Thanksgiving 2014

My parents and brother/sister-in-law/nephew are up in West Virginia today, Thanksgiving proper, to celebrate with extended family.  We weren't able to go due to work schedules (mostly mine, surprisingly - Thanksgiving was my holiday to work this year, but the hospital just called and told me not to come in due to low census, so now I'm on call from home until 11am.  Barring any massive group head and neck trauma coming through the ED, I likely won't have to go in since no one is really operating today.  Yippee!).  Knowing that we wouldn't be together today, we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Acree family a few weeks ago (minus Katie - we miss you terribly, sister... Come home!).

On Tuesday, instead of our normal Community Group meeting, we had Friendsgiving Potluck.  It was actually very impressive and pretty much an entire, legit Thanksgiving meal.  We hosted at our home, so we did the turkey.  Not sure what happened with the skin there (my mom says the turkey looks like it had a thoracotomy).   We used a dry brine this time, and it was pretty great.  Totally easier than doing a wet brine and just as delicious.  So, we've had two Thanksgiving meals this year, and since I was supposed to work today, we're laying low this evening... But tomorrow begins the Christmas season and we'll be getting our tree!

Anyways, since I was up early anticipating going into work, and since it's Thanksgiving, and since I don't stop quite as often as I'd like to do so, I thought I'd take a moment and be grateful for my most prized possessions...

This one's obvious.  He's my hero and best friend and I'm grateful for him every second of my life.  Also, he's quite handsome.  Thankful for that.

And he's the best dad anyone could ever hope for.




These two are my heart.  It is fascinating to see little humans grow into bigger humans, with hearts and minds and personalities and hands (something about their little hands growing bigger and bigger every day just tugs at my heart strings).  Just yesterday, we were headed into Whole Foods to grab a few Thanksgiving goodies and have lunch, and James suddenly exclaimed, "YAY!" and clapped his hands when he realized where we were (he loves that he gets to choose his lunch items from their huge hot/cold bar).  I had tears!  Who taught him to say "Yay!" ??  He's such an adult.

And oh, how being a mama has changed me (cliche, but true).  I have never so clearly known how self-focused and self-reliant I am, seeking my own good and comfort, usually above most others, and counting on my good works to get by.  Sometimes husbands allow you to continue in that... but not so, these little people that you bring into the world.  They're so needy, and I watch them, and it's like I'm looking in a mirror and realizing how needy I really am.  I am not self-sufficient at all! And I certainly cannot do motherhood (or wifehood or nursing or life) on my own, and I'm not expected to!  The Lord wants me to lean into Him and into His Church.  This, I'm learning.  And grateful for.



And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:17