So Very, Very Thankful

I know that I say it every year, but its still true every year. And I want the boys to look back through this book about their childhood as they grow up and then even as adults, and know that its true. But we have so much to be thankful for. Much much more than we deserve. And to spend my favorite holiday at my Nana and Papa's house this year made it even more special because of the hard, hard road they've traveled this past year.

You might be wondering where are the pictures of all the fun family celebrations are. Well, the truth is we really didn't have much time to take many pictures this year. Honestly, I think we were all just so happy to have Nana and Papa healthy and with us that we were all determined to do every bit of the Thanksgiving Day work to make sure they rested the way they needed to be. Mama, Aunt Debbie, Britt, Becca and Lindsey and I took care of all the food. And Daddy, Uncle Wilson, Michael, and David rotated duties of picking up pecans, doing anything down at the shop Papa wanted them to, picking oranges off the trees, and running around on the farm with Thayer, Ben and Drew. Our last day there, Britt and Michael even made about 5 extra meals for them to keep in the freezer and pull out after we had left so she wouldn't have work to do.

We all pitched in to make sure that Nana and Papa both stayed off their feet as much as possible. Nana got so tickled because on the way down there we taught the boys to say "Nana, please go sit down" any time they saw her on her feet. Once we realized that she wasn't listening to us, we got more creative and began telling Drew to bring her books and ask her to read to him. I think that might be among my favorite memories; peeping in to watch her read book after book to my completely enthralled child that she used to read to me.

Yes, we did celebrate the Thanksgiving season plenty. And no, it didn't go just like it always has for many years. But it certainly was special. And some things just don't change: we always have a great time together, we always eat really good food, we always laugh till our sides hurt, and we are always there to help each other out. Yes, maybe this year more than any other, I feel so thankful to have been placed in this family. A happy Thanksgiving indeed.