A Thankful Weekend

Hello, and Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

We are definitely into the Holiday Season now! I suppose it "started" with Halloween, but November zipped by and now Thanksgiving is behind us.

There are 26 Days Until Christmas. What??!? How did that happen?

AND there are only 11 more days until Grandma Reva has her 99th birthday. WOWIE! Here is her photo from last year, when she was still young and inexperienced: a mere 98. :) We love you Grandma!

We spent our Turkey Day with two families from church, with kids in the general age ranges of our kids. Plus they have 2 adorable puppies, so that entertained everyone.

Then of course the day AFTER Thanksgiving, we joined the population at large, shopping for Christmas gifts! This time Frank did NOT get up at 4 a.m. for specific deals...he has done that before! I value my sleep way too much for that. Normal hours only, please.

Some stores were crowded, some weren't. We sold the kids on the "shopping trip" idea by starting it with a Dunkin Donuts breakfast. It also helped that they all love to read, and we worked in some "Barnes & Noble" time.

I've been reading about the Pilgrims with a 3rd grade student I'm working with, so I've thought a lot of how our country began. The "First Thanksgiving Feast" was not the first time the Pilgrims or the Indians gave thanks for the harvest. It was just the first time they did it together. They also signed a treaty to work together and help protect each other. That treaty lasted 50 whole years.

Here is my "quick list" of what I'm thankful for, off the top of my head:

Family, friends, food.

Airplanes, Internet, homemade rolls.

Transportation, tires, running water.

Books, piano music, unexpected happy telephone calls.

Smile from a stranger, smile from a friend.

Warm beds, waterproof jackets, sunny days.

Shrimp, sharpies, scriptures.

Recycling, railroad tracks, eyesight.

Electricity, fireplaces, hugs.

Hope you had time this weekend to think of what you're thankful for, too.

Have a great week! Kari