Thanks Was Given

We had Thanksgiving. It was so nice. I mean, nice in that we had to leave for Las Vegas earlier than expected to outrun the Blizzard Of 2010, and nice in that I had to find out on Facebook the day before we left that Sean's brother had smashed our van, and nice in that my poor pregnant sister had to stop in at the ER in Beaver of all places because her congestion was so bad she couldn't breathe. Yeah, that was nice.

But once we all got there, it wasn't nice. It was wonderful.

We had sort of promised my mom before she died that we would keep all the traditions going. Well, we have, for the most part, but as our family changes, it only makes sense that things change a little too. So we decided to have Thanksgiving at Jill's house, and we decided that every person would be in charge of something for the big dinner. Every person. Kids included. And we also decided to try new recipes and ideas. And it worked. Every kid and adult did something fun, even my dad contributed with a stop in to the Dutch Store before they came to Vegas, and he brought our favorite; Marzipan and windmill cookies.

As we spent the morning cooking and laughing and eating bits and pieces of tasty treats, we realized all at once that our family is amazing. We are so blessed. It isn't a mystery that I've had a hard time since my mom died, but looking around at all the kids playing together, us girls and Noma cooking our little hearts out, and it all happening like a well oiled machine made an distinct impression on my heart that family is absolutely the most important thing in the world. I honestly don't know what I would do without them.

I know my mom was thankful to see us all there together.

There are so many things to be thankful for at this time of year, but family is my number one, for sure. My mom taught us from a very young age that although we might not always like each other (especially as quarreling siblings), we would grow to love each other more than we ever imagined. And guess what? She was right.

Thanks be given for lessons learned.

Stuffed

Well, folks, we had it. Turkey dinner for 16 people. And I'm fairly sure that no one died of food poisoning during the weekend, so that makes me pretty happy.

It was a great day. 2 big turkeys. One roasted regular style, and one deep fried in canola oil. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, and gravy topped it all off, and it was delicious, if I do say so myself. We were treated to yams (sweet potatoes, whatever), jello salad, and 3 banana cream pies, too! Seriously, it was like a little slice of home right in my kitchen.

So thanks to all my peeps for showing up, and for not complaining that the gravy was a little greasy, or that the deep fried turkey was an hour late making its entrance. You guys are the best!

Thanksgiving Daily

Okay, here goes nothing. This is tough to get through because I get so emotional, but I can do it, I promise.

The person I'm most thankful for today is..


dun dun dun..

My siblings.

Troy. He's the cool kid at school, you know the one, everyone knows he's a babe, and he's too cool to notice. He has the most friends, but he's humble, and likes everyone. That's my bro. He is also my mom's favorite. She even said so. And we all know it's true, but we don't mind, because he's our favorite too. Troy is a rock when it comes to life. He knows the right things to say, and he knows when to do the right things for people. He puts up with a lot in his day to day business (wink wink), and he deals with it pretty well. I love that he's so spiritual, and he's not afraid to talk about his feelings, but he can still be crazy and wild and down to earth. There may even be a cuss word slip out now and then, which I can totally appreciate. I love you, man.

Kelli. Teeeccchnically, she's not really my sister, but the heart says otherwise. When I think of my sisters, Kelli is one of them. I'm pretty sure the Lord knew what he was doing when she and Troy found each other. We need her in our family. She is wonderful, and sassy, and opinionated, and I love it! She does not like to be wrong, and will argue her point endlessly until she gets it across. Tenacity is not one of my strong points, so I can really admire her for that! She laughs with us, cries with us, and knows the silly quirks that make us all into one big family. Love you, Kel!

Jill. She is the former cruise director of the family. I only say former because Meg has recently promoted to Speaker of the House. A much more appropriate title for Jill. She is never at a loss for words. She is friends with everyone, and she can talk to anyone about anything! She is also very spiritual, and sassy, too, so she has a great mix of things to love. She is a rock when it comes to getting things done. Up at dawn, and going all day, she works tirelessly for her family. Throw in her morning bike rides, runs, swims, triathlons, and shopping, and it's no wonder she has the cute little body of a Nineteen year old. You go girl!

Meg. I have a very soft spot for my Mimi. My little sis, the one I used to practice up-do's on, and the one that I used to fight with incessantly. She has grown up to become a beautiful woman, and there are so many things I admire about her. She is strong beyond belief. She has dealt with a lot over the past 18 months, and she had to do a lot of it on her own. She can fix pretty much anything. She's like MacGyver that way. She has the best taste of anyone I know. She can be a leader without being bossy. But she's also soft and vulnerable, and a wonderful confidante. Even though we're 5 years apart, I feel like she is the age I am, so we understand each other perfectly. Miss you, Mimi!

My siblings have been there for me this last year in ways I never knew siblings could be. My love for each of them has deepened immensely, especially after seeing them, and myself, at the lowest possible point in life. As life takes us down our individual paths, I know that the one constant I have in my life is my family. The Lord put me in my family because he knew I needed to be surrounded by these smart, wonderful, spiritual people that would be willing to hold my hand and show me the way through life, because I'm a little slow and I don't quite get it on my own sometimes. I love you guys. I couldn't live without you. I miss you so much!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Daily

Today I'm thankful for my parents. I don't mean I'm only thankful for them today, I'm thankful for them every day, but I'm paying tribute to them today. Does that make more sense? Okay, here goes.

Dad. My dad is the hardest worker I know. My entire childhood he worked day and night to provide for us. Whether it was working out of town, or stacking wood in the lean-to, or stirring paint in the shop, he was always working. This usually meant that we were working along side him, too. Sometimes he would take us to work with him, those were the best times! I got to go to Montana with him once to do work on a hospital there. I remember I got a chocolate milk, and he and I talked a lot about towns we passed through. One town in particular was Monida. It took me about 45 minutes to figure out it was a town on the border of Montana and Idaho, but he never gave me the answer, he just kept throwing me hints. I was probably like 8 or 9, and obviously not the brightest, but I figured it out eventually. The best were the times he let us pick up rivets with a magnet after he installed lockers at a school. Being alone in those huge hallways was a little creepy, but it was so liberating to have the whole place to ourselves. And those magnets were awesome, and to see how many rivets you could load up before you had to empty it was always a treat.

Dad taught me a lot about working hard. Those lessons have stuck with me. He has taught me that others come first, whether it's serving in Church, to neighbors, or to my kids. Sharing the blessings we have with those who are lacking is a top priority. So thanks, dad. I love you.

My mom. How can I express the thanks I have for my mom? I know so many of you never knew her, except from this blog and her cancer blog, but grew to love her just the same. There are just so many lessons she taught me that I'm still figuring out. But lately, the lesson that has been resonating in my life the most is to let my kids make their own mistakes. I was never a bad kid, per se, but I was mischievous. I was naughty. So many times I made my mom sick with worry, I'm sure, but she never tried to force me to act a certain way. She let me carve out my own way, and then she was there to comfort me when it blew up in my face. She never said "I told you so", she only said "I love you". So mom, thanks for loving me unconditionally.

My mom also taught me to love others despite their choices. My mom had so many friends. She had friends from high school that were still her besties. She had friends from elementary school that she still met up with on a regular basis. She had friends from friends from friends. She knew every one, and every one that knew her loved her. Because she loved them, without judgment. Now, don't go thinking she didn't have strong opinions about people, because she totally did, but she kept them to herself for the most part. That is one trait I need to work on, for sure. So thanks, Mom, for teaching me to love others.

Stay tuned tomorrow for an extra special tribute to the person (people?) for whom I'm most thankful. It will be good, I promise.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Daily

This week, I'll be posting things I'm thankful for. Cause you know, it's almost Thanksgiving, and that is my most favoritest holiday of all time.

Oh, and this post is wrought with made up words, so just bear with me.

So I guess I better start with something easy.

I'm thankful for my family. But I'm not going to cop out and leave it at something as simple as that. I have a lot of family to be thankful for. So I'll start with all the "extra" family I have.

How could I forget my in-laws? I love them! My mother-in-law is the sweetest, kindest, givingest person I know. I call her mom, because there is no other word to describe our relationship. My father-in-law, he's pretty cool, too. In his overalls-wearing sort of way. He will drop everything and help anyone out, just because he can.

How could I forget my Aunts? Julie is a clone of my mom. The way she writes her emails, the way she wears her watches for each season, her enormous holiday sweater collection; I could close my eyes and hear my mom's voice, too. It's such a comfort to know that Julie carries on through life like my mom wishes she could have. And Suz. Suz is a rock. She is dealing with her own family cancer crisis, and despite being as busy as I know she is, she takes the time to send out email updates to the prodigal niece. She is a planner, and a doer, and a take-charger. I sincerely doubt much gets past her without a stern look over. And all the other aunts and uncles that are so wonderful! I love having a great extended family. There is something comforting knowing so many people are behind you.

One thing my mom taught us is that where you come from is as important as where you're headed. These wonderful people have shaped me in ways they will never know. The memories of Christmas parties, Memorial Day parties, 4th of July parties, and parties for who knows how many weddings, babies, farewells and homecomings. Each one of those times we were all together I learned more about the past, and it has helped me plan and embrace my future.

So thank you, family. I wouldn't be me without all of you! Don't worry, that's not passing blame, it's a compliment.

Happy Thanksgiving Week.