Thank You, Thanksgiving

Oh Thanksgiving, such a sweet little respite before it all........begins. :)

I intended to share a peek back at Thanksgiving memories of past but instead find myself solidly rooted in the present, keenly aware of all that our family has to be thankful for, both on Thanksgiving Day and every day.

Our days have been so busy of late ( and doesn't it seem like I'm always writing and/or saying that now?!?) but very sweet. We have been relishing and taking full advantage of a very mild Autumn. To watch Little Man splashing in his rain boots in only a light coat yesterday morning is nothing short of amazing........pure bliss. Oh, I know Winter is coming and I welcome aspects of that Season too. But gracious ,this has been a gorgeous season and we have endeavored to make THE VERY MOST of it as only Midwesterners really can! (and maybe our friends to the North too!) :)

And I'm so behind on posting the oodles of photos I have been wanting to share! You all might still see pumpkins and skeletons peeking out from behind my kiddos in December if I ever get around to actually piecing those posts together. LOL

But if you came to my doorstep today you wouldn't find a trace or hint of Autumn. We bid farewell to the last remnants this past weekend, taking advantage of another gentle late afternoon and welcoming our Christmas cheer.....at least on the front porch!

Years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of bumping my pumpkins and gourds from their spot of honor before Thanksgiving but it seems that, like most other things, our family too was eager to leap into the Season & squeek out as many days of twinkle lights as possible!

Inside the house I caved in too. Yes, I did. Our big tree is up, festooned with its lights ~ but NO decorations yet. I stamped my foot right down on that, feeling quite smug in my self control, only to suggest this very afternoon that it might be fun for each kiddo to decorate their miniature trees and Lauren's petite bedroom tree. *sigh* Just call me Target or Wal-mart( well, I sort of prefer Target then I suppose).......LOL.......clearing the debris from one holiday before its even begun to make room for the next!

But gosh was it fun watching Lauren admire her diminutive pretties, some from her very first Christmas with us and little Tyler thrilling at each successful ornament placed on its perch, no matter how unsteady it might have sat!

And hey! I did insist on NOT bringing out the classic Christmas DVD's. I mean, I do have standards ya know! And we read every single Thanksgiving book we own today. Twice! :)

So here I sit, with handmade Turkeys vying for attention ( and space) with the first few trinkets of Christmas; there will be more to come, as Turkeys get tucked away and Christmas treasures unearthed from their basement slumber. Honestly? I can't wait!!!

There's also one more confession I need to make: we took the kids to see Santa this past Saturday. I know...I know. More to share, photos and all, on that one ~ but can I just say that walking right up, with no wait (no line!!), no fidgeting kiddos and overheated husbands AND witnessing our tiny guy hop right up beside Santa with no hesitation.........well, it was mighty darn magical even IF it IS still November. Ho Ho Gobble?? *grin*

And our attempt at taking our traditional Christmas card photo? Ummmm....let's just say its a work in progress and there's good news! It seems I will have another post of "outtakes" to share much like last year........cuz getting them both to look(and not appear constipated or in pain) in the same general direction AND smile AND have outfits coordinated, smoothed and wrinkle free?.........yeah, this year I might just settle for coordinating outfits!

And that brings me to my only grievance to share tonight. I do believe that at least one of you *ahem* or more ( you know who you are!) were supposed to remind me to begin taking said Holiday photo in June this year OR seek professional help as needed. Somehow I missed that memo friends. :) But its okay, cuz even if you had sent word in June, I probably would have been secretly eyeballing our Halloween (decoration) tubs down in our basement and would have missed it anyways! ;)

And, I'm going to be offline for most of the coming long weekend, so I'll wish you all a blessed & yummy Turkey weekend now. I'll be anxious to get caught back up with you all again soon!

Of course I can't close a Thanksgiving post without sharing a bit of sugar.

How thankful I am for these two: for his dimpled grin and belly laughs and her quick wit and huge heart. For his exuberance and her flair. For all that they are and because I wake up each day, not just on Thanksgiving, grateful for the gift of them. Just so happy to be their Mama.

Thank you, Thanksgiving!