giving thanks

When I stop to think about all of my blessings and all that I have that causes me joy; it's slightly unbelievable.  I can hardly pull myself away from such things tonight as I sit down to think about it.

We celebrated in our smallest, most relaxed Thanksgiving gathering yet, with siblings unable to be here, and family members out of town.  I managed to keep myself out of the tryptophan coma after indulging in the most yummy traditional Thanksgiving foods.  I think Ruby's favorite food was the butter off of the top of her roll.  Then it was back to the land of the Little People.

 I managed to attack the remaining Christmas shopping as I allowed the food to settle, and with the exception of one thing to pick up and two things to order I am D.O.N.E.

As we venture into the Christmas season, I want to remember all of my blessings daily.  Being a headstrong, type A, perfectionist, I am often not satisfied with my progress on various things, and I get caught up in laundry (not actually caught up as that seems completely impossible at this stage in life), how clean my floors are (or not), and the remaining hundred things on my to do list.  It doesn't matter.  What matters now, is the time I spend cherishing my girls, my husband, and my family. I am thankful I have laundry to get behind on; floors that aren't dirt, and the freedom to make a different to do list every single day.  I'm thankful for a dirty house...because it's home.  It's our home.  

I am most thankful for the love and the support that surround me, an understanding husband who loves me, parents that are close by to shower me and my family with love.  Most of all, I am thankful for the title of mom.  I will probably never understand how I was blessed with two unbelievably beautiful and precious children, but I am forever grateful.  And while I feel like I'm giving an acceptance speech for some music award (acting would actually be more realistic, though only slightly), I must say: I am so thankful to know Jesus Christ.  It's an ever growing relationship of love, thanks, forgiveness, and understanding.  My world is so bright. 

And because it seems important: my long-lashed Roo Roo is probably most thankful for paper and scissors today; I can only hope that she never figures out the connection with scissors and hair.  Doll hair or her own.  My favorite part about watching her in her first encounters with scissors is that her mouth must be open to cut her very best.

She managed to drum up an original tune as she cut:

I like to cut.

I like to cut turkeys.

I like papers all the time.

I like to sing all the time.

Happy Thanksgiving; I hope you all have as much to be thankful for as I do.