The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

It truly IS the most wonderful time of the year. Out of all the holidays, occassions, anything you can name from the day before Thanksgiving until Christmas Day is my absolute favorite!!

We're having my entire side of the family here for T'giving Dinner. I soooo wish Jerry's family could be here too. I've been a baking fool today. Made 3 kinds of cookies, a chocolate chip pie, 2 pecan pies and 2 pumpkin pies. Yum!!

I've been thinking today while things were in the oven about how much we really have to be thankful for. Besides the obvious things like being healthy and happy......

I'm thankful for my granddaughter, Maliyah. She's the apple of my eye and brings so much into our lives every day. I'm thankful that she lives closeby and I can see her often. I'm thankful that she has such wonderful parents to care for her, teach her and help her grow. I know I'll never have to be one of those grandparent's who worry that their grandchild is being mistreated or neglected.

I'm thankful for my children...now that may seem like a given but anyone who knows our kids knows how truly blessed we are in that dept. They all have their crazy quirks but they're all pleasant, funny, respectful of others, caring and kind hearted. All things I hoped they would grow up to be.

I'm thankful for our church. Jerry & I joined the Baptist Church here back in April on Easter. We were both baptized the following Sunday. We've been made to feel so welcome and accepted in that church. We have a wonderful pastor, great Sunday School class. We came to realize that life here on earth is too short to waste it on being angry at others, trying to get revenge or wanting more "stuff". We're blessed in all that we have and for that we are thankful.

I'm thankful that no matter how bad things may seem sometimes, I have the ability to look around at others and realize that things here are good. :-) Life isn't always a bed of roses but it only takes one look around to realize that it's pretty darn close. Those occasional trials only make the victory sweeter :-)

I'm thankful to live in this country and for the men who fought and still fight to keep it free. We all may complain about things here "in America" sometimes but we still live in the greatest country in the world!!

I'm thankful for the things my daddy taught me. There are some people in life who make things unpleasant. They try to take my joy. They're angry or bitter for whatever reason and try to project that on others. My daddy taught me how not to let that happen and try not to get angry at them for being that way. It's not always easy to do but I try to.

More than anything else, I'm thankful for family and laughter. Those 2 things go hand in hand to me. I have the greatest family in the world and we're so blessed to be able to find things to laugh about and to be able to spend time together. I can't imagine life without them. There are so many people in this world who have neither family nor laughter. How sad that must be.

I wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and hope you each take time to realize just how much you have to be thankful for too!!