Grateful.

Oh, what a whirlwind life has been! Family visits, Oden’s first real snowy play day, and some big changes on the horizon that I’ll share soon. Toss in the holiday season and it’s a recipe for stress, but I did find my moments over the Thanksgiving holiday to reflect on things I’m grateful for. Topping the list for me is always family, and my first moment of thankfulness came when my parents drove from Colorado to share Turkey Day 2017 with us. Yay!

Even while juggling a time-stealing toddler, I enjoy the preparation before hosting a holiday. Oden helped with some turkey artwork as I made lists and decorated the house. Thanksgiving seems to get passed over these days, with many people jumping right from Halloween to full-blown Christmas. But I enjoy the transition time, the quietness of the short season where gratitude is highlighted. It’s important to count your blessings, and Thanksgiving is a good reminder to do it!

My folks’ visit was a short one and I really only had two goals: to enjoy making (and eating) our turkey feast and to get the Christmas lights hung. I’m happy to say we were successful! In between, we took in a beautiful sunset, had lots of Oden time for my parents (currently called “UMA” and “PAPA), played card games, and got silly as only my family can do. We took blurry selfies and passed around a turkey hat and just spent time together, making memories. Sure, there were moments of stress or impatience on my part (I’m working on it), but it was just what I’d wanted for the holiday.

The meal came together beautifully, and Oden even joined us at the table this year. There was, of course, way too much food, but we wanted plenty of leftovers for the day-after meals: turkey sandwiches with stuffing, gravy, and cranberries and our favorite Shepherd’s Pie dinner that we call the Gobbler! My dad and John were able to get the lights up and we started the transition from fall to winter, from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

The day my parents left, Oden and I both got sick (boo!) so we spent the day snuggling and watching Christmas movies. I made myself turkey soup for dinner- yum! There was plenty of time to reflect again on my many, many blessings… a warm home, a cherished family, a husband who loves me, a sweet, sort-of baby snuggled under a blanket with me, a lazy dog at my feet. ‘Tis the season for gratitude and may I feel it all year long.