Things To Be Thankful For

How was your Thanksgiving?  I hope it was full of good food, family, friends, and all the things that make this time of year so special!  There’s a lot of life going on right now, but I couldn’t let Thanksgiving Day go by without sharing a few things for which I am grateful.

1.I’m really grateful for all the men and women that sacrificed so that we could live in a democracy!

Democrats, republicans, independents — and countless other men and women of all faiths and creeds died so that you and I could live freely in this country.  They died for people who were very different from them, politically, but they did it all the same!

I’m really grateful for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and for those who work to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in our communities and our country to this day. Hey, let’s not forget we all have a part to play in that.

2.  I’m grateful for the clean-up crew who actually made all the preparation before our guests showed up a lot of fun.

We played music and cleaned and prepped away.  It was awesome to be surrounded by my family and to know that I have a pretty amazing posse around me.

And I can’t fail to give a shout-out to my sister-in-law, Mary, who showed up a few days before Thanksgiving and cleaned up my kitchen.  And she even cleaned out the scary situation which was my refrigerator — she found things in that fridge which should never be found in a fridge — or anywhere civilized! 🙁

3. I’m grateful for a table — set and ready for guests!

This might be the last year we can all sit around this table with guests.  We squished in to fit 15 people around this table — but my kids are all starting to take up more space, so we might need to have a kids table next year.

I loved the “kids table” growing up, but I also really love having everybody gathered around one table — elbow to elbow — enjoying everybody else.  Mixed feelings about the transition that might have to happen.  Maybe we’ll just add another table to one end.

4.  I’m grateful for the entertainment crew who kept the littles happy and filled our house with laughter –okay, and occasional crying –while we were getting ready!

5.  I’m grateful for long naps.

This picture was taking just before I got the hint that maybe my baby needed to nap.  He is not a big napper, but it’s like God cast a deep sleep upon him for almost 2 hours before everybody showed up!  I actually managed to make my own bedroom and schoolroom a little less of a disaster with the time I had before people showed up.  Yay!

Lest you think my life works out perfectly all the time, as I was climbing into bed, completely exhausted, he woke up and stayed up for about 2 hours last night.  That was torture — half-asleep, trying to coax a baby back to sleep when he’s clearly wide-awake is a very cruel form of torture.  Sleep deprivation is used by military groups to break a soul — and we parents know why!  🙁

But I tell you what, I am so grateful that I still have a baby to keep me up at night — the positives far outweigh the negatives!

6.  I’m grateful for really good food and wine and people to sit down and share it with.

Did you ever think about the fact that God could have made food taste terribly bland — but He didn’t.  And His first miracle was turning the water into the most amazing wine — so let’s not think that Jesus was a teetolar.

I love the occasions in life when we can eat really good food and drink really good wine and enjoy the people gathered around a table!  I often think about heaven and there is nobody who is going to convince me that we won’t be having good food and wine up there — so don’t even try! 🙂

My sister-in-law and nieces provided most of the main dishes and some delicious desserts!  Our friend Jose provided a latino flair with his culinary skills.  And we even had a guest that we hadn’t met before  — that’s kind of what holiday get-togethers should be about, isn’t it — old friends and family and a few new friends you haven’t met yet!

I married into a pretty darn amazing family, and perhaps one of the biggest blessings is seeing cousins hanging out together, having fun, and looking at the people gathered around them and thinking “I get you”.  On both sides of our family, our kids having amazing cousins and aunts and uncles!  Let’s be honest, we can all be a little nuts, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

7.  I’m grateful for you!  I really am grateful for each and every one of you who takes the time to read this blog!  And I can not thank you enough for taking the time to comment or encourage me via e-mail or a nice word when I run into you at church or kids’ activities.  It really means a lot to me!

If you haven’t read this post, you may not know about the 30 minutes of Adoration Challenge.  I hope you will join me!  Even if you can’t commit to it now, know that I will be praying for you during that time.  And it’s not too late to join in the challenge — it’s never too late! 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you!

Linking up with Kelly.