Thanksgiving 2017

There is always so much to be thankful for.  We usually do a "thankful tree" but that didn't get done this year.  Instead, the kids and I reminded ourselves of what we were thankful for while in the car, driving to school most mornings.   We tried to stay away from the every day, run of the mill things to be thankful for (i.e. our home, health, food, etc) so one of the kids might mention the beautiful blue sky on the way to school as being something to be thankful for, or maybe the beauty of the changing leaves on the trees.   Although we didn't write our "thankful things" down, we enjoyed sharing them with one another and observing regularly, the things that are right around us that we can take notice of in our every day, mundane moments.  There truly is so much to be grateful for and we are blessed for sure.  I was grateful to have gotten to be apart of the Thankful Feasts for Ava Jane, Emerson and Lawson's classes.

I was however, very thankful to have a week out of our every day routine to play with the kids, enjoy time together and have no schedule to keep! Leading up to Thursday, there were pies to bake (of which Emerson and Ava Jane helped me), pumpkin cookies and bowl licking to be had as well as squash and hot corn casseroles to prepare.

On Thanksgiving Day we were able to see both sides of our family and enjoyed catching up with everyone. My cousin Kim and her son came to join us. It was wonderful to get to chat and let the kids play together. We even had a piano recital of sorts, all the boys played their pieces and did a great job! It truly was a fun time together as more memories were made.

Mom outdid herself with this perfectly golden-brown (and may I add delicious) turkey! The live centerpieces on all the tables were gorgeous and perfect tablescapes for our Thanksgiving celebration.

I'm grateful for a Mother who desires to gather with family, to make it not only a lovely and fun experience but a truly meaningful one as well.  Because we were a little bit smaller of a group we were able to actually take time to go around and let everyone share some of the things that they are thankful for.  We had so many things to mention but the ones that stand out in my memory was Ava Jane's five years of continued heart health, Lachlan's saying, without hesitation, that "Co-co" is who he is thankful for--melt my heart, I sure love that little boy!  What Kim said that she was thankful for, is "her Lord and Savior"--isn't that the truth, where would we be without Jesus?  Who would we be without him?  He is who has saved us, leads us, and directs us.  I'm so thankful for His saving grace and for His constant pursuit of me.  Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!