The House of Thanksgiving...

Today, was the first day in eight years of marriage that my husband and I have spent apart.  He started a new job in January, which requires him to travel out of town from time to time, and today was one of those times.  My children, both woke up in hateful moods, with snotty noses and pleas for their daddy.  My mom and I cooked thanksgiving dinner, and it was good, but I spent most of my day just wishing for two people who couldn't be there.  If I wanted to dwell on all of this negative, I could tell you that my thanksgiving was pretty crummy.  But that would defeat the whole purpose of thanksgiving, now wouldn't it.

A long time ago, our ancestors found themselves in a new country.  The weather was harsh.  Their families were becoming sick, and some even dying. They had little to eat, and they spent a lot of time trying to get their neighbors, the Indians (or what we should call the REAL Americans) to trust them.  Things were looking pretty grim.  But on this day, all those long years ago...they stopped what they were doing and entered into the house of Thanksgiving.  Despite all of their trials and tribulations, their disappointments and their failures, they recognized their blessings, and they gave thanks for them.

I am so thankful for a wonderful husband who works hard, and love me and our children.  I'm thankful for his job, and the home it allows us to have.  I'm thankful for my children, who are the best kind of chaos I never knew I wanted.  I'm thankful for a father who gave me a good example of what a husband should be, so that when it came time to choose my mate, I knew what I wanted that man to be like.  I'm thankful for my mom, who taught me to cook, clean, act, laugh, cry, forgive, love, and cherish all the days of my life. I'm thankful for a step dad who hopped into a crazy family feet first, and seems to enjoy every single minute of it. YES, I'm thankful for all of that...ALL of that and more.

So, today, I called my hubby up to tell him I love him, and wish him Happy Turkey Day before he jetted out to Cracker Barrell to have his big breakfast platter. I gave my baby girl a dose of Tylenol, and kissed my groucho baby boy and assured him his daddy would be home soon.  I cooked dinner with mom, and if I do say so myself, we made it look "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy".  Now, I'm sitting here with my boy watching "Cars 2" while my tuckered out drama queen sleeps in her bed.  It was a good day.  So, for all of the above...and all of the not above...I enter into the house of thanksgiving.