It was a great Thanksgiving

To do, or not done?

I am feeling a bit guilty about my Thanksgiving post in which I sound a bit too Martha. So today you get Nanette-for-real.

My crystal clear windows
The corner where...

...these pictures are supposed to be hung.

The thankful tree project we started weeks ago

and the paper beast

I wish you all a day of completed to-do lists.

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Thessalonians 5:17

The eggs are speaking

I opened my eggs to find this:

I showed Adam and he said, "It's like even the eggs

are judging me."

:)

Thanksgiving is coming (I can already feel the after-dinner yawn coming on)

I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year. This will be my second time hosting; last year I hosted my mother and father-in-law, my husband's grandmother and brother. This year will be my parents, sister, and aunt, as well as the four of us.

Besides obviously being in charge of the bird, I will be making gravy, cranberry pineapple sauce, stuffing, green beans, rolls, my mom's yummy salad - a jell-o/tapioca/fruit/cool-whip concoction(anyone who has ever been to anything my mom has hosted knows what I am talking about), apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, and a nibbling tray in case I am late with dinner. (Last year I was only five minutes late, but you never know.)

Mom is making her legendary sweet potato casserole that is the stuff legends are made of. :) And I talked her into making the mashed potatoes too, as one type of potato is just not enough. I love carbs, but detest peeling potatoes, so thanks, Mom. She is also bringing a chocolate lush for my sister's birthday which is Friday, so we will sing to her on Thursday while we are all together. My aunt is bringing a pumpkin pie, because you can't have Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie.

I finished my food shopping today for the big day. I think. I will probably be back at some store this week. I thought I could stay somewhere close to my usual weekly grocery budget. I didn't. And that is okay. Since I have company over for dinner about 3 times a year, I can splurge on these celebratory occasions. And celebrating the estimated 36, 476 things we have to be thankful for is a pretty good reason to celebrate, don't you think?

A week of thanks is better than just a day, so Happy Thanksgiving Week everybody!

And to get us in the thanking spirit, leave a comment with an "I am thankful for..."

(come on lurkers, you can do it!)

I am thankful for all of you who take the time to read here. I hope you have a great time with family and friends, hearts full of love and gratitude, and bellies full of food.

On Saturday

I did this:

Joey did this:

This was a snack.

Good times.

Holding tight

I am so happy I have my daughter. I am so happy I have my Joey too, but I have always had a desire for a daughter and am so pleased the Lord gave me this crazy, quirky girl named Katie. I love to hold her, and she loves to be held. Since she was just a little thing, she has given me "monkey hugs", where she hugs not just with her arms, but with her legs as well, all curled around me tight.

At night, when I rock her before I lay her down, is my favorite time. Chest to chest we rock together, her head on my shoulder, my hair between her fingers. She is relaxed, and so am I. There are no distractions or annoyances. I just rock, and hold, and enjoy her. Sometimes, in these moments of enjoying my Katie, I miss my Natalie.

My mind has played through all the moments and milestones - first steps, first words, pretty dresses and pigtails - that I will never enjoy with Natalie. After I got pregnant with Joey, I feared it would be difficult to not constantly compare my child in my arms with my child in Heaven. Surprisingly, that has never been my reality. The Lord has blessed me with the ability to enjoy my children, without comparison. I miss Natalie, and I always will, but it never interferes with the pleasure and joy I experience as I see each day unfold for the two I have with me.

Though from time to time, holding my little girl does make me long to hold my Natalie again. Holding Natalie was all I was able to really do in our time together. But I wish I could have held her longer; letting her go was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Some nights I hold Katie and the prayer escapes my heart, Lord, please don't take this one too. But every time I pray that prayer, I hear a gentle whisper telling me she is not my own.

She is yours, Lord.

So I hold my daughter in my arms. I rock her to sleep and love every second of it. I can never hold Natalie again on this earth; I can savor each embrace with Katie. I hold on tight. And I will trust my Lord if I ever have to let go.

T minus 5 days, 19 hours and counting

The turkey has landed. I repeat, the turkey has landed.

Three Thanks Thursday

Today I am thankful that:

1. I mowed the lawn for the last time (hopefully) this year.
2. I had a little time at the mall - just me and a cup of Starbucks.
3. God answered my prayer for Adam to sell his car this week. Amen!

It is 2 p.m.

Katie has bowel issues, and the resulting bad diaper rash.
I have a headache (it's back) and allergies.
I am in my pajamas.
It's all good.

Oh, yeah!

I just spent the last 10 minutes making myself non-hideous. Because...

I am going on a date! Adam called around 4 and told me a baby-sitter would be here at 7 and we are going out to dinner. Together. No children. How wonderful is that!? I do have to slave through making some french toast for the kids, but then off for some alone time and a yummy dinner with my most favorite person in the whole wide world (which is worth every brush stroke that went into the non-hideous endeavor)

I am so happy! (and so thankful the LORD took my headache away - I was fighting off a doozy I thought might ruin tonight, but I prayed for healing and He did, amen!)

Good enough

I am so glad I do not have to work my way to Heaven.

I am eternally grateful for the free gift of salvation. What if salvation was because of my good works? I would have to work hard everyday to prove to the Lord that I love him enough, that I am dedicated enough, that I am worthy; and everyday I would fail, fail, fail.

I can never prove my goodness to the LORD, because I am not good.

What a relief to know that Jesus's goodness is good enough. I enter Heaven claiming Jesus. And then spend the rest of eternity praising Him. It is simple and magnificently wonderful at the same time.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Titus 3:5

It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. Psalm 18:32

That is good enough for me.

Mmmm

Since I purchased a few booklets of McDonald's trick-or-treat coupons, we have stopped to get (free) burgers a little more often than usual. Katie quickly learned what those golden arches mean, and when I drive by a McDonald's restaurant she says, "Buhguh, Buhguh!" (Katie speak for burger).

Then last Sunday Katie pointed to an upper case M on the cover of Joey's notebook and said, "Buhguh"! She has since pointed to an m in the text of one of her books, as well as the M in the word May on our months-of-the-year chart and proclaimed "buhguh."

It would figure that Katie's first stroke of genius would have to do with food.

That's my girl!