Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I love this holiday, as it is just rich with family traditions and good company and yummy food, plus a four day weekend, and it just doesn't get much better than that. And is there any better reason to have a holiday than just to remind us to look around and be thankful for what we have?

(As I type this, Annie and Ellie are getting increasingly annoyed with each other in the other room. Voices escalating, Ellie shrieks reverberating, threats of violence. Greg, standing next to me sighs and says, "I'll go check on 'em. Although, I have to tell you . . . my money is on Ellie. She may be small, but she's fiesty." Awww, I'm thankful for my girls and the sisterhood they share. Brings back memories.)

I'm thankful for my family.
First off, Greg. I cannot imagine my life without him . . . it's like his whole goal in life is to make me happy and make sure I'm taken care of. He is one of the most talented, sweetest, giving, intelligent, caring people I've ever met. And he's stuck with me. And we make really cute kids together. Sure, they shriek like banshee's while fighting over a singing snow globe, but they are the most precious things in my life. Watching them grow up, playing some role in shaping who they are, teaching them what I can, these things are among my greatest honors in life. I marvel at their sweetness, especially to each other (when they're in the mood for that kinda bonding), at their intelligence (it truly is mind blowing, the sponge like brains of toddlers that suck up everything and are able to turn around and use the new knowledge almost instantly), and their humor and personalities. These girls are amazing, and I can't believe I'm lucky enough to call them mine.

Next, my family beyond my own home. Greg and I both come from wonderful, strong, amazing families who have endlessly blessed our lives. Our kids are spoiled with love and affection from wonderful grandparents, as well as several amazing great grandparents. Greg and I were lucky to have been raised well, taught well and loved unconditionally. That has made us who we are today, and I'm thankful for that. We're surrounded by amazing siblings with talents and intellect and humor unparalleled. Just to highlight a few things -- genius runs amok in our families, with amazingly bright and gifted people who excel at a whole host of things. They're also blessed with amazing hearts, generous personalities and sincerity. Greg's sister is a pediatric nurse at Primary Children's Hospital, he has a brother who's in his final year of law school at Notre Dame, my sister is an amazingly gifted instructor (working in a job I always wanted to end up in at my own company -- training and development), and another sister who works in a research lab as a moleculear biologist. Just to name a few. We have siblings who are natural born leaders, who are a real influence for good in the lives of those around them, and whose potential really is limitless. I have a sister in law who I can talk to on the phone for hours at a time, discussing absolutely anything and everything. We've also had the amazing opportunity to raise kids of similiar ages together, and her parenting insights and experiences have helped shape the parent I am today. I have a brother in law who'll drive out of his way after classes at BYU to come and visit my girls, watching them while I run errands. I have a little brother who loves nothing more than playing in the mud and sand with my kids. My girls have many uncles who will happy chase them around and threaten to tickle them, getting squeals of delight for their efforts. All of these people have greatly influenced mine and Greg's life, but even more so now, I look to them as the examples and the people in my children's lives who will help shape who they are. My kids are amazingly lucky to have them.
Greg and I also have tons of Aunts, Uncles, cousins and friends who love our kids and want whats best for us. How could our kids really be any better off? They have such an amazing support system (and fan base).

To me, holidays are all about family. The time spent together, the traditions created and lived out each year. This is what makes holidays meaningful to me. And Thanksgiving is the prime example of this to me -- I cannot sit down and think about what I'm thankful for without pretty much completely focusing on my family.

But, in the spirit of the holiday, I want to think past that, and remember so many other blessings I have.

I'm thankful for the perspective and guidance I get in life because of my belief in, and personal relationship with, a loving, gracious Heavenly Father. I'm grateful I know more of my potential, and have higher expectations of myself, because I know I'm loved by the being who created all Heaven and earth.

I'm grateful for the home I live in, and where that home is located. I miss old friends and neighbors from past homes, but we feel so truly blessed to have found ourselves where we live right now. We're surrounded by wonderful neighbors and countless friends for ourselves and our girls. We are where we're supposed to be, and that is an amazing feeling.

I'm grateful for those who serve this country and insure our safety, both here and abroad. The sacrifices are immeasurable, and I cannot even fathom the character of those so willing to put their entire lives on hold, even put them at risk, to protect others.

I'm grateful for the opportunities we have -- Annie's able to go to dance and preschool, we have museums and parks close by, we spend countless hours as a family exploring this valley, and we are never without things to do. That's an amazing feeling.

I'm grateful for talents. My own, which make my life better by allowing me improve myself, as well as serve others through the talents I've been blessed with. And the talents of others, because so many people bless my life through the things they are able to do.

I'm grateful I have enough to share. We've worked hard this last couple months of some service projects, and watching my daughter go through her toys and help pick out those to give away was touching. Going to the store and being able to help her pick out toys and necessities for other families was another thing I'll treasure. Watching her begin to understand that not everyone has what she does, but that in some small way we can help out, is an experience of motherhood I would never want to miss out on.

I'm grateful for technology. My sister in law, who's raising kids alongside me, is actually states and states away. But we can call and talk, email and keep up with other each other's blogs. Even when I'm home alone for a long day with the kids, I have literally dozens of friends who daily enter into my life through technology -- phone calls, text messages, emails, comments on facebook or my blog. I never feel alone.

I'm grateful for the good health of me, my husband and my children.

I'm grateful that life just keeps getting better and better. And next Thanksgiving, I'll have even more to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!
(And thanks to you for reading my blog!)