Thanksgiving in the Country

Have you noticed (especially you women who are reading) that preparation for Thanksgiving takes weeks, but within 30 minutes, everyone is finished eating?  Our dinner was at our house this year, with 24 family members in attendance, and began about 1:00 pm.  By 2:00, my sister-in-law began to straighten up the kitchen - until I said, "STOP!"  I told her that after all of the time that we had put in, I was not going to start cleaning up so soon.  We should embrace the mess.

My husband and I were very blessed this year. We had family from California, Virginia, and Kentucky here.   Gary's son and daughter and their families were all here, as were his sisters, parents, nephew, and his new wife.  My parents, sister, brother-in-law, brother, niece, and nephew were also here.  However, only one of my daughters, Addison, was here this year.  Morgan lives too far away to make the trip twice, and will be here for Christmas instead.  Her dad and our daughter Bethany went to Louisiana to spend the holiday with Morgan, Kyle, and Layne.  Though I was thrilled with all who were here, I still missed my girls.  Our hope is that next year, all of our family will be here.

Gary and I had talked several months ago about doing a Thanksgiving morning run.  I have run the past two years, but we wanted to get others to join us.  At 7:45 a.m. we loaded up and headed to town.  Tamara, Bryce, and Krista joined Gary and me for a run along the Ohio River on our new River Walk.  It was a gorgeous morning, the temperature cool and the sky clear.  It was the first time Gary and both of his children had run together.    Tamara was able to run further than she had been running at home.  It was an amazing way to start the day, and to enjoy God's magnificent landscape.

Not having grown up in the country, there are times I think I would still prefer to  live in town - until weeks like this past one.  Seeing Gary's kids and grandkids enjoying our home is priceless.  His son kept a campfire going for three days, and people spent time near it catching up with one another and sharing stories from the past.  We could hear their laughter all the way in the house.  The kids were enthralled with the four-wheeler, or 'motor' as they called it.  Molly loved getting out and exploring along the edge of the woods, all the time hoping to catch a glimpse of wildlife.  After our meal, my sister-in-law and her husband took off  on the gravel road to work off some of the food, and my sister and I followed, just to enjoy the beautiful day.  Bryce, his girlfriend Krista, a nephew, and his wife all spent time splitting wood after dinner.  Admittedly, I am somewhat of a wimp, and the thought of true manual labor is not my idea of making holiday memories, but they had a blast.  They were making their own memories, and I suspect that they enjoyed every moment of that time. 

Bryce and Krista arrived the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but the majority of our company arrived on Wednesday.  Thirteen of us shared dinner Wednesday evening.  Just as the pilgrims and Indians celebrated for three days, so did the Staths.  I will not bore you with a listing of all of the food we consumed; my guess is that your own lists are rather lengthy!  I will say that my best estimate is that we ate over 300 cookies Wednesday - Saturday.  Really.  I had baked about six different kinds, and had them in the freezer.  Every time a tray was emptied, more cookies magically appeared.  I can't even tell you the favorite because every single one was eaten.  Needless to say, I am avoiding the scale today!  There is one piece of pumpkin cake left, and one slice of banana bread.  Those will be gone by the end of business today, and tomorrow we get back to healthier eating and regular exercise.  And I will begin baking more cookies for Christmas!

I am very thankful for the laughter, love, and stories shared over the last week.  I am thankful that Gary's family and my family were able to share the holiday together.  I am thankful that I have a husband who is an excellent cook and can help out with the cooking (I have never even attempted making a turkey!).  I am thankful that Morgan was able to cook her first Thanksgiving meal, and that her dad and sister were there with her.  I am very thankful that I did not participate in any of that madness of Black Friday shopping!  It just isn't worth it.  We chose, instead, to visit the quaint shops in Tell City, which was very relaxing and enjoyable.  There was little traffic and no one threatened me with pepper spray!

And now, I am thankful for a quiet day at home.

For this I am Thankful

It's that time of year - the time that we reflect upon our year, give thanks for the good, and look forward to moving further away from that which wasn't so good.  I have spent a great deal of time this year thinking about the power of being thankful for what I have.  Much of this thought was brought about by a good friend suggesting that we take time to acknowledge our blessings.  What a blessing that in itself has been!

Each week, some of my friends and I email one another our gratitude lists.  It might sound a bit corny at first glimpse, but believe me when I say, it has made a difference in all of our lives.  These people, whom I have considered friends for quite some time, have become even more important, and help me live my life in a positive manner.  Through these lists, we have kept up on one another's celebrations and losses.  We have been able to show support in the rough patches and offer congratulations for successes.  And sometimes our lists just make the others laugh!

As most of you know, I lost my nephew unexpectedly in August.  Besides my immediate family, my 'gratitude' group was the first I contacted.  I knew they would keep my family in their prayers, and that they truly cared.  And they, along with many of my friends, showed up.  When another friend lost a close family member, we were certain to be there for her.  As I have traveled the path toward getting my book published, my little group has celebrated with me, and listened to me whine.  Their support has been invaluable.

Along with sharing my list with my friends, which reminds me that I need to always be thankful, I also keep a journal by my bed, and each night before I go to sleep I write down at least five things for which I am thankful.  Imagine the power in this when I was grieving the loss of my nephew.  Though I was deeply saddened by my loss and struggled to keep my composure at home, I found things for which I was thankful every day.  I was thankful that I was off work so that I could be available for my sister; I was thankful for all of the wonderful people who helped us; I was thankful that my cousin Mike flew in to be with us; and the list goes on.  In the midst of our sorrow, God's presence was evident every moment. 

I would be lying if I said that every day it is easy to find things to put on my list.  I still have my grouchy days when I get frustrated with someone.  Sometimes I am just thankful that I held my tongue (which is really hard), so that is what I write down.  Some days I am glad I stood up for myself, and some days I am thankful I just ignored someone's pettiness.  Sometimes I am thankful for a mean person because it makes me appreciate the nice people in my life.  Sometimes I am thankful that I finally decided that negative people have no place in my life.  Life is too short to waste time on people who just make me feel bad about myself.  I am very thankful I finally figured that out!

The power of gratitude is amazing.  Acknowledging - in writing - that which one is thankful for can change his or her outlook on life.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in what is wrong in our lives and our world; take the time to search out what is right.  It might be the fact that you have the ability to work, enough food, and good health.  Everyone's list will differ, and appreciating those differences is also something to be grateful for.  I often include gratitude for friend's happiness and success in my list.  

Give gratitude a try.  Let me know what changes you experience - I would bet that there will be some!  You will come to think about being thankful for little things throughout your day, not just when you write your list.   So, here is my list for 2011 (a little early, but Thanksgiving is just around the corner)...

I am thankful, Lord...

~ that Gary and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary
~ that my brother-in-law recovered from a heart attack
~ that we got to go to Virginia Beach in June to visit Tamara and family
~ that Bethany successfully began her second year of college
~ that I have been able to be there for my sister as she continues to grieve the loss of her son
~ that my husband ran a marathon - 26.2 stinkin' miles - in April
~ that my hysterectomy was uneventful and I am fully recovered
~ that my body allows me to run
~ for my running friends, school friends, church friends, my girlfriends, and gratitude friends
~ that I started going to Zumba classes - love it!
~ that Facebook has allowed me to get to know some long-lost family members and reconnected me with childhood friends
~ that my book was finally published
~ that my grandson Layne was born healthy, and Morgan is a great mom
~ that I checked another item off my life-goal list - ziplining
~ that Addison is a kind and wise soul, and she is blessed with my dad's musical talent
~ that each day my job allows me to make a difference in the life of a child

See...that was easy!  What are you thankful for?