A heart full of thanks

I am always very nostalgic around this time of the year (to which I chalk up to being my Dad's daughter-I love you Dad!!), and I often catch myself remembering how we celebrated Thanksgiving growing up. As you might well expect, a family of ten brought it's share of excitement and stories over the years. I will always cherish the hustle and bustle of everyone home for the holidays...a crowded house...sitting elbow to elbow in our little ranch home that was filled with love. I can almost hear the sound of Mom's old meat grinder, pushing out ounces and ounces of what was to become the coveted Turkey Pate. Those of us who had been craving it for the last twelve months knew that we had better get our fill before Gregg came home...or else we would have to wait until next year for another cracker full...I remember watching Dad carve the turkey just so...every piece cut to perfection...white meat on one side, dark on the other...and sneaking a taste for Gram during the slicing...I remember setting the tables...both the "grown up" table and the "kids table" and using the REAL cloth napkins...knowing they were saved for this special day...Mom outdid herself every year...making a feast fit for kings...then, when we had all sat down, Dad would read from his little burgundy Bible, and get teary when he talked about the goodness of the Lord, and all of His blessings He had shown to our family. (This teary part, I also inherited from my Dad!) I remember the folding of hands, the bowing of heads, and the peacefulness of a home that was simple, yet immense with respect to the impact that it had on every soul who entered.

Then, with each clink of a fork, and every "please pass the rolls", we would, without even realizing it, make memories that would last a lifetime. On this Eve of Thanksgiving, as I remember special times of years past, there is a fullness in my heart for a family that is unlike any other. Not because it was perfect or because it was without it's share of ups and downs...but just because it was mine.

Eat your heart out, Willy Wonka!

Chocolate covered cherry mice...mmmm

You name it, we covered it in chocolate today...from cherries to bananas to animal crackers...we are officially on Thanksgiving Break, and a major sugar high!

Way to go Reds!

Tonight was the last game of the fall baseball season, and the team went 6-0. What a great season!!! (And extra big shout out to the great coaches-Uncle Robbie and Aunt Marybeth-Woot woot!!)

Giving thanks

Trying to teach our kids about being thankful (grateful, content, satisfied) isn't always an easy task. We have learned this week about the first Thanksgiving, and all that was celebrated at that historic moment. Many things have change since the Mayflower hit that old Plymouth Rock...so I asked the boys what things they were thankful for...

Josh's "thankful" list:

That Jonathan's not crying

My hot wheels game

Pool table

Making us our Indian vests

Matt and Robbie

Jonathan

My TV where I can watch cartoons

Mom's pies

Nani, Papa, all my cousins, Aunts and Uncles

Jonathan's list:

my birthday toys

Aunt MB, Uncle Robbie, Robbie, Matt, Ali

My Dada

My cat

This year, my list has really gone back towards the same simple, yet vital things that our forefathers were thankful for...peaceful journeys, food for nourishment, loving family and friends. Peace in our hearts, fresh new beginnings, and a soul at rest. Thank you all for making our life that much more enjoyable along the way. Love and blessings to you this Thanksgiving!

Joy in the Journey

Every once in a while, God gives us the opportunity to redo something that was done poorly in the past. Most of the time, we think of it as a mountain...something negative that we have to get around, over, or through. But today, I have an excitement...and unspeakable joy about something good that we are able to redo from the past. I can't really give too many details, mainly because I don't have them all at this point, but suffice it to say, God, in His awesome way, is allowing us to right a wrong that was made many years ago, and we are so excited about it! It's not every day that we are allowed to retrace steps of the past, and then, from the vantage point of a traveller who has a little more experience and understanding under the belt, make adjustments to a path that once led to heartache, and redirect it to a divine destination. Yesterday, in our Bible class, Josh, Jonathan and I read the story of Joseph, one of my favorites. As I was teaching the boys about how God is always with us, even in the midst of circumstances that seem so bleak, God deposited that truth into my own heart once again. The beauty of how Joseph walked upright, even in the midst of adversity, with integrity of heart before the Lord. How his character never waivered, even when no one was looking. And the fact that what his brothers meant for harm, God fashioned for good, in a way that only He is able. Yes, he was betrayed by the brothers that he loved, yes, he was falsely accused, yes, he had to spend some time in a foreign land, and yes, he had to wait in prison more than two years...but I have no doubt in my mind that after everything was said and done, Joseph didn't regret a single moment of his journey. I so relate to Joseph at this time of my life, and I am so looking forward to the thrill of living out the truth of what the enemy meant for harm, the Lord meant for good! I think I can almost hear Joseph cheering us on...

~~Joy in the Journey, song by Michael Card~~

"There is a joy in the journey,there's a light we can love on the way. There is a wonder and wildness to life, and freedom for those who obey. All those who seek it shall find it, a pardon for all who believe. Hope for the hopeless and sight for the blind. To all who've been born of the Spirit, and who share incarnation with him; who belong to eternity, stranded in time, and weary of struggling with sin. Forget not the hope that's before you, and never stop counting the cost. Remember the hopelessness when you were lost?"