Wow, Thanksgiving is over. It was very different this year, for me at least. OK, I'll admit it...I am almost 40 years old and have always coasted in the holiday department. I mean family get togethers, holiday meals, etc. Being the baby and having a sister who is great at getting things done and planning ahead have enabled me to be this way for so long. And then came Thanksgiving 2009...
My first holiday meal all on my own, lunch for 10 by 11:30 on Thanksgiving day. I planned to only have ham since that's my favorite, until my son requested turkey and a wonderful CASA worker gave us one! Once Morgan got out of bed this morning she was a big help, not so much at 5:30 a.m. Every bit of help is appreciated.
The menue for my first Thanksgiving dinner...3 loaves of homade yeast bread and a double batch of homade cinnamon rolls (for breakfast), started on Wednesday morning. From there we had turkey, ham, 2 pumpkin pies, oreo pie, green bean casserole, baked potato casserole, gravy and Morgan's cherry suprise. This afternoon Dane and the girls cracked pecans and I made a peccan pie for them. Cooking for 8 people day in and day out has been great preparation for today. I'm thinking I could cater!
Now, as I sit here thinking about all the things I am thankful for...I would have to say family first. For parents who spent their lives showing me who God is and then have supported my family as Albert and I have attempted to follow God's will for our lives. For a sister whom I love dearly and her family. For Albert's and my kids, who we thought had tested us to the limit and yet given us so many wonderful memories of marshmallow fights, singing songs from the movie "Oh Brother" together and spending time playing all sorts of games.
Lunch was bitter sweet today as I looked at my kids and realized that as thankful as I am for my family, we are not theirs yet. The wounds are still fresh, the hope of going home is still there and the displaced feelings they have can be overwhelming at times. These are good kids, they are my kids, sent to us from God. Whether here for ten days or ten years.
No comments:
Post a Comment