I'm Thankful For

With the Thanksgiving holiday, I get the chance to really think about what I'm thankful for in life. These things have been on my mind a lot lately:

Firsts and Lasts
Firsts:
I'm so thankful for our FIRST home. I love having a 2 car garage on these cold windy days when I can just walk into the house without bundling up my kids and shielding them from the wind. I love having a backyard and a large driveway where we can kick the balls and draw with chalk. I love the big open playroom downstairs where William can run around and scatter his toys. I could go on and on about our house because there are so many things I love. We love the area, our ward, and our neighbors. I'm so thankful for our real estate consultant for life Terry Bickmore who made this dream home a reality for us and for getting us and the rest of his clients tickets to the premiere of Harry Potter on Thursday.

Isaac mowing the lawn this past summer. Will enjoyed the chore too! Isaac is grateful the lawn is easy to mow.

I'm grateful for Van, who was my FIRST baby I delivered naturally. It was not easy, but I'm grateful I did it and can now relate to women who did the same for centuries. We love his chubbiness. I think this picture is the one most often talked about with those cheeks and all. At two months he is in the 90th percentile for weight and height at 13 lbs. 11 oz. and just over 24 inches long.

I'm grateful for William who gives me FIRSTS everyday as a mother. I think he is so creative and I love the things he comes up with. My favorite this week was when he greeted Van the other morning with "Hi teeny boy."

LASTS:
I'm thankful we spent Thanksgiving last year with my family because it was my dad's LAST holiday at home. The fall season has definitely made me think a lot about my dad. I missed him at Van's birth and my niece Brittany's wedding. He loved football and my family feels lost not having him fill us in on which NFL teams are doing well this season. He loved politics and it's been weird not having him around to talk about current events and the midterm elections. I always called and thanked him on Veteran's Day for his service in the Korean War. I miss him terribly, but am thankful he is no longer in pain.

William and my dad at Thanksgiving dinner 2009.

I'm thankful for the dinner LAST week that we served at The Road Home in conjunction with our project The Down-N-Out Diner. It was very successful and more and more people are wanting to help. I'm thankful for the meals I get to eat everyday and enjoy sharing part of my food budget with the homeless.

LAST of all, I'm grateful for my family. I usually think about the lessons my dad taught me and the one that has resonated with me lately is to always put family first because that's where you'll find the greatest happiness. I hope that my family (Garretts and Bickmores) knows how much they mean to me. I'm thankful for their support in my endeavors, their humor, and their thoughtfulness. I feel like I should end this post with an Amen, so AMEN!