Ah, there are so many things to be thankful for. I am most thankful for my wonderful family. I love those days that neither Brent nor I are working and we can spend time together. We have such a great time together, and usually we end up going to the bookstore, library, coffee shop, or to the coast (when it’s not too cold) to hang out, talk, and read. Brent is more than my best friend, and he keeps me sane.

Our daughters are so wonderful. They light up my life and truly make parenting rewarding. Skye, Jenna, and Hayley each have such unique personalities, and our little family would certainly not be complete without each of them. I’m thankful for all the relationships I have with my family and friends. I only wish I could see everyone more often. The time passes too quickly.

I’m grateful for the opportunity for learning and growth, and for the lessons that come from defeat. It is what we aspire to be that colors our characters–and it is our trying, not just our succeeding, which ennobles them. The best lessons are usually the hardest; and defeat often counts among these latter. The only true defeat lies in letting defeat win.

As for the Thanksgiving tradition of the turkey dinner…well, not so much. I haven’t liked spending the entire day cooking in the kitchen in the past because I was always doing it alone. However I think we’d enjoy it if it were a “family” activity. I have very fond memories of past Thanksgivings when I was younger and the important and meaningful time spent with family. It’s great to have and make opportunities to create memories and spend quality time with loved ones; however I don’t like that our social gatherings continually seem to surround food. The turkey isn’t the only thing that gets stuffed! I think the main reason I’ve been cooking the traditional meal is to have the leftover turkey sandwiches.

Hello Kitty at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

I printed out some Thanksgiving- and autumn-related activities for the girls to do a couple of weeks ago. They had a crossword puzzle in which one of the clues was: What is the most-watched sport on Thanksgiving day? Without hesitation, Jenna answered “The parade!” The answer, of course, was football. Sorry, Brent. That’s what you get when you have all girls. So that’s what we’ll be doing on Thanksgiving. Watching the parade on television, assembling a jigsaw puzzle, and perhaps eating…or not.