Giving Thanks

These are the days we will remember.

The novice Thanksgiving feast turned out to be better than I thought it would. Besides scorching the green beans and water-logging the potatoes, I was pleased with the way it all turned out and so were all who feasted on it. I announced that the children would be doing all the clean up since I had already washed all the pots and pans and scrubbed the counters, but Dale went to bat for them and commenced the clean up himself.

We watched the parade from start to finish, had a huge meal, fell asleep on the couch to the Cowboys game, and then headed to the park for a rousing game of kickball. And football. And Basketball. And swings. Then we loaded up in the truck and went to Albertson's to get supplies for our Charlie Brown Thanksgiving feast.
This was Kennedy's contribution to our feast: fruit shish kabobs on a cantaloupe boat full of whipped cream.
I love Charlie Brown. I love the music, the characters, the simplicity, the novelty; I love it all. So every holiday I play the corresponding Peanuts cartoon repeatedly until the season passes. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the kids suggested that we watch it one last time and have the same feast Charlie Brown serves all his friends at the end. So, our dinner consisted of popcorn, pretzels, jelly beans, and toast, along with hot chocolate in lieu of the ice cream floats. It was so fun and festive and they were thrilled. A couple of the kids saved their plates until the meal started on the movie. It was adorable. And then, one last time for the day, we gave thanks to God for the bounty of blessings He continues to lavish on us in every conceivable way.

My heart is never void of thanks, I can tell you honestly. The trials of this life have given me a sincere gratitude for the simple pleasures in life. Things like Leila standing behind me in her diaper singing "Oh Sawah, oh Sawah..." Or our giant puppy sniffing under the door wishing he could come in and lavish his own love on us. Or looking up from a project to see Dale watching me with those dreamy eyes. Or the way my mom and my mother-in-law and Sandy answer the phone so excited to hear from me every time I call, even if we just talked for an hour the day before. I love life. I have my days, and I have my moods that swing us all from the rafters, but I love this life that God has given me, so I am truly thankful.