlike anyone else in our family. He has been around forever though and so he is just a natural addition. Trav is the epitome of a true man's man. He is so handy and savvy. What is best about Trav is he also has a side that no one expects, he loves to have fun with his wife and dress up. I am always left laughing when I get a photo of the two of them in full costume! They never disappoint!! They are always challenging our family to be a little more fun :) Nate and I are so excited to finally visit them in CA for the first time this October. They may live in one of the most beautiful places in the world!!
I was also blessed to have a younger brother. I loved watching him play sports growing up (something I still miss) and it has been so fun to watch him grow from that athlete into a worship leader and soon into a dad. It is crazy how God has changed him into the man he is today. I have always loved how honest he is with K and I. We could always count on Grayson to confess his mess-ups to us! Something that I always loved. We would hear "Guys I just did such and such but don't tell mom and dad." It never failed that not too long after that he would have already confessed to mom and dad, too! He has always been so sensitive to the Holy Spirit and a desire to serve God. He has been through a lot and he continues to serve others and make the best of the situation he is in. Grayson is always the person who keeps us laughing with his offhanded comments and we love him for that! A few years ago now God brought Jaklyn into our life and I am so thankful for her and the wife she has been to Grayson. Jaklyn has such a sweet spirit and has been such an amazing addition to our family! She is truly a women after God's heart and is an amazing example to me of what a women in the word looks like. I am so excited to see her become a mommy! I am so excited to see where God takes them and how He uses them to further His Kingdom!
Last but not least is my dear sister-in-law Lauren. I am so thankful for Lauren and so glad I get to have her as a sister. Lauren is such a faithful friend and person! She has a huge heart and loves those around her so well. She is a beautiful women and exudes beauty to everyone around her. Lauren is such a compassionate person and really cares deeply for the people that God brings into her life whether it be her students, friends, family or people she has met on overseas missions trips. She challenges me to love better! This year Lauren was the final member of the Cato and Lane families to get married bringing the last "in-law" into our lives with Casey. Casey is such a strong man and is an amazing picture of Grace. God rescued him from addictions and has shaped him into a Godly man and now husband. I am so excited to get to know Lauren and Casey as Mr. and Mrs. and so excited to see how God continues to use them to impact the people around them.
As siblings we will obviously continue to change but it is so fun to do it together and continue to strengthen our relationships over time. I am so excited to see where we all end up and what adventures we experience apart and together!
So I have know rambled on for a while about my family! I am just so thankful for them and for the impact they each have on my life. I could not ask for a better support system. And did I mention I am so excited to be an Aunt. Sept is going to come so fast. Thank you for reading my ramblings! Family, know that I love you all so much and am so thankful for each of you! Now if only we could all figure out how to live closer together and see each other more often! :)
Celeste
