Thanksgiving. I have gotten myself so caught up in worrying about what I'm going to do on Christmas Day that I did not get as excited about Thanksgiving this year as I normally do. It finally hit me this week and now I'm jazzed.
I love Thanksgiving. Last year, I spent my first Thanksgiving away from my two children. I spent just the day without them, but it was weird. Thankfully, I had my parents with me and we shared Thanksgiving at the home of some of my dear friends: Nini and Her H. It was wonderful!
This year, CD and Miss Hollywood are with me for Thanksgiving Day. We will have a "quiet" Thanksgiving at home, just the three of us and my parents. I am looking forward to it. I do have family and friends I would love to see. But, rather than dwell on what I don't have or won't experience, I need to focus on blessings. And blessings are abundant indeed!
The Guardian had to work today. I texted him later in the day to see how his day was going. He mentioned that he was ready for "great food and crazy family." That sums up the holidays so nicely. And it helps to remind us what it is all about. We have great food to eat each and every year. And family (crazy or otherwise) make the day so very special.
Things for which I am thankful:
CD
Miss Hollywood
My parents
S and our spectacular conversations of late
My Chico and the awesome, amazing fact that I get to see her on Thanksgiving Day (that makes two major holidays this year that I am getting to share with her, Easter being the first earlier this year) PLUS we got to visit on Labor Day weekend AND we helped each other celebrate our 35th birthdays AND....AND....she's going to take our Christmas pictures tomorrow!
delicious food
my love and passion for baking and cooking and the fact I will do some of that this weekend
our generally decent and mostly good health
My friends and family near and far
Warm places to sleep at night
New experiences
My teaching job
The opportunity to volunteer in CD's classroom
Two wonderful daycare providers
The ability and opportunity to serve my church
The role God plays in my life
The tremendous support system I have in place
Children's voices singing, praying, saying the Pledge of Allegiance
Music
Having met new people, especially The Guardian
The chance to do some cool things over the next few days
My brother's completion of OCS
My sister (in-law)
My beautiful niece
My handsome and loving nephew
Nini and Her H
I could go on and on and on....and on....
I.AM.BLESSED.
Have you taken time to count your blessings lately? See what happens when you start to list them off. It's a pretty amazing thing.
I went back and looked at a few pictures from a year ago (and slightly over a year ago) and just looking at pictures of myself, I can see how far I've come. And, I have to believe that this momentum will continue. Bigger and better things are yet to come. The future is a place I look forward to because I know that I can make it a great one. Not just for me, but for my children as well. Life is good and I'm working on making it great! How about you?
For what are you giving thanks this Thanksgiving? Are you doing it with a grateful heart?
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