I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!
I spent the 2 days before, full of stress and anxiety over making sure I had enough food, that it would all be cooked correctly and that people would be happy. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the worry over whether or not the house would be clean and tidy enough. Geez! I worked myself into a nutty frenzy. Then…I took a BIG breath, cried and decided I needed to let it go. Everything was going to be fine. All the food was going to be delicious and everyone was going to have a happy, relaxing, enjoyable holiday. After that moment, I was able to move forward happily. And guess what! I was right! No one cared if my laundry was done or my bed was made. They didn’t even care that the floors weren’t gleaming when the light hit them. Instead, they were happy to walk into a house that smelled of yummy goodness and was full of warmth, smiles and family. THAT is what it’s all about! And it was good!
Why we put these ridiculous demands and expectations on ourselves or why we allow the unreal expectations of others’ to creep in, I will never know, but I will continue to try to have a meltdown, shrug it off, move forward and know that it’s all good.
People relaxed, played games & visited
People were silly and happy to be together
People took pictures and shared
People gathered, gave thanks and feasted
I found a “winer” notice under my chair
Gabi had put winning notes under random chairs and then gave out prizes. We both got homemade fans. (I love the little things kids do!)
And we all got to visit with family that we don’t always get to see. I had 3 of my sisters, my brother and my parents with me and the kids. I’d like to show a pic of all of us, but it just didn’t happen. So here’s me and my brother Ted, who came up from San Diego. We used to see each other almost everyday. I miss him!
~Contented Sigh~
Now it’s time to say good bye to another Thanksgiving and get into the spirit of Christmas. I started yesterday. There’s still plenty of decorating to do, a few stockings and some Advent candles to buy, but here’s what I’ve gotten accomplished;
These are the little trees that I decorate with all the kids’ handmade ornaments.
A few of the stockings (they won’t all fit over the fireplace, so they’re in a couple different places). This morning Lex already went to feel the toe of his, just to make sure St. Nick didn’t make a guest appearance last night 
This still looks a little bare. But it’s all coming along. I’m excited for Christmas because ALL my kids will be here. I haven’t had them all together since LAST Christmas. I can’t wait!
One more Thanksgiving down, with lots and lots to be thankful for.
Doing the Dance of the Children into the Holidays~
- totally loved hearing about your Thanksgiving - and it made me say, "Amen sister!!" keep dancing - you are keeping ...
, phone calls made, my calendar updated, Oh yeah-dinner’s in the slow cooker and I made sure to announce my Story Time debut, but if you walked into my house right now, you’d see a stack of dirty pots and pans and every single knife in the house, waiting to be washed, vacuuming that needs to be done, clothes that need to be hung up and at least one bathroom that needs some attention given to cleaning detail.
