Thanksgiving Reflections

I'm so thankful for my amazing family!  We had a fabulous day yesterday celebrating one another and Thanksgiving together.  My family came down from Tampa and DH's Mom and Dad joined us as well.  It was a lovely day...even though it was kind of hot!

Then, today, we carried out what is becoming a Black Friday tradition.  DSs 3 and 4 and I loaded up the car and left the house at 2:10am to go to Starbucks to get 500 cups of coffee to hand out at Best Buy and the Mall. Our church starting doing this as part of its outreach program three years ago.  It is absolutely an amazing event!

My job is to shuttle between the three locations and make sure everyone has coffee, creamer, and the fixins they need.  I told DS 4 that I think I did the "Mall 200" today!  After we finished (around 7am) I came home and took a nap.

Holiday Reflections...

What a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday we have had! Of course, I was a bit whiny that my colleagues in other counties had the entire week off...but we made the most of having three days and the weekend.

Thursday morning, I took LG over to her Grandma's to visit with her brothers and cousins that she hasn't seen since she moved here. She and I had a visit with her Grandma and we've visited her younger siblings. But she had not seen her older brothers and cousins.

I have to be honest, I wondered what this would be like. I had never been to Grandma's home. This was the place she and the other kids were removed from a little over a month ago. And, honestly, if it were me in my 8yo body, I probably would not have wanted to leave my family and return to a foster family.

But there was none of that. She had a great time visiting. We took pictures so she can have them for her own scrapbook/room. It was nice talking with the boys and her Aunt/Uncle who have them. And Grandma was happy to share some of the things she wanted LG to have as she prepares to move to a smaller home.

LG and I came home in time to visit with our family and begin our own celebration. It was a great day shared with the blessing of family. DH did a great job preparing the turkey as usual. We served up buffet style and brought tables in to the living room so we could share the meal together.

This year we bought "real" glasses for the mashed potato bar. The kids seemed to enjoy doctoring up their potatoes and preparing them for eating.

Here's part of the group settling in to the meal:

And here's the other part of the group:


After dinner it was great fun playing corn hole and enjoying the beautiful weather! One of the blessings this year was having DS 1 home. Last year he had just begun Basic Training. This year he was able to be here for a good portion of the weekend with us. I know DS 4 enjoyed it--he really misses the guys when they are not home.
LG and DS 2 enjoyed hanging out on the back porch and visiting after the meal.
DS 3 played corn hole in his "special outfit". Do you suppose it helped him? I think they won...so who knows for sure??

We paused to take some family group shots. I think this one is going to be our Christmas card this year. It CRACKED me UP and says quite a lot about this zany family of mine!



I hope your holiday was also filled with special memories and moments!

And the Learning Continues...

Some of you might remember last year when our church hosted a Black Friday Coffee Give Away. It was absolutely one of our best Servant Evangelism outreaches! Because of last year's success, we decided to replicate it this year.

The way it worked LAST year is this: We sent a team out to the B*est Buy parking lot (with the store manager's permission) at 3:00am and we handed out free Sta*rbucks coffee to people standing in line waiting for the store to open. After the store opened, and our coffee line thinned out, we spontaneously moved over to JC Pe*nney. While there, the manager came out to see what we were doing and he was beyond THRILLED to see us and told us we could come back anytime.

Fast forward to this year:

I called B*est Buy to make sure they were OK with us setting up out there again this year. I left three different messages for the new store manager and was told that he would call us back. He didn't. I have to be honest, I didn't expect the call. It seems to be the way they operate.

Finally, last week DS 3 and I went to the store in person to try and see him (which is how I finally got last year's OK). He wouldn't come see me. He would only speak through the Customer Service person's earpiece to tell us that we could not "solicit" in the parking lot. The employee tried to explain that we did this last year...it was not soliciting...it was before the store opened and we "even cleaned up afterwards". Bottom line: no dice.

Also in this process, I called P*enneys and the manager there said, "Thank GOD! I've been WAITING on your call!" He couldn't remember which church it was that did this last year and he was more than happy to have us return!

I really wanted two teams. Two locations. I was sure that this is what "God wanted" too. I mean why wouldn't HE want us to share his love in several locations, right?? And we all know the appliance stores are the heaviest with crowds at that hour on Black Friday.

I got on the phone and started calling around to stores that generally have a crowd on Black Friday. Some said "no". Some managers were simply unavailable. Mich*aels craft store is one place that was THRILLED to have us set up out there. They share a strip mall location with Old N*avy, so we decided to give it a go and put our second team there.

DS 3 and I got up at 2:00am and headed to get the coffee.

We were meeting the first team at 3:30 at Pe*nneys. I have to be honest, on our way to the mall we drove through Be*st Buy's parking lot. The little devil that sometimes sits on the shoulder was whispering: "Hey, they can't STOP you from offering these cold people a free cup of coffee...go ahead, try it! The manager won't even know." It was a fleeting thing as I know that I do not want to leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth for the church...there's enough of that in the world without me adding to it because I want to be selfish and controlling! While scoping out the mall, we noticed a nice line in front of Se*ars as well. We ended up splitting that team in half and putting one team spontaneously @ Se*ars and the other @ Pe*nneys. It worked out perfect! Even when mall security came by he was fine...just wanted us to set up on the sidewalk so that we weren't in the fire lane. It wasn't long before these two mall teams ran OUT of coffee! We made a refill run for two more dispensers!
At 4:30, DS 3 and I headed over to get the team set up at the craft store. It was MUCH slower, but steady over there as there are several stores in the strip center.

By 7:30, our three teams of 15 people had handed out about 600 cups of coffee! We served every last drop! By contrast, last year we handed out just under 400 cups and had to discard about half a container at the end!

Shoppers were once again blown away that it was FREE! We tell people that it's simply our way of saying "God loves you." It's a simple act of kindness that opens the door for great conversations that are genuine and non-threatening.

As I pondered the beauty of it all, I was thinking about the fact that I was ready to take on Be*st Buy corporate. I was ready to write a letter to prepare for next year. It was an "injustice" and I was making my plan to figure out how to make it work MY way--which I was sure was "God's way"!

Yet, look at how blessed the time was! And gently, I could hear God's voice whisper: "See Susan? I am in the details! You thought you needed to go one direction and I sent you another." And maybe, just maybe, he's asking himself "When WILL she finally get it?"---but, because he's God, he knows the answer to that question, too.

I'm so glad that despite knowing whether this is the last time or there will be a hundred more...he loves me. It's also good to know that he can and will continue to allow me to serve despite my bent toward being a control freak!

It was a great day of service AND learning even if it happens on limited sleep at o'dark hundred!

This morning I opened my eyes and I thought, "Wow, I am so abundantly and richly blessed! Thank you God!"

I am first and foremost thankful for His love that sustains me each and every day. Without my faith, I know I would be lost and lonely. I love the shirt someone described in church last week. It was a t-shirt that read "I'm the wretch" (or something like that). It was a reference to one of the best hymns ever" "Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a WRETCH like me." Yep, I'm one of the "wretches" that has experienced that amazing and marvelous grace.

Of course, right after my thanks to God I am thankful for my DH. Last night he pulled me aside and asked if I was OK. Then he proceeded to tell me that the boys informed LG that sometimes Mrs. Susan gets a little "crazy" just before a holiday...trying to make sure it's the way she wants it. (Glad they all know their wife/mother well.) Anyway, I cannot begin to tell you what this wonderful man does for me, and for us, each and every single day. He is a rock and I love him for it.

Each one of my kids are such blessings to me. I am so thankful that they are each on a unique journey and have really had no major growing-up issues that so many young people experience. They love learning. They love helping others. They love their family. I could not ask for any more.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with someone that once again reminded me just how blessed I am in regards to extended family! Our family has always been close. We enjoy being together. We enjoy laughing and having fun. I love that! It's hard for me to understand that this is not the "norm" for everyone. I realize it's special...but I sometimes forget just HOW special. I am thankful for each and every one of our extended family.

I could go on and on counting my blessings one by one. I won't though. There isn't time this morning. I have to get ready for this day of thanksgiving.

As I close, let me also assure each person who reads and/or comments on this blog--I am thankful for you as well. I never thought my blog would be such a blessing. It's amazing to know there is another "unseen" community of support out there. I am thankful for YOU too.

May you be richly blessed this Thanksgiving and always!!

Random Dozen: The Thanksgiving Edition

This meme is from Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee. If you decide to play along, jump on over there and grab the questions, sign Mr. Linky and have fun!


1. Are you sticking to traditional Thanksgiving foods this year, or are you being culinarily adventurous? We are pretty "traditional" for our family. In fact, DH mentioned cutting up a salad and I about died last week. I said, "We NEVER have salad (lettuce and tomato kind) on Thanksgiving!" I'm sure he was thinking, "SO?????" And actually, a little later I thought, "So????" It doesn't mean we are breaking the Thanksgiving code by deviating a bit! All that to say, we pretty much end up with the same old, same old.

2. Tell me something concrete that you're thankful for. (Something you can literally touch, see, etc., not a concept like "hope.") CERTAINLY LG and her entry into our family is at the TOP of my list this year. It has been an EXCITING month for us with so many tangible moments of love and laughter and memories!

If the idea is to find a convenience that is tangible for which I am thankful then without a doubt it's air Conditioning and heat. This year it's been strangely HOT and humid for us in Oct. and Nov. I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to live in a home where we can regulate the temperature.

3. You knew the flip side was coming: Share about something intangible that you're thankful for. Certainly God's LOVE is at the top of my list...although I sense it in quite tangible ways. This season, especially the last month, has reminded me over and over again just how MUCH God loves all of us! It's amazing. It's beautiful. It's real!

4. Share one vivid Thanksgiving memory. It doesn't have to be deep or meaningful, just something that remains etched in your memory. A SLEW of memories flooded my mind when I read this question. Probably one of my favorites is DH's and my first T'giving. We were expecting DS 1 and DH made a bed in the back of his car and let me sleep while he drove from KY to GA to visit family. It was special for us being "poor newlywed and expecting seminary students" to go visit them that year!

5. What is one thing that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to happen this Thanksgiving because it always does, year after year? Hmmm....we'll make Christmas wish lists sometime in the afternoon after dinner. The adults will most likely exchange names for gift giving. Some will sleep, others will play outside.

6. Do your pets get any left-overs? If they wanted them, they could. Cats generally don't go for leftovers...although Nola LOVES ham!

7. Does your family pray before the big meal? If so, do you join hands while seated, stand, repeat a formal prayer or offer a spontaneous prayer? Who does the praying? Yes, we hold hands and someone offers the prayer. It's often my DH cause he is our "resident pastor" and people always seem to defer prayer to them!

8. Will you be watching football in the afternoon? If not, what will you be doing? Probably some. We'll also be watching kids play and we sometimes take in a game or two of cards.

9. There are two distinct camps of people on this issue: How do you feel about oysters in the dressing/stuffing? Although I love oysters, I do NOT like oyster dressing! I have family members that do...but we generally don't make it that way.

10. Do you consider yourself informed about the first Thanksgiving? Actually, it's funny because I DO think I am quite informed about the possibilities of what happened on the first Thanksgiving. I am also well aware of the "myths" that we often associate with T'giving in this country. The common thread that is woven through every Thanksgiving belief and story is that these people took time out to give thanks for the harvest. They shared a meal together and enjoyed each other for that time. THIS is what I take away from the holiday traditions.

11. Which variety of pie will you be enjoying? Whatever my Stepmother brings! She'll probably bring pumpkin and cherry. Other than that, I don't know.

12. Do you feel for the turkey?? (This is a humorous throw back question related to the 12th question in another Random Dozen!)

So FUNNY cause I DID feel for the fish! I don't really THINK about the turkey. If I let my mind go there, then YES I do feel for the turkey.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

It might be November, BUT...

I'm celebrating MOTHER'S DAY!

What a weekend I have had! It's been one that has taken my mind to that day in May when I remember just how proud and blessed I am to be a Mother.

Friday night my entire family (minus DS 1 who is away at school) went to the David Crowder* Band Concert. It was awesome! Although I didn't get a great pic of all of us there, you can see us there seated and ready for the music to start. While watching the kids interact, DH leaned over to me and said, "If you didn't know, you wouldn't know." He's right.

Saturday, LG and I went to an appointment for her in the morning and then to the Farmer's Market. It was as natural as could be for us to be walking downtown and enjoying the fresh fruits and veggies down there.

In the afternoon, DSs 2, 4, LG and I went to the aquarium to help DS 2 get some homework done for his Oceanography class. I loved it when LG thought the eel was saying her name. Here she is mimicking the eel's mouth movement "saying her name": Saturday night we had a wonderful dinner when DS 1 stopped over. It was the first time that we ate with all five kids at the table. For me, it was a very special moment watching the natural ebb and flow of family conversation over dinner.

This morning, we went to church and LG came out afterward and handed me a card she made for me during kids' church. I have to share it cause it absolutely speaks for itself (I covered her name in the second photo:


After church, DS 3, LG and I went to lunch and enjoyed some time together. They helped me run a couple of errands.

We closed out the weekend with an evening trip to a brand new park in town. Here is one of my favorite pictures of LG and DS 4 playing there:

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We enjoyed ourselves. We enjoyed each other. The family thread was woven through each moment. For me, the Mother in our house, it was just perfect and, in the words of LG, filled with LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

From a Rut to a Rollercoaster...

To say life had fallen into a rut of sorts around the first of October would be an understatement. It wasn't a horrible "rut of no return". No. It was just one of those seasons when life seems to plod on day by day, week by week. And things stay pretty much the same.

Then, October 12th came.

That was the day I found out about LG needing a place to stay. It was the day that the counselor at my school "just happened" to ask if our foster care license was active.

October 12th was followed by the 13th.

That was the day that the rest of my family decided to open their arms to this sweet girl and become her "for now" family. It was also the day that we were told that there is the potential to be a "forever family" to her.

And the roller coaster ride began! At the end of this week, LG will have lived in our home for one month. A month that does not feel like 30 days. No. It feels like a lifetime. In fact, in many ways, I cannot really remember life without her.

My boys continue to amaze me at every twist and turn. They love this little girl--their sister! My DH is loving having a "princess" in the house. And I love watching the whole thing unfold.

I feel like a new parent in that this is what I most want to blog about. I suppose it is not that different than if I'd have just given birth. She's still new to us. And every day is a day of wonder. As I learn more about her, I also learn more about me.

In one month's time, she's blended in well at church, begun to learn more about her new "family", started gymnastics, and enrolled in the YMCA program. In one month's time we've learned to understand "girlie giggles" a little better, remember the importance of the family dinner table, make sure everyone has time to let down and breathe a bit in the day.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches I could not be more thankful! My heart is bursting with love and joy and happiness for so many people and events.

I can hardly believe that a month ago I was feeling so "rutty"....Thinking back to the mundane rut, I can say with certainty that I much prefer the rollercoaster! As time marches on, I'm going to enjoy the ride!

November Thankfulness

I'm thankful for:

Nov. 1st - Jesus
Nov. 2nd - My Husband (21 yrs.)
Nov. 3rd - My 4 Boys

Nov. 4th - The right to vote

Nov. 5th - that I live in America

Nov. 6th - my health

Nov. 7th - my children's health

Nov. 8th - my 7 nieces and nephews

Nov. 9th - sweet times with little ones

Nov. 10th - making memories with family

Nov. 11th - my job

Nov. 12th - my colleagues who help me grow

Nov. 13th - Christian radio that challenges me

Nov. 14th - that I have the ability to think and to learn

Nov. 15th - old friends and new friends

Nov. 16th - my extended family--the whole BUNCH!

Nov. 17th - books

Nov. 18th - time with my boys

Nov. 19th - the military

Nov. 20th - laughter and time with friends

Nov. 21st - being able to share my passion with others

Nov. 22nd - my car

Nov. 23rd - church

Nov. 24th - bosses that allow me to be me

Nov. 25th - holiday breaks

Nov. 26th - creating "events" for my family

Nov. 27th - Thanksgiving Day
Nov. 28th - a family that goes along with my crazy schemes...even if it's 2:30AM

Nov. 29th - football

Nov. 30th - having my Grandmother around still

Nov. 30th -

Thanksgiving Reflections

This weekend has been FANTASTIC! Although it's only been five days long, I feel like it's been weeks since I've been at work. We had a house full for Thanksgiving. One of the highlights of my day was a call from DS 1! This phone picture was the closest we could get to including him in our Turkey Day Photo Journal. DH does an AWESOME job cooking the turkey! Here he shows off all the yummy food cooking in the oven. I'm so thankful for him and his contribution to our celebration. He's ever patient when my head is spinning on my shoulders exorcist style. I love that man!
We decided to serve our food up buffet style this year. It worked out pretty well, I think. Here's the crew getting their Thanksgiving "grub"!
We moved our living room furniture out so that we could all sit together. Isn't this a fine looking bunch? DH and I had both of our immediate families here (sans DS 1 and our oldest niece). And, having my Grandmother and her friend Dick join us from Ohio was an extra blessing.

Here's the second table. There were 23 of us in all.
We took an opportunity with Grandma here to take a family photo earlier in the day. This includes all of us except DS 1.

I love having our family around us on this special holiday. It's really what it's all about, isn't it?

Next up: A Black Friday Coffee Give Away Report

Thursday Thankfulness...

Thanksgiving is two weeks away.

This morning I opened my blog, as I often do, so see who's been here. I read comments and that little box over to the left caught my eye. It's the one that I put there because I was going to make sure that I was thankful for the WHOLE month rather than just focusing on my blessings during that one week...or worse, that one day. And a tinge of guilt came over me as I noticed that I stopped on Nov. 5th...EIGHT days ago!

THEN, on my way to work this morning, the DJ's started talking about the "health benefits" of gratitude and being thankful. They cited some research and I again found myself thinking, "You didn't even keep FIVE days worth of gratitude!"

When I got to work, I looked up the research and decided I'd share it here as a reminder that we all need to be thankful for many many reasons. Just like my Mom used to say about my vegetables..."It's good for you!" Look at this:

- Young adults who took part in self-guided daily gratitude exercises, as opposed to members of a control group who focused on hassles, reported higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, energy and were more likely to help someone.

- In a 21-day study of people with neuromuscular diseases (such as muscular dystrophy and polio), those who practiced gratitude felt more energy, more connected to others, slept better and were more optimistic.

- People who regularly attend religious services and engage in spiritual activities are more likely to be grateful, feel more interconnected to all life and express more responsibility to others.

- People who report high rates of gratitude are less likely to judge their success based on their material wealth and success.

This is highly useful data. Gathered in large part by psychologists Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis, and Michael McCullough of the University of Miami, it supports those who seek empirical evidence that it will do them good to practise gratitude.

I know that we often talk about our blessings. And I often tell myself, in my head, about all that I'm thankful for...but I don't know that I tell OTHERS what I'm thankful for. And more important, I don't think I tell those who deserve my gratitude just how much they are appreciated.

It's never too late to start. I'm going to start by updating my list today....

What are you going to do to show thanks today?

It's Mid-November--and I'm Emotional

I know that each year I am alive, I feel like time passes more quickly. This school year seemed to drag at the beginning, but now here we are in (almost) mid-November. Once the holidays are over, time flies in an elementary school. But, time is flying elsewhere in my life too.

It's been a long time coming, but DS 1 leaves on Nov. 19th (one week from today) for boot camp. He will be in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. He'll go straight from there to San Antonio for his AIT training. So, we are facing six months of life with minimal contact. And I'm the Mom, so I am entitled to a trace of weepiness over this! I'm excited for him, but oh so sad too!

Having our nephew in town for the past few days has been fun. He is a happy little man who is quite observant. And he says the cutest things--as 3yos do. The best was the other morning when he woke up and exclaimed: "Hey! The sky IS blue so we can get up now!" Hmmm...I'm guessing that he's woken up one too many times when it was BLACK and was probably told to go back to bed!

I got to share a tender moment with him the other night during bedtime. We read a story. We prayed. But he still wasn't quite settled. So, I did what I used to do when my boys were little...I cuddled with him and sang to him. And while I loved it that he and I were getting that special moment...I was suddenly drifting back in time to when my own boys were that little. It was precious! But it also made me emotional.

I can't believe how close we are to Thanksgiving! For any of you who are coming to my house for the dinner, I promise we'll coordinate menus soon! Seriously, I'm very excited cause my Grandma (from Ohio) is going to be down for the holiday. We plan to have some family photos taken. Of course when I think of doing that without DS 1, I get...well...choked up!

There is no doubt that I am blessed beyond what I can express here in a simple blog post. And I am so thankful for each and every blessing that I have received. I guess I've reached a point in my life when even the blessings can bring a tear of joy.

So, yeah, it's mid-November...and I'm emotional...but that's OK!

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DS 3 Made Me Do It...

I'm not feeling all that great today. After church, I came home, laid on the couch and "vegged". While minding my own business, DS 3 was across from me with his laptop and he annonced, "Mom you've really got to blog!" I guess he's tired of seeing my Wednesday post everytime he logs on to see what I might have written about him or his brothers.

He's right.

I, too, have checked my blog over this weekend as if it were going to update on its own! I even secretly found myself wishing I had more comments on my last post. Who am I kidding?

I could do a Sunday Seven, I could do a book review on the book I completed last night, or I could fill you in on the happenings of our family over the past few days. I considered making a slide show, but Rock You was down.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at my BIL and SIL, Heather's house. There were 18 of us in all celebrating together. This was the first time in about 10 or more years that this group has been together on Thanksgiving. Thank you, Dave and Heather, for hosting a lovely day.

On Friday, DH got up earlier than me to go shopping at Home Depot and some other places. I was about 30 minutes behind him, and much less motivated. I was home by 9:30am and only went back out once to take DS 2.

Saturday morning, I went to the gym for a much-needed After-Thanksgiving workout. In the afternoon we went to my Dad's to visit with my brother, Dan, who is in town for a couple of weeks. It's always fun to go over to the golf course outside their house for a little football. Last night, we got to see this hawk while we were out there. I'm sorry it is a little blurry.

When I think about Thanksgiving, I think about my blessings. And those blessings start with my family. And because of that my weekend has been blessing after blessing after blessing.

The Friday After...

Normally I go to the stores bright and early the day after Thanksgiving. Normally, I map it all out and go with a plan. I'm out all day and don't come back until I am ready to drop. I mapped nothing out yesterday. I glanced at the adds...but it was literally a glance. Nothing excited me. I didn't feel great. So I slept "in" until just after 7:00am. DH DID look at ads. He DID plan a bit. He and DS 2 left just after 7:30 for the mall. I told him I "might" go out a bit.

DSs 3 and 4 and I DID go to Michaels, to Old Navy, Best Buy, and Walmart. I dropped them off at home mid-morning and went to Sports Authority and Home Depot.

By the time I got home at 1:00, I WAS ready to drop...though not from shopping. I was just tired...still not totally up to par. SO, this afternoon I did something I rarely do on the Friday after Thanksgiving, I SLEPT!! For two hours. It was WONDERFUL!

When I woke up, I worked on our Christmas Cards (getting the photo order)...it took FOREVER. I was starting to think that we'd have to send out Hannukah cards since those were the only styles that didn't cut off my DS 2's head in the photo!! I finally fixed that tonight and Christmas Cards ARE in our future.

After watching Shrek 2 with DS 4 and DH, I am blogging, then I am off to bed.

Hope your Friday was also wonderful!

Wordless Wednesday--Thanksgivings Past

DS 1 (1992) DS 2 (1992)
DS 3 (1998)

DS 4 and Great Grandma (2000)

Thanksgiving Memories....

Since I'm Counting My Blessings this week, AND it's Monday Memory time, I thought I'd share some Thanksgiving Memories with you.

As a child, I remember traveling to Georgia a few times on Thanksgiving to visit my Grandparents. We usually had some other extended family there...Aunts, Uncles, Cousins. It was always cooler there than it was in Florida. I loved the "crispness" of all of it. The day was always filled with parades, food and football (both indoors and outdoors).

I can picture Grandpa sitting in "his chair" right next to the sliding glass door. He was always ready to let a kid or the dog in or out. He'd play "Ladies go pace, pace, pace" (or as he said it, "paize, paize, paize") with the youngest children in the room....or he'd "whisper" in your ear...which meant a great deal of laughter was coming. I miss him so much.

As we grew older, we celebrated in Florida more often and Grandma and Grandpa would come down here. The day was always the same though...the same food, the same parades, the same football...and the SAME FUN!!

I still remember the first year DH and I were married. We traveled to Georgia for Thanksgiving. I was a couple months pregnant and didn't feel good. It was an emotional rollercoaster for me...and probably HORMONE H#!! for my DH. Thank goodness he didn't just turn around and "run"...instead he loved me as he always has...he put up with the rollercoaster and was ever-patient with my emotions. Now I look back and laugh at that year...trying to be the perfect "just married/just pregnant" couple...who were we (OK who was I) trying to kid?????

We have traveled to Tennessee twice in the past decade or so for Thanksgiving. This is always fun as it puts a whole new "spin" on the holiday. We again were able to meet with our extended families and enjoy the crispness and delights of the holiday together.

I have "hosted" Thanksgiving in my own home several times in the past few years as well. I enjoy the preparation...I enjoy the fullness of the house...the love and joy that permeates every crevice as we converge on the holiday. It's a holiday that really has no expectations other than to enjoy (and be thankful for) those you love and the blessings you have.

For us, there are many....and those make the BEST MEMORIES!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK, EVERYONE!!

Count Your Blessings...

As was probably true in many churches today, DH preached about being thankful and remembering our blessings. A couple of weeks ago, he mentioned that everyone should write down all the blessings they can remember. He suggested that when we are negative, blue, sad, whatever, that we should pull out that list and see the blessings...and we probably won't feel so sad, negative, or blue. Today, he said it again.

Immediately, my mind went to the hymn that we used to sing in church when I was little,

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done.

It's a good idea. We forget so often to stop and see the blessings that are around us everyday. In fact, I think we often take them for granted.

May we all take the time this week to count our blessings and be thankful for each and every one.