Things I'm Thankful For

Ah, Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday.

We had a larger crew than normal at my parent's house for Thanksgiving this year. Most of us have been through some hard times this year, with several people joining us who had previously had other family to be with this time last year. Spending the day surrounded by family, I had much time to think about what made the day so special.

I'm so lucky to still have my parents around. They were very happy to have a large crew to feed and several children to keep track of, including 2 furry ones. Though we'd planned on having more people join us, everybody called to talk to the family, even the ones calling from the hospital.

Though my grandparents are rapidly deteriorating, they remembered the names of my children and asked to tell them both Happy Thanksgiving, even though one of them can't understand yet.

We had friends join us this year and I am so thankful that we can include them in our family. As hard as this year has been for so many, we're still able to open our homes and help others.

As has been pressed home so much this year, time is short. I'm thankful to be able to spend time with family and to know they love me and they know I love them.

While the house was warm and the food was fantastic, it was the company that made this holiday so fantastic. As my children get older, I hope they can come to appreciate Thanksgiving for what it means to us as a family and love this time of year as much as I do.