So Thankful...

1st and foremost, this picture has nothing to do with the post, it just makes me smile. This Thanksgiving was quite different from every other Thanksgiving we have ever had. This year was the first time that we had a child that came home for the holiday. It definitely put a different spin on things. I know those we visited over the course of the week wanted to see all of us but mostly they wanted to see Eliza. This year has been one for the books. We have lost several close family members from both mine and Mike's families. It has helped our family to remember that there is much to be thankful for during this trying time we live in. So many of my friends have blogged a list of various things to be thankful for. As I sat around our dinner table on Sunday, with my sister in law and mother in law, eating the traditional end of thanksgiving turkey and home made noodles, I came to realize that there is much to be thankful for - the roof over our heads, the warmth of a good blanket, the love of your family, the belly laugh of your child, and the simple kindness that comes from a kind word or deed each day. So, things aren't exactly easy right now, and this is not a circumstance I ever thought I would find myself in again but I'm not going through it alone and there is a Christmas movie on each night for the next month and plenty of hot chocolate to be had. Sometimes you just have to look a little closer to find your joy. It's always there you just have to look a little closer.