Thanksgiving Recap

We headed to our relatives out of state right after I got off work on Wednesday, to try to get there as soon as possible and not delay Sam and Anna's bedtime too much.  The 5ish hour drive was mostly uneventful but I am really looking forward to the day when we don't have to do that anymore! Thanksgiving morning we were able to wake up at Grandpa Butch and Grandma Roxie's and spend a little time with them before the 40+ people arrived during nap time to celebrate Thanksgiving.

 

Sam and Anna have always easily adapted to other unfamiliar people so it was no big deal that there were only 6 people when they went down for their nap but over 40 there when they woke up.  We just took a little bit of time going upstairs in all the hustle and bustle.  Unfortunately, right after Sam got up, there was a major catastrophic event that shook everyone up, which resulted in an ambulance visit and first responders to arrive, never a good thing, much less on Thanksgiving.

 

Sam and Anna's almost-1-year-old second cousin fell off the bed and had a seizure.  I was one of only two adults in the room at the time (neither one were her parents, but I was not the one watching her at the time).  It was the baby's second seizure in less than a week, the other one was connected to a fall as well.  Super scary.  Also crazy because less than a hour before, I had been talking to the mom of the little girl about the first seizure and how I could not imagine witnessing that.  I was the one who told the mom what was happening before she saw her daughter.  The poor parents spent most of Thanksgiving at the hospital, but everything ended up okay and they were able to eat when they got back.  (They have an appointment with a neurologist this week and hopefully can get some answers about the seizures.)

 

Meanwhile, my husband's stepbrother rolled his truck  on his way over to the house due to the weather (but he was okay). and my husband's aunt fell badly while trying to move a vehicle for the ambulance.  She was swollen and bruised, but okay too.

 

After all that, I need to move on to the better stuff:  Sam and Anna had a blast playing with their second cousins. 

 

Anna was in love with Grandma's Hungry Hippos game.

She also made up this game where she dramatically fell out of this rocking chair... and of course everyone laughed because she was so dramatic.  Which resulted in her doing it over, and over, and over, and over again.  My little actress in training.

The little kids "played" pool with plastic spoons.

Sam played a hand game with the big girls.  It was sweet of them to move over and let him try to join in.  Also cute to watch.

The next day, Sam and Anna made cookies with their grandma.

 

We took some time to stop and visit with Sam and Anna's Great-Grandma Marie (92 years old). 

4 generations

With Aunt Lindsay

We also spent an evening at my brother's house before returning home.  That meant in 4 nights and 5 days we visited all 3 sides of our families- whew!

Sam and Anna had fun playing with their cousins Zach and Alex.  Alex is less than a month older than they are.

 

Anna had fun with the "new" to her toys.

The boys had a blast being silly and wild!

Happy Thanksgiving

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We, of course, have so much to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. No need to buy anything, so over commercialism is kept at bay. No need to stress over gifts, and it is 100% okay to eat as much you want and indulge. Hoping your homes are filled with joy and lots of thanks on this special day!

Thankful.

I've tried to compose this post in my head while I'm driving or in the shower; blowdrying or flat ironing my hair (the way posts usually come about for me) and I get caught up in the right words every time. I just can't put into words how thankful I am this year. I thought I was extremely thankful last year- but now I realize I was mostly thankful for what was to come and the closure of where I had come from. Now I am thankful for what is.

Today is Sam and Anna's In and Out Day. (I don't know if this is a generally accepted day or if it has a generally accepted name, but I'm calling it that.) It has been 37 weeks 2 days since Sam and Anna's Birth Day. Sam and Anna were 37 weeks 2 days gestationally old when they were born. That means they were in as long as they have been out in the world. How perfectly fitting that this days falls on Thanksgiving. I am so very thankful for the 37 weeks and 2 days that I was able to experience them in me. I am so very thankful for the past 37 weeks and 2 days that I have been able to hold them in my arms. And I am so very thankful for all the weeks and days to come that they will continue to be a part of my life.

There are no words to adequately describe the thankfulness in my heart. I am so very thankful for the miracles in my life. I am more blessed than anyone in the world that I was chosen to be their mother. And beyond that, I am at a loss for words.

The Most Thankful Thing

It's the time of year when I read lots of Thanksgiving books to my kindergarten class. Today I read a book that OH MY GAWD- brought me to tears, right there in front of my kids. It did the same thing last year... but for a different reason.

The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt is a great Thanksgiving book. Here's a summary of the story: When a little girl asks her mom what her "most thankful thing ever" is, Mom turns the question into a fun trip down memory lane. Turning the pages of Mom's photo album, they discover many wonderful moments in Mom's life, from summer camp to winning a trophy in a soccer tournament, from singing onstage to her wedding day. But one event in Mom's whole life is the very best ever, topping even marrying her husband -- the birth of her precious little girl.

Last year (and probably the year before) when I read this book out loud, I got choked up because I wondered if marrying my husband would be my most thankful thing ever for the rest of my life- and if I would get to ever experience something even better- holding my children for the very first time after their birth. This year, there were tears- not for the same reason, but because my most thankful thing to top all others is right around the corner.

My two precious miracles are my most thankful thing ever. Hands down, no contest. I am beyond grateful that this thanksgiving I can be thankful for them.