Happy Thanksgiving

We will be with my awesome in laws, enjoying family and hopefully convincing all the girls to watch Pride and Prejudice with me.

I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving; it is exciting that Little Dude is old enough this year to really get into it and have fun. Remember tracing your hand to make turkeys out of construction paper? I can't wait. I'm taking all the stuff to Ed and Patty's so she can have fun watching Little Dude decorate his "turkey". I also made corn pudding, which I LOVE and can't wait to dig into.

I also have a review and contest going on here for some K'NEX blocks, which I am no IN LOVE WITH. Any blocks that let Little Dude build and withstand JR's attempts to knock down are peacemakers in our house!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Thankful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I am armed with my grocery list. We are going to be spending the holiday with my in-laws; however, I am going to be making the corn pudding and I'm excited because it is THA BOMB. Yes, THA BOMB. Greatest stuff ever that my grandma's grandma always made, on down the line on my Dad's side, and now I get to make. Holidays and growing up are fun like that.

But I digress.

This Thanksgiving is particularly hard for some people to find thankfulness. I have so many friends that still can't find jobs-and have been out of jobs for over a year now. I know a few people that are losing their homes to foreclose, and because I work in the real estate marketing industry, I am constantly reading about how hard the economy is in areas all over the country right now. And it is scary.

But in a way, what is scary is also good. Spending less on things we don't need has made me realize what we do need: just time with friends and family. We need the ability to be thankful for what we have and not dwell on what we want or don't have.

Even in the worst situations, there are things to be thankful for, and the truest way to show thankfulness is to be content with what we have.

Our Thanksgiving Car Ride....

Oh yes, we did almost 15 hours in the car with the kids so we could get back to NC in time for the holidays! Bill had to fly back to Mobile Sunday, but the boys and I will be at home until after Christmas! Boy,even though it wasn't bad am I ever glad I don't have to do this drive again for a little longer.....the last two hours Little Dude screamed. Yes you heard me, SCREAMED. Below you can see some of the happier moments.....

Total Cuteness

We had such a great Thanksgiving! It was so wonderful seeing so many of our family and friends and being home...I am on cloud nine and surrounded by total cuteness. Later today we are going to try a visit to Santa with the boys and THEN I might be getting a haircut; if there is time.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!!

I love the fall-all the lovely leaves, the crisp air, and all the holidays and food! Yummy! But you know, I don't know that I have ever truly celebrated Thanksgiving the way that perhaps I should. Or for that matter even thought of Thanksgiving in the way I should. Sure, I get excited about the food, the family-I even stress and moan about "how are we going to fit in visits to everyone..."

This year though, as I watch friends lose jobs, notice homes going up for foreclosure where families once played....I must say I am thinking of Thanksgiving a little differently. I am really quite humbled, and THANKFUL that my family is well, and we are able to live the quality of life we have. We are pretty darn blessed and lucky.

I often feel like I fail as a parent because the house isn't cleaned, I didn't make it to library time, dinner isn't ready in time....but I am able to afford staying home. And for me, that is a huge blessing.

All of us should be thankful, especially now as we watch people lose their jobs and homes. I should be thankful even for that dust up on the TV and the stains on my carpet I have yet to get out, simply because I haven't bothered to open the can of cleaner I bought months ago. All the toys my children have. We can pay the heating bill; we can afford for me to not work. Heck, I work from home just for the EXTRA money for me to spend however I want. HOWEVER I WANT.

And I find things to complain about, to NOT be Thankful for, like having to move to Alabama for my husband's job, and for that, I am rather embarrassed. Thank God he has a job, right?

So, this Thanksgiving, am going to focus on the giving, because I have SO MUCH to be thankful for.

You too can focus on the giving of today, by going through your home, cleaning out the items that are collecting dust, and give them to charities that help people and families that have hit hard times. Our local church here in NC AND in AL are involved in Catholic Charities, and even if you aren't Catholic, (or even Christian) Catholic Charities is a HUGE was to help others and you can even do all your giving anonymously, be it through money, food, or home items. Every bit can help.

And for those of you that enjoy outdoor work, Habitat For Humanity can use help right now as well, especially with winter coming quickly! How wonderful would it be to build a home for someone that otherwise wouldn't have one this Christmas? (And don't worry, you need NO experience-if I can do it you can too, TRUST me).

Yes, I am going to be Thanksgiving, and I hope you all do too.

Happy Thanksgiving!