Blessing From the Backseat: November 2010

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

I prepped 3 nights for the big day. When you have a three year old and a three month old, well....tasks take a little longer than usual. Hence, putting up my Christmas tree two days after Halloween. Perfection takes time, people!

I started on Monday night and finished late Wednesday night.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing I boiled the chicken for my Grannie's famous dressing.....mixed the homemade mac n cheese...

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing (YUMMMMMM!!!!)...and boiled the giblets for the gravy....ew gross!

Fall is my favorite season and Thanksgiving....

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printingmy favorite holiday, by far.

I made sure my corn casserole was set, crumbled the cornbread and chopped all my celery and onions, finishing them off with a few sprinkles of sage and some generous shakes of salt and pepper.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

After all that work, I tasted, as any good chef must do.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

It was perfect. Just like Grannie's.

And let me just say, for the record....chicken and dressing is NOTHING like stuffing. It's so very moist with shredded chicken throughout and the stress was on, people, because if you serve dry dressing....well, you've pretty much ruined Thanksgiving.

So back to slaving in the kitchen....around the corner came Grayson, wearing a sheepish grin and holding a bottle of bubbles. Empty bottle of bubbles, might I add. "I painted it....with my paint," he fessed up.

Needless to say...

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
I had to take a break from my Thanksgiving feast to clean up a full bottle 'o bubbles "painted" on my brown leather couch......and rug. Awesome.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

I love Thanksgiving. The decorations, the smells, the food, the chaos, the chopping, the football, the heat in the kitchen, and the "I can't eat another bite....oh, there's homemade key lime pie?"...fullness at the end of the day.

I love the gathering around the kitchen ,holding hands and my Mom saying "grace" and my Dad piping up to make sure we all know that my Mom won't let him say grace this year because he always has too much to be thankful for. I love the love that they have for one another after 35 years...and oh how I pray Kevin and I are still like them when Gray and Ry are grown.

And my Dad got me thinking...what am I thankful for and what do I want my kids to be thankful for?

Lord knows I'm grateful....I tell Him each and every day.
But I want my children to know how good they have it....I want them to feel appreciated and to be gracious and to know that our Lord has given us so much to be thankful for.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing We have each other, our health, our home, our family, our jobs, our faith, our freedom......

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printingwe just have so much.

And this past year, I feel like I've learned more about God and His Word than the last 30 years combined. I've learned that when you give the first 10% to Him, He will bless the rest. Every.Single.Time.

For so many years, I never gave to Him what was His already. Then, when I did, it was just what little we had left over at the end of each month....very, very little. But He says in Malachi 3:8-9, "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation”

For so many years, I was living under a curse. If I had only known (took the time to listen and read His word) that by giving Him the first 10%, He would bless the rest....I would have been living a much easier life.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

God has blessed Kevin and I beyond belief. His truth frees us from financial worries and gives us a peace of mind, fulfillment and eventually eternal life.

Sometimes I wonder how many times I can tell God that I'm so un-deserving of His many blessings??

And although we talk about Thanksgiving being about Plymouth and Spanish explorers and the Santa Maria and "bountiful harvests", I want my children to understand that the true meaning of thanksgiving is thanking Him for all our wonderful blessings.

And talk about "seeing is believing"......

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

...I saw it...when no one was looking. Right when the kitchen was crazy

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing and the sweet potatoes were broiling and the football game was roaring

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing and little toddler hands were being washed of all the dirt from playing outside in the freezing cold and my baby was being rocked in the old chair by her Great Grannie and hot padded dishes

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing were being carefully carried to the table. And my mom hollered for everyone to come and hold hands and say Grace, and I watched as conversations were wrapped up and plates were served to the Littles and heads were tipped with laughter. I watched as my Mother in Law held my daughter with so much love and I wanted to just kiss the universe because my children get to know what a Grandparents love feels like.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing And right about then, I wanted to grab my kids and kiss them, whisper into their ears...."This is Thanksgiving. This, right here, is being thankful. Drink it in, Babies. Drink it in."

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

And then you just hope they get it. That over time, they know that they are blessed and that they are bless-able,

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing a phrase that I've learned....just this year and that there are so many places in this world, in this country, in this little town, where there is pain and need and hunger. And knowing just how good it feels to have it, you hope they give it back.

So, sitting here now, I'm thankful for everything that I've been given. I'm thankful that God deemed me as being "bless-able". I'm thankful for two little lives that depend solely on me and their Daddy.