Thursday, November 24, 2016

Day #24 Gratitude

I'm grateful for Thanksgiving.  I love this holiday full of family, food and gratitude... but I'm okay if it gets mixed up with Christmas festivities just a little bit too. I'm okay with Christmas music playing while I prepare the turkey and make my pumpkin pies. I'm okay with Christmas trees and lights being turned on before turkey day. Im okay seeing Christmas decorations in stores along side the autumn leaves and pilgrims. 
Because all of the things I'm grateful for ....family, my testimony, the gospel, forgiveness, grace, the atonement, beauty, mercy, second chances, unconditional love.... are all made possible because Jesus was born. 

So Thanksgiving and Christmas both reside in my heart on this beautiful day. 
We celebrated Trus-giving or Fakes-giving on Thanksgiving eve.  It was the only time all of my kids and grandkids could be together.  It was wonderful to sit at that table with my people and go around and say one thing we were thankful for.  Only two glasses of water were spilt, both by me. My parents would have laughed and said, "Hotel Utah."    We enjoyed turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sausage and apple stuffing, Ruth's Chris sweet potato casserole,  yams and apples, sauteed squash and mushrooms, spinach salad and hot home made rolls, All delicious.
The only problem with Thanksgiving dinner on the  Wednesday before is it's also PIE night... we were all so stuffed the pies were painful.   Mom put pie night on the night before for just this reason...if we waited to eat pies after Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, we were too full and didn't enjoy them.
We went to the Pie Party at the Call's and of course too many pies, not enough eaters..but still great to be together.  I'm proud of Megan and Gary for continuing this tradition even without my sweet Sis, Marcie.
I missed my momma something terrible today.  Many times I would hold still and feel her presence.  It felt like a tingly warm hug going through out my body.  I used to shake this feeling off knowing tears were part of it, now I look forward to it and don't want it to end.  I'm grateful for my mom and dad and the family and traditions they created and have passed down to me.  My mom was a power house..a force of good and inclusion, and my dad was her biggest fan and best support.  I love them.    I'm grateful for strong family ties on both sides ..with the Welch and the Cole clans.  

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