A Day of Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving Day. Since I write about what I am thankful every day, I had wondered what I could write today that would be different. I thought it would be most appropriate to reflect back on my day and write about ALL the things, big and small, that I give thanks for today.

Today I am thankful for:

** A new day. I volunteered to drive our friends the Foleys to the airport this morning. And by this morning, I mean I was at their house at 5:40am. While it was not my first choice to be up and out of my warm bed that early in the morning, as I was driving home I realized I was witnessing a new day dawning. I had left the house in the dark, and as I was returning home it was becoming light outside. In the quiet of my car I took notice of the simple yet powerful gift of a new day. Each day is truly a gift that we often overlook or take advantage of. I was grateful to have the chance to savor the beginning of this blessing of a day.

** Tradition. As a kid my mom would watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade every year. And every year she would beg my siblings and I to watch with her. We would either pop in and out of the room or complain until we were given permission to leave. You'd better believe watching this parade has now become a must-do in my house. I turned on the television as soon as the parade began and drew all the family in to watch. The parade held everyone's interest for about an hour; then we were all in and out, making food, playing, and getting ready for the rest of our day. But the parade was always on. I love that my family is carrying on a tradition that I didn't necessarily appreciate as a child but that now connects me to my family across the miles that have separated us over the years.

** Excitement and support. One of the performing groups in the parade today was the band and dance team from James Madison University. One of the dance team members is our own former dance friend and babysitter Victoria. I had told the girls yesterday that she would be performing and hopefully we would see her. We ended up watching the performance twice - once live and then rewinding after we found Victoria so we could watch her the entire time. We were all excited to see her - Jocelyn could not stop jumping up and down and squealing, "VICTORIA!!!" and Ava kept saying, "This is SO awesome!" It was special to see this person who means so much to our entire family in such a special event; we could not have been any prouder of or happier for her.

** The magic of Santa. At the end of the parade when we saw Santa in his sleigh, Jocie shouted "SANTA!" To which Ava responded without missing a beat, "No, Jocie. That's not the real Santa. The real Santa is at miss Katy's house." After watching the parade, we all made a quick trip to the Carlsons' house to see Santa, who was indeed having Thanksgiving dinner with them again this year. My girls once again got a special personal audience with Santa. They listened to him read Twas the Night Before Christmas and told him what they hope to get from him for gifts. This is the second year we've been able to make this visit, and I am so grateful to our friends for letting us crash their Thanksgiving for a few minutes. I'm equally grateful to Santa for spending time with my girls on his day off. It means the world to them and will leave them with such special memories for the rest of their lives.

** Thanksgiving "family." Originally I had thought we were going to get to share Thanksgiving with my brother Kevin and his family, who moved to New York earlier this year. However, weather and schedules made this plan fall through. Fortunately our neighbors across the street were in a similar situation as us - far from family and not wanting to have a quiet Thanksgiving by themselves. So we combined forces and had a fantastic Thanksgiving. The meal was amazing (can you really go wrong with a traditional Thanksgiving spread?), but it was really the company that made the day great. The kids vanished and played peacefully the entire time. Matt, Andrea, Ben and I went back and forth between the kitchen and living room chatting and prepping for dinner. It was far from picture perfect - the turkey wouldn't cook fast enough, the rolls didn't stop rising, some of the food never even got cooked - but it was perfect for US. I couldn't have asked for a better Thanksgiving meal.

Having been awake for going on 16 hours now, I can say that I am one tired woman. But as I look back on today I am beyond humbled by all the blessings in my life. I live in a great house and always have more than enough to eat. I have a fantastic husband who makes me laugh, drives me crazy, and completes me in every way. I have three daughters who could not be more different and who I could not love any more. I sleep well at night because men and women are all over the world, sacrificing time with their own families, to protect my freedom. I have countless family and friends, near and far, who love and support me. Most importantly, I have a faith that drives and sustains me throughout each and every day. I have so very much to be thankful for, and I am glad I had the opportunity to really focus on each of these things during this Thanksgiving day.

Cuddles and Pictures

This morning I had my coffee friends over to the house for our weekly gathering. Both Jocelyn and Molly were out of school so it seemed easier to have coffee here at home rather than out somewhere - this way the girls could play or watch tv and leave the grown-ups be.

Well, in theory anyway. In actuality my children were constantly coming in and out of the kitchen to share stories, get snacks, and in general make sure no one forgot they were there. While Molly was, as always, sweet and polite, I was reminded of just how big Jocelyn's heart is. She constantly was coming in with pictures she had drawn for these specific ladies. She would explain just what she had drawn and who the picture was to go to. In between picture deliveries Jocie would just come into the kitchen and give one of my friends a hug, or climb into a lap and snuggle for five minutes. She is not just my cuddly child, but she is so open and giving of her love. She genuinely cares about those she interacts with. Not being an outwardly affectionate person, I love watching how easy it is for Jocelyn to physically share her love with those around her. It does not come naturally to me, but I am almost inspired by Jocelyn to make more of an effort to really SHOW people how I care about them. It is a gift I hope to one day emulate.

Rain, Rain, Maybe DON'T Go Away...

Today has been absolutely miserable weather-wise - while our official low temp was forecasted to be 39 degrees, in actuality we never got higher than 36. And it has been RAINING - not just sprinkling or drizzling, but raining hard enough that you have to rush from your car to a building to keep from soaking through.

All that being said, the rain and cold made for a great excuse to cozy up and have a very slow, relaxing afternoon and evening. There were no after-school activities, so once we picked up Ava we came home and turned on a movie. Everyone changed into comfortable clothes or pajamas and just lounged around. The girls got antsy once or twice but overall were perfectly content to veg out. I think this is the first time every member of our family has been busy enough that we are ALL looking forward to the Thanksgiving break. It may have been lousy weather outside, but spirits were high and fun was had inside our warm and cozy little home.

Evening Reading

After dinner the girls seemed a little more wound up than usual. I sent them upstairs a few minutes early to put their pajamas on. I went in to Molly's room to check in and found Jocelyn and Molly looking through books. Jocelyn asked if I could read a book to them. Ava was meanwhile on her way to sit and read on her own. Impromptu reading time? I was all about it. All five of us seemed to rotate rooms where books were being read - first Ben was sitting with Ava listening to her while I read Caps for Sale to Jocelyn and Molly; shortly afterward Ben and Jocelyn listened to me read How the Grinch Stole Christmas while Molly kept Ava company. I love reading so much and really savor nights like this when we are all enjoying some time together sharing the joy of a good story.

Molly-Momma Time

This afternoon we sort of divided to conquer - Ben took the older girls to a friend's house while Molly and I went to a birthday party. Being the youngest, there are plenty of times when Molly is with me one-on-one. I guess I take advantage of that or don't appreciate it most of the time, because today I seemed to take notice more than usual. We had so much fun together! She chatters to herself and keep herself entertained all on her own, but enjoys interacting with me every now and then. She is a quirky little girl, saying things much more mature than your typical almost-three-year-old. (Her most recent phrase is, "Seriously Mom..." when she has to ask for something more than once.) I had a really nice time with miss Molly today, and am grateful that I took the time to appreciate this special time with my youngest daughter.

Little Mommas

All of a sudden, Jocelyn and Molly have rediscovered their baby dolls. They spent most of the morning playing together, singing to their babies, feeding them, telling them to stop crying, and putting them to bed. What I enjoyed the most was the fact that somewhere along the line my youngest daughters have decided they LIKE each other. These two have been my oil and water, the two who cannot get along for more than an hour at a time. Today they settled their differences and had a great time together. I won't question it; rather, I'll enjoy it and hope it lasts.

Molly putting her babies to bed

Jocelyn carrying her baby on her back

Dress the Part

This morning Ava had her hair in five ponytails for her school's Crazy Hair Day. Molly came downstairs wearing a shirt of Jocelyn's, that didn't engulf her as badly as I had anticipated but still had sleeves a good 3 inches too long on each side. Jocelyn did not really want to get her hair done, and since we didn't really have anywhere to be I didn't fight her on the subject. This however resulted in her walking around all day looking like she had stuck her finger in a light socket. I love my children, and on days like today they provide just enough comic relief to keep me from flipping out at how ridiculous they really look.