Thanksgiving

Our lives are blessed.  We have so much to give thanks for.   I found this quote a few years ago and really liked the perspective it gave on celebrating the original Thanksgiving...

"The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."

This thanksgiving has been a hard one.  Circumstance in my life through the past few weeks have made the act of giving thanks something I had to choose to do rather than something that came easily.   However, once I started to focus on having an attitude of thankfulness it became easier and easier.  

I have been loving the Psalms, and on Thanksgiving day we read Psalm 147:1-7, 12, around the table.

“Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

The Lord builds up His people; He gathers the outcasts of the land.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of stars; He gives to all of them their names.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

His understanding is beyond measure.

The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God!

Praise the Lord, O you chosen ones!

Praise your God, O you people!”

No matter what circumstances are in our lives, as believers in Jesus Christ, we can give thanks!  

Truly I have SO VERY MUCH to praise God for this year!

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  Benjamin & Joseph were very interested in the entire cooking process this year, and were right there being my "helpers"

Thanksgiving morning was spent just enjoying our little family, doing some cleaning & preparation, playing, and watching the parade on television.  The boys really loved the parade this year.  Especially the Broadway-type musical numbers.  

 Our table is small, but we made it work by adding a card table.  Not fancy, but it works.  {grin} Aunt Kristi, Aunt Pam & Uncle Nate came over for a Thanksgiving lunch.

I missed getting a good picture of everyone around the table (do those pictures ever turn out?!), but I promise we were all there & we ate plenty.
We love just being able to spend time with our family.  

The day was so beautiful that after the boys had a nap, I took them to a local park where they played coat free! 

  

I am blessed & so thankful for these 2 boys!

 We finished the day with pumpkin pie, leftovers and games.

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Thanksgiving weekend (late Friday and all Saturday) was spent with Doug's parents.  It was a very nice, relaxing time.  I failed miserably at taking pictures, so you will just have to trust that is was a special time.  We ate good food, talked late into the evening while eating pecan pie, laughed at the boys, and just enjoyed being together.  

We did take some time to visit with Great Grandma.  I am so glad my boys have had the opportunity to know her.  

 I hope each one of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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“God’s quest to be glorified and our quest to be satisfied reach their goal in this one experience: our delight in God which overflows in praise. For God, praise is the sweet echo of his own excellence in the hearts of his people. For us, praise is the summit of satisfaction that comes from living in fellowship with God.” ~ John Piper

I will bless the Lord AT ALL TIMES;  His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  Psalm 34:1

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