Tues Nov 23

Tomorrow, my side of the family is getting together for our Thanksgiving meal. We're going to my mom's house with yummy hot rolls from Texas Roadhouse wrapped in foil. We're taking a big salad as well.

On Thursday, we'll go see Larry's family for Thanksgiving. We'll go to Larry's grandmother's house & enjoy the amazing meal she is cooking. She never lets anyone else contribute no matter how many years I've asked her to let me!

And then on Friday we'll be getting out the Christmas decorations, putting up the tree, decking the halls.....and forgetting all about Thanksgiving for another year.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas & all the exciting ways we can give of our time, our 'stuff', our money. I love the decorations & the 'magic' of everything related to Christmas. I love buying gifts for my family & looking for ways to help others. But I sure wish there was a whole "season" for Thanksgiving. You know, something like Advent is to Christmas....something wonderful to focus on & celebrate each day leading up to the big day. A countdown paper chain that children would make. A decoration that we would hang on our walls that would make everyone smile in wonder & excitement every time they see it. It's my very favorite holiday because no one has screwed it up yet. There's no holiday figure to focus on. There are no gifts exchanged. There is no rush to shop for it. It's just a simple day of sitting around with family & being thankful. And I love it!!

That's why I've been writing my blog posts this past month. It has been my feable attempt to drag out the Thanksgiving holiday a little longer....my very small attempt at creating a new tradition in my life. I hope to continue it next year during the month prior to Thanksgiving.

When this month began, I actually pulled out a sheet of paper & wrote out a list of things I could make a blog post about. I ended up getting side tracked while making the list & didn't finish it, but that list has been laying right here next to my keyboard for this past month. And just like that list, I haven't finished my daily blog posts to celebrate the things I'm grateful for. I've posted quite a few times, but not daily like I'd hoped. Due to illness, busy schedules or exhaustion, I missed some days here & there. But isn't that just like life? Our busy schedules & exhaustion tend to keep us from a lot of things. Since I haven't done such a great job of posting daily, I decided to make up for that by creating a long list of things I am thankful for tonight, all in one post. I will repeat the things I've listed in the previous month & add onto that the rest of the ones from the list I made on paper. And whatever else I think of that I'd like to add! Enjoy. And in the comments, please tell me 1 thing you're thankful for this year!

Tonight I am grateful for....

• my house
• my kids' schools
• Larry killing the snake when we went on a walk
• Samuel
• my van
• hunting & all the meat it provides for my family
• Bethany
• my job
• going to a football game without a headache
• my bed
• Godly friendships
• another year of life
• my girlfriends
• Larry
• Savannah & Sarah (and I feel like a horrible mother than I never got around to posting specifically about them this month.....I promise to fix that very soon!)
• my parents
• Kristi
  
• food (heaven knows I have plenty!)
• the Postal Service....because really, I love getting mail!
• greeting cards....because I love getting and giving them!
• my computer -- love me some email, blogs & facebook!
• my Bible
• my church & all the precious people who are a part of it
• books
• my extended family on both sides
• pictures
• the smell after a rain storm
• pretty weather, those days when I can throw a blanket in the yard & lay down to read a book for a while
• silly family movies & TV shows we can all watch together
• kids who still love to snuggle with their mama
• YMCA membership
• other wives/moms/women who like to blog -- I love reading them!
• my husband's job & ability to provide for us
• the health of my entire family --- my mom & I were just discussing today how blessed we are!
• electricity -- I know this is silly, but really...don't we all hate it when the power is off for a long time?
• Can I say my amazing friends & family again? Seriously, how did I get so blessed?
• living in a great neighborhood with sweet neighbors
• Daisy, our sweet Basset Hound
• having had the chance to be King's last family before he went to Heaven ... truly we are more blessed than he was, he was SUCH a sweet addition to our family
• all my "online" friends that I've met over the years through various places & the blogging community --- my family used to think it was crazy when I'd talk about someone I had never met before & how much of an impact they'd had on me. Now they just smile. I've gotten on planes to go meet several of my "online friends"! The internet is a valuable connection for me!
• safety -- I think we take the safety of living where we are for granted sometimes.
• Having enough. Of everything we need.

I could continue on all night long, but I think I need to go get in bed. It's nearly midnight & I need to get some sleep. Goodnight and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!