Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No presents, no stress, just food and family. Awesome. We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving this year. I am so grateful that my kids are able to grow up near both sides of the family, but it does get a bit overwhelming on holidays. Last year, we had a 2-week old baby, and we flat out refused to go anywhere. And you know what? I kinda liked it. So we decided that we will have one holiday where we stay home, and that holiday is Thanksgiving. People are welcome to come on over, but I'm staying put. We watched the parade in the morning, made a few Thanksgiving crafts with the kids, and of course, ate a lot. Aaron loves to cook, and he put on quite a spread. Turkey, potatoes, homemade rolls, apple and pumpkin pies. I took care of the stuffing (from a box), the salad (from a bag), and the cranberry sauce ( from scratch - I know, unbelievable!). We also watched Elf that night.

Gracie ate so much that she was at the table for a good half hour after everyone else had left. This is the child that weighs just under 18 pounds at a year old and the doctor is "keeping an eye" on her because she's so small. Considering she put away more than a linebacker, I'm thinking we don't have much to worry about.

We may not have as much as others, but we have so much to be thankful for. Our family is healthy and happy, we have the gospel in our lives, we have many generous people who help us through tough times. We have many wonderful friends, and our families are close and there whenever we need them. If I ever doubt that I have been blessed abundantly, all I need to do is walk into my house after going out by myself for a little while - four kids chase me down and tackle me with hugs, and my husband greets me with such joy, since I am now rescuing him from being solely responsible for the aforementioned kids. :) I am truly blessed.