Our First Slow Dance: Giving Thanks

This morning I'll be finishing off baking a honey ham, baking buttermilk biscuits and pumpkin whoopie pies. Any holiday that is physically centered around good foods is magical to me. What is it about the combination of a moist turkey, buttery potatoes, sweet mixtures of fruits, and savory casseroles that keeps our mouths waiting and watering all year long? Perhaps it is the fact that it brings families together that makes the food so delicious. I love me some Halloween, but Thanksgiving is the first holiday that makes me see shades of fall. You can literally smell the warm spices in the air starting Thanksgiving. The weather becomes more crisp forcing the heavy socks and long sleeves to the front of the drawers. Holiday music playing in every store putting an instant smile to everyone's face. Ahhh.... I love it.

This will really be the first Thanksgiving living away from our families. It takes a little bit of the sweetness away... no doubt about that, but I am still excited to spend the day with my little family of 3.9.

I'm thinking that this year will be a big year for some first big memories for my Charlea. She's got two Holiday seasons under her belt, but I have a feeling that this one will be different!

Since it is the Holiday of giving thanks, I'll just list a few things that I am especially thankful for this year:

-I am thankful for my body. Being able to healthily grow a baby in my tummy is nothing short of amazing. Some days (most days lately) I feel more pain than joy, but nothing so beautiful can come without a little bit of pain.

-I am thankful for my California family. They have molded me into the person I am today and I only hope that they know that when I accomplish something big or just push through a hard day... it is because of them. They wrote the first Chapter of my life and it is everything I can do to make sure the words of the following Chapters are just as rhythmic and lovely.

-I am Thankful for my Tyson. When you are on the eve of a major life-changing event, ie. the birth of our second daughter, it gets you thinking about "the way things were". I know I certainly have lately. I've been thinking about the days when we were falling in love. The "feelgoodness" adventures... thats what we use to call them. Last minute drives to seaside village for people watching. Mini road trips downtown to shop and have way-to-expensive indian food. Late night walks to circle K for these awesome fruit smoothies that I think have disappeared. Movie nights with albertacos. Trips to the park with our laptops for music, chicken wings, and our books. In fact, it was a day at Brengle Park when Tyson first told me he loved me. I hope I always see those days like I do right now. Falling in love with tyson is the single most greatest accomplishment of my entire life. And I mean that with every single part of my heart.

-I am thankful for the precious girl that we created together and for the second precious girl that will complete our family. I cannot wait to witness the bond that will form between my two girls. I cannot wait for the moments, life is all about moments.

-Finally I am thankful that I don't need a holiday to remind me how lucky I am to live such a life. I am thankful everyday. Life is good.

I hope your holidays are filled with family, love and good food.

Bring on the turkey!!!!!