Thank You

Did you know that Thanksgiving is in November? I had forgotten.

I kind of think of Thanksgiving as that forgotten holiday, the neglected middle child (not that we know any of those, it is just an expression!! Just so no one thinks I am implying anything here) squished between Halloween parties and the "24 shopping days left until Christmas" countdowns, serving only as a marker for when it is finally OK to put up your Christmas tree. I think that a day put aside just for the expression of thanks is a great idea, but why limit it to one day? So I am going to challenge myself to post something at least weekly (I was going to say daily, but why set myself up for failure?) that I am thankful for, so I will have a nice long list built up for Thanksgiving dinner when we go around and have to say what we are thankful for, and I can beyond the generic answers I always give.

I am thankful that I have so many friends willing to drop everything different afternoons or even overnight to watch my kids while I go to the doctor or the hospital to have a baby.

I was discussing with a friend at work about child care arrangements, how I had everything covered with several backups. A co-worker heard and said how she wished she had lived here knowing all of us when she had her babies the last time. How hard it was to find anyone to care for her older children, let alone bring in meals or people to scrub the bathtub when it hurt to bend over. I didn't tell her it wasn't really me, but the church support network we have built in for us no matter where we go, that makes that possible. If only she would accept the invite to come to church with me one of those times and see for herself. Someday- she now teaches 8 Mormon preschoolers with great parents- one of us will get through!

I am thankful my grandma taught me to crochet.

So that when I put on my crocheted slippers, and Lenna runs to get hers that match, and Andrew pokes out his lip and asks where his slippers are, I can tell him to pick a yarn color and wait a few hours. Then I can give him some new blue slippers so he feels included and loved. It makes me feel connected to her, and my mom who also crochets, that we all have something in common and I can keep a little piece of them with me. That when we pull an afghan out of the blanket closet, they can ask who made it with love just for them, and I can answer "Grandma" or "Great-grandma" or "Nanny" or even "Mom" and they can feel warmth not only from the blanket but from the hands that made it one yarn loop at a time.

I am thankful that I married such a good man.

Because as much as Andy loves and imitates Buzz Lightyear and Woody, Spiderman, and Mickey the Musketeer, his real hero is his dad. And I love that when I hear him say "I want to do it like daddy does," I don't have to worry about what he will be doing. From wearing Mike's old basic training BCG's, to doing push ups in the living room, to wearing black socks and a tie to church. From putting his feet up on the computer, and insisting his chocolate milk be poured into an insulated mug to keep it cold, to helping out in the yard.

And as he gets older and sees beyond the physical traits and learns to admire and imitate Mike's sense of loyalty, honesty, and duty as he works at protecting our country and in excelling at school to better provide for his family, or his love and respect and generosity towards his family, or his enthusiasm and encouragement of higher education and learning, I can not only understand and indulge his imitation, but encourage it. And for that I am very grateful!

What are you thankful for? Maybe you could start your own list!