Giving Thanks

My family has never taken on the ever infamous Thanksgiving tradition of going around the table and saying what we're thankful for. Perhaps it's just hard enough getting us all to sit at the same time, maybe it's because saying grace takes long enough and we're gluttons who just want to eat the delicious hot meal before us or maybe by the time dinner gets around we're all just too exhausted from sitting on the couch watching football the day of cooking. Regardless of the reasoning, this year I'd like to take a bit of time and really reflect on what I'm truly thankful for and could not imagine my life without.

• Jesus' immense love, saving grace and unending mercy.


• My Hunka Hunka Burning Love


• Living so close to family and getting to be a regular presence in the life of growing nieces.


• Other family members who aren't close, but are willing to drive a really long way, with three kids, to celebrate and spend time with us.


• My mother's willingness and diligence in reading my blog posts immediately upon publishing and letting me know of all the words I misspelled or misplaced punctuation what a great job I did. And everything else she does to love me and who she is.


• Obviously the usuals: health; a warm house; food on the table; freedom; wealth (we don't have much, but we have much more than many others).


• Friends with whom to celebrate, cry, rejoice, play and talk into the night.


• A job


• The gift that is delicious food


• Laughter and games


• Blaring out and singing along to Christmas music with my HHBL


• A warm, cozy and comfortable bed where I like to snuggle up and pretend I'm in the clouds.

Some of these things are a little more fun than the dramatic line "truly thankful and could not imagine my life without", but none the less they are what make up the small things in life that I do not care to take for granted.