Happy Thanksgiving

I love planning for and cooking the Thanksgiving meal for my family. I was busy in the kitchen from about 8AM until dinner was served that evening. Yaya was my sous chef so she did my peeling and chopping. It saved some time so I could make everything fresh the day of the meal. Afterward, Yaya said she didn't want to get in my way because she could see my mind plotting and scheming when to do this or that. It's so true. Thanksgiving is a lot about timing and logistics so that everything is hot when everyone sits down to eat. The girls seem to sense when I'm out of pocket and demand mama even more than normal. Kids are so funny. I see them all day long, every day. I am never gone! The one day I need to be in the kitchen and Daddy is home to play suddenly they act like they haven't seen me in a week. The other day, as the only school board member in town, I had to deal with a school issue so I asked Cora to take the girls to Addie's room for 20 minutes so I could run some numbers and make a few phone calls. You would have thought I was packing my things to leave town. The girls took every opportunity they could to run out and come hug me. Bella threw herself on the floor in a fit because Mommy was unavailable for 20 minutes. Crazy.

Anyway, I digress. In Manila we have a very intimate family Thanksgiving dinner. The table is set and we all sit down to eat a meal. I grew up with more casual pot luck meals for this holiday and I really like having everyone sit down together. It's just nice. This year we were honored to have a friend and colleague of Justin's over to celebrate with us. It was his first home cooked meal in 9 months. Needless to say he was genuinely thrilled to be eating with us. I love seeing the pride in my husband's eyes when he tucks in to our amazing meal and the food coma rushes in on him. The girls devour the turkey and everyone is happy. Thanksgiving just tastes like home. It was another successful Thanksgiving.I didn't have a moment to sit and ponder what I am thankful for yesterday while I was cooking and then the tryptophan kicked in and I was sleepy. This morning my head is a little clearer. I have many things to be thankful for. So many I can hardly count really. I am immensely grateful for my wonderful husband who just burrows himself a little deeper into my heart every year we are together. I am overjoyed to be the mother to two amazing little girls. I am so very thankful to have my family and friends as a support system behind our family every step and move we make. Ultimately, I am thankful for the safety and security that my little family of four have been allowed in life. We have a home, food on the table, a steady source of income, each others love and laughter. It's so much more than so many people have and this year I am humbled by all the basic life necessities that we are blessed with.