Giving Thanks

First off, let me say thanks to all my readers who bore with me through my little pity party yesterday. It was nice to get your comments today commiserating and wishing us well. We did have a fine Thanksgiving after all, and now I would like to share a little list of the simple things for which I am giving thanks tonight...

(right after I go comfort Sophie, who has just coughed herself awake for the third time since I put her to bed an hour ago)

I am thankful for my darling husband, Joe. Joe is always there for me, even when he is just as tired and grumpy as I am. Joe wrangled the girls all day today so that I could happily get my work done in the kitchen. Joe came thisclose to putting on a pink sparkly tutu today because Julie asked him to, but luckily for him she forgot about it before he managed to get the ribbons tied in back. Joe delivered my contribution to the family Thanksgiving dinner at his cousin's house, and brought home our meal in return. Joe is down in the basement right now cleaning out the litter box while I sip a hot drink and type this. Joe loves me, and that is huge.

I am thankful for my two darling daughters, who are overall very healthy, and who both had a decent day today even though Mama was busy in the kitchen and they were not feeling perfectly well. Sophie hid under the table and tried to destroy a coloring book. Julie "helped" me in the kitchen some more today, and did a really good job of it. Her picture is coming up in a minute.



I'm thankful for our extended family who love us whether we saw them today or not. I'm thankful for all my real-life friends who are my family - one in particular who took the time to e-mail me from California this morning to tell me she was thinking of me today.

I am thankful that my casserole turned out well. The green beans were a little on the over-crisp side because I was leery of over-cooking them, and probably should have blanched them longer. It takes a loooong time to french-cut four pounds of fresh green beans. This is the portion we kept at home - I sent a pan twice this size to the in-laws. I'm thankful that I don't have to know whether or how much of it they ate.



I'm thankful that the pumpkin pie could not have turned out better. I'm thankful that we all enjoyed it, especially Julie (the crust is wheat-free). Julie talked about pumpkin pie all week, and although she couldn't finish the tiny piece we gave her, she was very happy as she ate it. Also not pictured is the bowl of real whipped cream I served on it. This was Julie's first time eating whipped cream, and I am thankful for getting to participate in that. I let her lick the beaters.



I am thankful for my friend Jen, who aside from being an awesome friend in general, surprised me tonight. I was laying on the floor upstairs, waiting for Joe to bring the food back, letting Sophie crawl all over me and taking a moment to recover from standing in the kitchen all day when the doorbell rang. I was a little confused, partly because I wasn't expecting anybody and partly because I never know which door to check first when the bell rings - many people confuse our back door for a front door, so it's a toss-up which one to check first. I flip on the light in the front, and there was Jen with a gift bag in hand.

Jen: "Happy Thanksgiving!"
Me: "This is not a gift-giving holiday!" (she's Canadian, so you never know...)
Jen: "I know. This is a consolation prize for your bad day and the kids being sick."
Me: "Aw, thank you." blabber blabber...

Here's Julie, "not touching" while I grabbed the camera and took a picture.



Jen is a super-thoughtful gift-giver. A bag of chips, doughnut holes, a magazine, stickers and barrettes for the kids, and wrist-rattles for Sophie.



I'm thankful for Joe's cousin and her mother-in-law, who prepared this awesome meal for us tonight and generously shared it with us even though we couldn't be with them.



I'm thankful to live in one of the richest countries on the planet, to sit in a warm house with a computer and an internet connection. I'm thankful for everything we take for granted every day.

I'm thankful that there is a Netflix movie and a cushy couch with a knitting basket waiting for me now. See ya!