It's a good thing I never went into labor during Tennessee football season.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are headed to visit family in Tennessee. The kids are so excited as well as the extended family and grandparents we are visiting. My parents have called several times to tell us to be careful and that we will be driving through fog and rain, but to grandmother's house we go!

Eat, be joyful and enjoy the time with your families. Also remember all that you have to be thankful for.

Those Cards

I was in the basement store room thisafternoon trying to organize things in preparation for putting away the fall decorations and getting out the Christmas ones. I called Matt in to help me moe a couple of boxes. While he was moving the boxes he spotted the boxes that hold all of his baseball and basketball cards. (We have many issues over these cards by the way.) He pulled the box down and started going through them. He decided to hand some over to Gabe who has been collecting football cards. Matt started this little hobby too. Anyway, Gabriel asked about some cards and here is how that comversation went;

Gabriel: "What are those cards?"
Matt: "Those are just a bunch of crap cards."
Gabriel: "Can I have those crap cards?"

Me: "Good one, crap cards." (whispered)

I am still wondering, if they are a bunch of crap cards, why is he still holding onto them so tightly?

Moral: Don't day anything around kids you don't want repeated.

I have not done the last couple of Thursdays only because I forgot and then didn't take the time to do it. I am not missing today and I am Thankful for that. With that said here is my list of things I am thankful for this week.

1. Communication: I am very thankful that Matt and I can communicate together. When he was gone I realized how much I bounce ideas off of him thoroughout the day. I aso realized how much I enjoy that communication. It was hard only being able to catch him once in a while and to talk with him breifly on the phone a handful of times. I am also thankful that when he is home how well we communicate our thoughts, hopes, prayers and dreams with each other. At least most of the time.

2. Matt being home: I am thankful that Matt is home safe and sound. It has made life just that much easier with him here. We all missed him very much and life seems much more normal now.

3. Thankful thoughts: I am thankful for the thankful thoughts our family has been sharing with one another in the past week. I just hope it helps us all to realize all that we have, instead of all that we don't.

4. Christmas music: I love Christmas music. It makes me happy. If I had it my way I would listen to Christmas music year round but I have limited myself to listen from Nov-Jan and then it's put away until the next year.

5. Thoughts of God: I am thankful for all the thoughts of God and Jesus the kids have been sharing during our thankful activity. It makes my heart very glad.

6. The holidays: I am thankful for the holidays. I love the time between Halloween and New Years. I love the time spent with family, the extra warmth I feel in my home with the decorations set out for each of the different holidays, the music and the traditions. I just love this time of year. And I akways hope for that wonderful White Christmas.

7. Hockey: I am thankful that Gabriel is having so much fun with learning to skate. Matt was able to attend the last practice and was able to see Gabriel skate without the slide bar/ walker for the first time. He so looks forward to each week. And this weekend he will have a wonderful surprise with Matt taking him to the rink for a father son skate.

8. Gymnastics: I am thankful that Abby is enjoying her gymnastics class. She is having fun jumping, rolling, hanging upside down and just prancing around on the mat. When asked if she wanted to do the next session she enthuastically said, "YES!!"

9. Friends: I am especially thanful for the friends who called to talk while Matt was away in Asia. And for that special friend, Angelica, who called and invited the whole crew over for dinner because she knew I needed a little break. And for Carrie, who helped me when I needed a ride to take care of a car I hit that was sitting in our driveway. I hope that one solves itself, and soon. I am also thankful for the encouraging words from firends when I especially need it.

10. Closing for the Winter: I am thankful that all our preparations and closes for the winter are almost done. The pool is closed except for the cover. The irrigation lines have been cleared of water. And most of the yard items we store during the winter months have been put away. This makes things just a little simpler.

11. No more Mowing: I am thankful that Matt has one less thing to do on weekends. There will be no more mowing until spring. This will help Matt to have a little more free time to do the things he would much rather be doing like skating with Gabriel, playing on the computer, reading or just playing with th kids.

Okay, so I have a very long list this week. I could probably come up with more to add but will stop here. I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week. I also hope that you remember to be thankful for the little things happening all around you everyday.

Last year the kids and I worked on a paper chain to decorate the house with for Christmas. On each chain we would write something we were thankful for. This year we have started a new one. Every night at dinner we think about something that we are thankful about. I hope that it helps us all to remember all that we have. Some of the things we have been thankful for a normal everyday items like our food, toys, family, specific accomplishments, health and specific activities but some of them hve surpised me too. Here are some of the things we have been thankful for in the past week.

Gabriel: I am thankful for God making our bodies.
Gabriel: I am thankful for the world God made.

Abby: I am thankful for daddy come home.
Abby: I am thankful for gymnastics.

Matt: I am thankful I will see my parents in a couple of weeks.
Matt: I am thankful for fall days.

Carmen: I am thankful for hugs and kisses.
Carmen: I am thankful Gabriel's reading.

Our thankful thoughts don't have to be profound. I just want us to remember all the good things we have and that are happening in our lives.

What is Christmas???

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I love the decorations, dream of white Christmases, love the traditions that come with the holiday and love the time spent with family. Growing up I loved going to the midnight service. I loved listening to the Christmas story told during the sermon, the Christmas music that was played and sung, and the candle light at the end. I also remember the excitement of going to bed to wait for Santa Claus to come and leave presents in our stockings and under the tree. The excitement on Christmas morning was increased while waiting until mom had her coffee ready and everyone was up. These things are all things I would like my children to experience.

But I have a delima and it is how to balance the true meaning of Christmas with the commercial one. I definitely want my children to know that the greastest gift they could ever receive has already been given to the. I want them to understand that Jesus is that gift and know all that he is and means. But at the same time I want them to enjoy the other traditions like Santa Clause, presents, stocking, food and decorating for the holidays. As October ends it seems that Thanksgiving is forgotten in the preparation for the Christmas holidays. Kids start being bombarded with commercials of the toys they must have this holiday season. The news talks about the must have toys for the holiday. Stores are decorated for Christmas and playing Christmas music. And commercials like the Best Buy one we saw where everyone is wanting to open their presents and the Dad says you can open them after we go see Gradma. The family hops into the car pulls up in front of Grandma's house where she is waving from the front porch. The family starts waving and saying hi and then the mom says, "I think were done." and they drive off.

Right now I want my kids to think about all they are thankful for instead of all the things they want for Christmas. I also want them to know that Christmas isn't just about the receiving of gifts but of the giving as well. I enjoy giving gifts. I enjoy thinking long and hard about the individuals I am giving gifts to and what I perceive is the perfect gift. I hope I do a good job of that. But I really want the kids to know GOD and know that the greatest gift we will ever receive came from him and that was the birth of Jesus. And that is why we celebrate Christmas.