So much to be thankful for...

I guess I am just as guilty as most - I complain about my family with their weird quirks and the extra time it takes out of my schedule to spend time with them, but when the holidays roll around and we all gather, especially over a meal - my heart is warmed... Frustrations of the past year are melted away and I feel a joy inside to just have everyone in one house not killing each other - it's pretty close to bliss for me...

This year with my Dad going through surgery I have so much to be thankful for. He it getting so much better so fast, he was up and around; supervising the kitchen, to a lesser degree than normal, but still helpful when I had a question - and right here for the money shot basting the turkey...

Mom and Jim were in town and I had a great time hanging out with them. They were very helpful in the preparation of the meal and the morning of thanksgiving, making sure it all came together - it was a nice to have them around...

I decided on a square table this year with all of the food on the table rather than buffet style. The layout was right, but nixing the buffet was not... note to self for next year... We had: turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn, fresh baked crescent rolls and many different kinds of pies - it was a feast.

11 in total came and we had nice conversation and much laughter around the table...

As a took a step back, I thought about how much I have to be thankful for: My Lord and Savior, my dad's healthy recovery, my mother and step dad, my sister and her wonderful fiance Doug, Doug's family, my wonderful freiend Shel and her dad, and the beautiful home God has blessed me with... Ahh yes and the mess everyone left as I found myself scrubbing till midnight after the festivities...

Hmmm well I leave in the morning for Modesto, so at least I will come home to a clean house...