a.day.of.thanks.

"every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights"     James 1:17.

wow. what a whirlwind of the past few days. a huge shout out to my mother in law. she was very, very helpful to me. she watched my kids on both tueday and some on wednesday so that i could 'focus' on the things that needed to be focused on before the 'big day'. the week has been very, very busy, and i am so very much looking forward to today, and really being able to relax in my comfies...all.day.long.

here are a few pics taken in the early hours of yesterday...the kids were still sleeping, matt was out on his annual goose hunting excursion~with some buddies~ and the oven was already packed full...

there were 35 'kings' here for brunch at 10am. [~i think it started before kaden was even born...we were still in the trailer~a simple breakfast on thanksgiving for those of the family who didn't have 'anywhere' family oriented to go. it has grown over the years into turning into the brunch and then a dinner at 5pm.~]

 it is a very, very busy day for me. in one of my previous posts, it talked about being busy, and saying no, but finding a middle ground, and finding out what energizes you...and this is it. i love people coming over and finding respite and relaxation in my home. i love serving (good food in particular) and sipping coffee around the table, laughing over old stories being told...whether it's a friend stopping in, or 35 family members sharing your space. there's something fun about watching the kids play, throwing things from here to there, but not really caring because they are playing with their cousins...family...it's neat. yesterday was particularly special because we were all here for the brunch portion of the day.  that is unusual. aldie (my father in law) and his 2 siblings, and all of their children and families. our number dwindled to 28 for dinner...and everyone brought something to contribute for dinner...that's where we fit in the turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes. :) thanks everyone for such a great day.

now for brunch...i figured out that we consumed just over 90 eggs. i kid you not. we eat. over 75 sausage links and 4 lbs of bacon. along with blueberry cream muffins, pumpkin bread pudding and pumpkin roll. warm coffee and cold juices to fill in the cracks. ummm.

i was catching up with a friend on wednesday...on my way to a local bakery, because it occurred to me there was just not enough time to get it all done, and told her my house looked like a tornado went thru it, and she wondered why. i am telling you...my cupboards were packed, and my kitchen table was loaded with all the food that i did not have space for. that's how much food was here. was made. and a lot consumed.

we are so blessed. so blessed. i am in awe and wonder why i got so lucky to be so blessed? why am i chosen? and not the lady in africa struggeling to feed her five kids on her own? i will never understand.

what am i most thankful for today?

my husband and healthy happy children~family~good health~a warm cozy fireplace~siblings~the word of God...even though i don't read it nearly enough~food to fill my belly~snuggly blankets and a comfy bed to snuggle into at night~nuks~cough medicine~smiles~a car that runs and takes me on many adventures~christmas music and decorations i love~microwave~comfy clothes~all of my clothes~a house~especially our new office~most specifically my new closet~i am totally organized now...yippee~friends~the Holy Spirit~technology...although i am pretty ignorant~a  providing hard working husband~love~kindness~peace~patience~gentleness~music~clean water~for being able to manage my home at home, with my kids~a hot shower~understanding~there's more...i know it~

hope you all had an enjoyable holiday and you were able to celebrate it with thanksgiving this year. this is the first year i haven't gotton up in the wee hours to go shopping. kinda sad. oh well. here's to cleaning up...i just noticed i left out a pint of coffee creamer and my most fav caramal vanilla creamer. oh...

have a great weekend. ~mk~