Thanksgiving thoughts

This year's Thanksgiving weekend was one of the best I remember.

We started off by CLEANING. The hardest part of teaching preschool is that I don't put the amount of time into cleaning that I should, and we were behind.

On Thursday, we had 30 people here for dinner, dessert, and lots of entertainment. I love to see my family, laugh with my siblings, laugh at the funny things our children say, and hold the sweet babies. I love sitting with my mom and discussing scrapbooking retreats, talking to Dave about politics, and reminiscing with my family about the many, many memories we share. Our dinner was the best ever. WOW, have we come a long way with our culinary expertise. we finished the evening tired, overstuffed, and full of new stories.

Friday was a down day. Once in a while, it's nice to have no plans. We slept through black Friday, had a late breakfast, and wondered if our stomachs were going to survive the gluttony from the day before. I planned December's preschool curriculum, caught up on laundry, and played games with Matt. We set up our Christmas tree and put out our decorations for the holidays while watching The Polar Express on tv. Each time we move, I suddenly look around and our house feels like home. As I admired my angel tree and placed our breakable ornaments high above the kitchen cabinets, I realized we are now home.

Saturday was another cleaning day. I can finally say that our house is clean! We had some old friends we grew up with in California over for pizza and dessert. For four hours, we caught up on our lives and let our children run and play together. Friendship runs deep, and it's hard to believe some of us hadn't seen each other in ten years!

So today I'm finishing up my preschool plans, went to church and taught 6 adorable 5 year olds, and went to choir. We're preparing for a Christmas presentation, which is my favorite part of the year. Matt informed me I could take a nap (which I did) before he crashed. The kids have been sitting at the table for over an hour going through each page of the Sunday paper putting initials by everything they want. Sierra and Matthew are making lists of all the songs they like with the optimistic hope they will receive MP3s, Ipods, and/or a new stereo for Christmas. Oh, the optimism of children. Someday they'll learn what a budget is.

So, with these happy thoughts fresh in my mind, I'll put the computer away and make dinner, bathe my children, and clean what little mess is on the floor. Real life starts tomorrow, so my goal is to keep the momentum of the weekend and sail through the Christmas season with joy and happiness.

I'm thankful for my family and friends who have brought so much joy into our lives. I'm thankful for the traditions and memories we share as a family now. I'm thankful for the gospel and knowledge of who Christ is and what a huge part he plays in my perspective of life and eternity. Everything else somehow fades in the background, and I realize the best things in life are never bought - they're experienced - and that's what makes my life worth living.