Giving Thanks

Hopefully everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Ours had it's ups and downs - between feeling sick myself, having a late Tuesday night with AJ (complete with vomit and hours of crying - him, not me - although I felt like it), and Steve having stomach issues on Friday and Saturday. BUT, we did have a great
Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving as we hung out with the Smith's, the Titus', the O'Connors, and the Field's.
Thursday dawned bright and sunny and turned out to be a wonderful day. This year we opted out of traveling anywhere and decided to relax in our own town with our own friends and spent the day with the O'Connors. It was a perfect holiday - relaxed, lots of laughing, lots of food, a few surprises, reckless trips on a four-wheeler, anxiety-induced heart palpitations (Lisa), a cooked bag of turkey guts, and what's a friendly get-together without board games??
Being a bum, I took exactly ZERO pictures on Thanksgiving, but Dan did send me a few that he took. AJ absolutely refused to get on the "tractor" and Owen also refused at first, but after I bribed him with a promise of marshmallows, he was game. :) I actually forgot about the marshmallows though, and so did he - so don't remind him.



He even gave a go at driving it. :)



I'm thankful for a lot this holiday weekend. I'm thankful for my beautiful and healthy family. I'm thankful that we're in a place where we've made some friendships that have lifelong potential. I'm thankful that my brother had a successful surgery last week and even got his wish to be pampered overnight. :) I'm thankful that my sister and her husband are settled in a new state, a new life, and making new friends. I'm thankful for my new nephew. I'm thankful my parents got to build the house they've wanted for awhile. I'm thankful that my business has grown. I'm thankful for the students and athletes that I've been priveleged to meet through Steve's school. I'm thankful that I get to coach volleyball at yet another school. I'm thankful that I've "settled" here - more so than any other place we've been in the last 4 years. I'm thankful for every twist and turn that life throws my way to keep me on my toes. Yup. A lot to be thankful for.....