Happy Thanksgiving

"Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude." ~E.P. Powell




I love Thanksgiving! It is my favorite Holiday...it reminds people to be thankful (though we should be year round!) But people are generally happier on Thanksgiving, than even Christmas...because they do tend to focus more on giving thanks...which does make a person happy!


I look back over the years of my husband and I spending Thanksgiving together and we have spent it in several different ways!


With his sister and huband (pre children), with a Pastor & wife (friends), with different families, on our own, we even hosted it once too! But since our children were born I particularly remember Thanksgiving.


2006 ~ We had a precious 3 month old baby girl and we drove more than 14 hours through the night to get to Hudson, WI where my mom's older sister lives and mom's family would gather for the holiday. I was so proud to be bringing Princess to a family get together, really her first! She was showered with so much love...I wouldn't say the weekend went without a hitch, but there was a big one involving myself and my grandmother...but that was getting to be kind of normal. It was amazing to have that time with family and see my daughter being passed around and loved on!


2007 ~ I believe this was the first year we started the 'new' tradition! We broke away from Mom's family and decided to have Thanksgiving at Mom & Dad's house with just them, my brother & wife, and our family...which had grown since the year before. We now had our Princess, our Sunshine, and three foster children that were 3, 2, & 5 months old at the time! It was a lively house to say the least! But it was still wonderful. I remember sitting at the table after we had finished the meal and seeing my Seester-in-law holding our little 5 month old foster girl, Sunshine was sleeping, the 2 & 3 year old foster boys were playing, and my mother and husband were trying to get Princess to hang a toothpick out of her mouth! It was beautiful! Mom was also successful in teaching my newly standing on her own Princess to stand and snap to Elvis! lol


2008 ~ We had the privilage of hosting Thanksgiving this year, only Mom & Dad made it to our home in the Hills...and we did without a snowstorm this time! Scratch that, I think one came in before they went home...don't remember! Anyway, we were down to our two children only, but were starting to pray that God would permanently grow our family again...and SOON! We also had a gentleman from the church join us, our kids called him, "Papa Denny" and he was such a sweet man to be around! It was a marvelous time.


2009 ~ We were back at my parents house again and once again it was too much fun! I always enjoy being together with family...we did have to sneak away a little earlier than planned to beat the snow storm, but it just allowed us a longer time to be there with them!


2010 ~ We have been told that November I should take it easy and not travel more than an hour away from home just to be safe, so once again Mom & Dad are HERE! We have been invited to join our Pastor & family/good friends for the Thanksgiving Meal. It should be fun...our kids love their kids and Pastor and D. are tons of fun to be around. This year brings extra things to be thankful for, Grasshopper being just 18 1/2 weeks away from birth and also the knowledge that any time we could receive our phone call from our agency in Texas letting us know a birthmother has chosen us! There are so many other things, but those two in particular are at the front of our minds.


Which brings me to being thankful...how many times a day are you thankful, yes I said A DAY!?!? Really, each day brings to reason to be thankful and trials too...do we take time to be thankful for the little things? Water running from our tap? Socks that keep our feet warm? Soap to wash our bodies? Tires on our car? Shingles that help our homes shed water? The people in our lives? The fact that there is a positive balance in the checkbook, even if only a few dollars? Your every living moment is something to be thankful! I, for one, do not take enough time to be thankful...I am too busy or full of worry.


It is interesting how God works, in the midst of typing about Grasshopper my phone rang and it was my clinic informing me that they found my ultrasound to have extra fluid around the baby...which can mean nothing at all, or can mean alot too. I can instantly worry about premature birth, or a baby with birth defects...or I can be thankful that there is a baby to be worrying about!

Anyway, there is a reason to be thankful every day....today being Thanksgiving is also one of my 'Thankful Thursday' posts...


I am thankful for family & friends...and haveing knowledge of the need and importance of being thankful!


Happy Thanksgiving!