An Attitude of Gratitude

We had a pretty good Thanksgiving. The running joke for the day was that we were all ruining Ryan's Thanksgiving. We took it easy, for the most part. Ryan and I spent the morning putting up Christmas trees at our house. This year, we went over to my mom's for our Thanksgiving feast. She made the most delicious turkey! My own contribution was a pumpkin cheesecake made from scratch. It turned out pretty good - Ryan thinks it might be the best dessert I've ever made. It's interesting to me how much things change over time. Growing up, Thanksgiving was a pretty huge party with so many friends and family in attendance we'd bring in several extra tables. But so many people have moved. This year, it was us, Jim & Amy, Matt & Resa and my mom - much smaller. This was also our 2nd Thanksgiving without my dad. I miss him so much. Rather than dwell on what and who is lost, I'm trying to focus on what's here. I'm grateful for so many things at this time. I'm grateful for my loving husband who also came with a great sense of humor. I'm grateful for my crazy three-year-old whose antics I don't usually understand but who has the ability to drive me up the wall and make me laugh at the same time. I'm grateful for the little miracle I'm about to meet next week (and for the heartburn, backaches and leg cramps to end, too). Especially at this time of economic hardship in the world, I'm grateful for a roof over my head and Ryan's employment. I'm grateful for food in my cupboard and leftovers in the refrigerator. I'm grateful for a grandmother who listened to the missionaries and my dad who wanted to know what made the pretty red head in the office (my mom, duh) so different and special. Without knowing it, they both made the same decision that has had a vast impact on my life by enabling me to be raised in the gospel. I'm grateful for my mom and all her encouragement. I'm also very grateful for my sisters and girlfriends who are always there for me.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!