It could not have been a more perfect Thanksgiving! The turkeys were done right on time. I have never cooked two turkeys at once and wasnt really sure on how long it would take. I really had my fingers crossed. The cranberry salad was perfectly tart and sweet. Football was enjoyed. Everyone had a chair/bench/barstool of some sort on which to sit. The mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, rolls, dressing and gravy were all completely gone by meal's end. And what was left was boxed up and sent back to the barracks with them for snacking later ton ight. All that was left for us was enough turkey for soup tomorrow and a couple of pieces of pie. They all seemed to have a good time and were amazingly compimentary of the food. I mean, its not hard to please Navy guys who would have had to eat turkey at the mess hall. But I am thankful.
Thankfulness is a topic that is so near and dear to my heart that I want it to ooze from every pour in my skin. However with little ones it is a most difficult idea to explain. But after talking about it quite a bit and a few projects on the topic, the past few days I have gotten little glimpses of thankfulness from the older two boys. And I felt like my heart would just burst. A few years ago anothre mother told me about their family's "thankfulness journal" where they write down or draw pictures of all things for which they are thankful. We've now adopted this same idea in our own home this year and it is working wonderfully. Thank you Katie! A few of tonight's entries appear at the bottom of this post.
Tonight at dinner, Zane went up to one of the sailors eating with us and gave him a big open armed hug and told him " I am so glad that you came to eat with us today because if you didn't, our house would not be so full." And yesterday Ian came home from pre-school and said that he was thankful for his teacher Miss Melissa because "she is sssoooooooooooooooo funny". Thankfulness.
So tonight my heart is full. And full of thanks. Thankful for the 21 sailors and 10 friends and neighbors who came to eat with us. Thankful that many of them have volunteered to protect our country and my family through their military service. Thankful that one single mother had a place to hang out for a minute or two tonight and unload some of her gravitizing burden. Thankful for our health as so many of our friend's kids are sick right now. Thankful that I have a husband who is so loving and ever involved in the details of the boys' lives. Thankful that he loves even the hard to take parts of me. Thankful for my family who has handed down so many grounding values. Thankful that a new baby (my nephew Aiden Michael) has come into our family safely and brightly. Thankful for enough food to feed everyone tonight. Thankful for all of you that I have gotten to know and who have sent such kind comments. And most of all, thankful that everyday I feel more and more comfortable being me.
Here are a few of tonight's entries from our Thankfulness Journal. Everyone who ate dinner with us tonight was asked to jot something down. It began, "I am thankful for..."
- The new adventures and people life brings
- Legos and the color yellow
- My three boys who are healthy and love, love to run!
- My secure job and that I am able to stand on my own two feet like a man should
- My friends and family and dinner tonight
- The sunshine
- My son
- The opportunity to better myself
- My toys and my dog Scout
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving...we did.
P.S. Please do not think I actually "made" the whole dinner myself. A neighbor volunteered to make the dressing and Boston Market was responsible for the pies few of the sides. But no one seemed to even care it was all so good.