Thanksgiving

Kris didn’t work on Wednesday and Owen was off school that day as well so we have had 5 days of relaxed holiday enjoyment. It was a little disappointing to have to get ready to leave and start real life again this morning but it is real life that makes the vacations and quiet time at home possible. So we faced it with renewed energy and the only complaint was a meek little statement from Ivan after dropping Owen off at school. “I want daddy,” he said, and I smiled because I did too.

We stayed moderately busy with errands and shopping while we were together. We took the boys to the theater on Wednesday to see Bolt which they enjoyed immensely. We watched holiday specials and movies on TV, ate things we don’t normally eat and had a fire going as much as possible.

On Thursday it was just us. We had made plans with the Button family but because of some unfortunate circumstances they were not able to make it. Though we missed them it was also nice to have a quiet day with just our little gang. I made Thanksgiving brunch and we ate at 10:00. That’s probably not ideal for large gatherings but for us it was perfect. I made fried turkey breast fillets and corn, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and stuffing. I made pumpkin pie, dutch apple and mango cranberry pie. We were able to sit around our table, talk about our blessings and each took a turn saying what we are thankful for. Owen led our prayer and after completing his blessing he told us that it was a long one because God likes long prayers on Thanksgiving. We were soon done filling our tummies and the boys watched the parade while I cleaned up the kitchen. I was able to catch the highlights which is all I wanted anyway and then it was nap time. Kris and I ate pie and watched the Titans annihilate the Lions while the boys slept. The rest of the day was a lot of nibbling and relaxing. We watched TV, had fondue, played games and enjoyed the fire.

Friday we got ready and drove to Kentucky for the once a month milk run. I wanted to take Kris along this time so he could see where I have been getting the van dirty. I don’t think he enjoyed it all that much but I like knowing that he knows what I do. We came home and rested after that and while the boys napped we mapped out a plan for visiting some extended family south of town and celebrating Ivan’s birthday. We decided that a birthday dinner that night would be fun and we would follow that with a trip to Target to pick out a gift from us and from Grandma. We took him to Red Robin and he loved it. He ate his burger as if he hadn’t eaten in days and the complimentary birthday sundae was of course devoured quickly. At Target, we were pushed and shoved to the toy aisles where we found the perfect gifts for Ivan as quickly as we could. Most people were very nice but there was a lot of frustration and furrowed eyebrows from people who had probably been shopping way too long that day. I got a little irked myself. Owen didn’t seem to understand that he could possibly be in the way or crushed by the passing of two carts in an aisle and continuously ran up beside me at the same time as an approaching shopper would try to pass me. I got a little hot under the collar. Which wasn’t hard to do because the temperature inside the store was around 80 I think. Had it not been for dear Ivan’s birthday, you would never have found me in a retail establishment on black Friday.

We drove to Santa Fe on Saturday and spent most of the day with relatives we haven’t seen in a long time. I had a headache all day so it wasn’t the greatest of times for me, but the boys had a good time and through it all we were able to do a lot of catching up and visiting that was long overdue. Though Saturday was Ivan’s actual birthday, we didn’t do much in the way of celebrating. My only disappointment in that was that there were no good pictures and he never got to blow out candles.

Sunday came as expected with a good church service and a restful afternoon. Kris got groceries for me and while the little guys slept I made Ivan a birthday cake. I was able to get it frosted and lightly decorated just before he woke up and then we ate dinner and had cake and ice cream…complete with balloons, the birthday song, lit candles and flash photography. He loved it. Afterward we played the game he had chosen for his gift from Grandma and he was begging to play it again this morning.

There is a lot to be done yet and a lot to consider as we face Christmas and all it’s joys. I am looking toward the coming weeks with anticipation and a little concern at how little I’ve done to prepare. However, I know that it’s all going to work out and every little thing I get done will encourage me to keep going.

I have not made the Thankful blog lists that a lot of people have done this year. I have certainly enjoyed reading them all and it spurs thoughts toward some of the less noticed things we should be grateful for. On Saturday night I woke up in the middle of the night for some reason. I took a little walk around the house to hear the snores and see to it that all the little bodies were in their proper places and I stopped by the front door where some of the light from outside was shining in. I took a look up and just said thank you. It really hit me how simple life can be if we appreciate the important stuff. I didn’t really say thank you for the house and the furniture and all the amenities. I didn’t really say thank you for the view or the beauty around us. I didn’t even say thank you for the health we’ve had or the blessing my family is to me…I was overwhelmed with the fact that I could say thank you at all and that as soon as I think it, I’m heard. I couldn’t be more thankful for my Savior, and I’m excited to celebrate Him in the weeks to come.