Feeling all warm and fuzzy!

I hope all of your Thanksgivings were as satisfying as ours. The food of course was delicious, the family was great and the thankfulness that I felt for all I have been blessed with this year was overwhelming! What a great year it has been! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday-and I think I finally pin-pointed it this year why that is.

First of all, just the thought of Thanksgiving, makes me think about so many things-like fall, my favorite season, delicious smells of homemade yumminess, getting together with family, and basically a kickoff to the holidays. For me, the anticipation of Christmas is so much better than the actual day itself. I love all the things leading up to Christmas, the lights, the smells, the tastes, the general excitement in the air, I even love Christmas shopping. Crowded stores and malls don't bother me. I like that knowing that despite some of the more grumpier attitudes in the store, that most of the people there are there to find that perfect gift that will make their loved ones faces light up. I love how people start helping others even more than usual, and how so many people start thinking about Christ more, and themselves less. I love all the nativity scenes, and what this season is really all about. I love all the traditions that everyone has, and the new traditions that we start. I love thinking about how excited my kids' faces will be when they see what Santa leaves for them, I love seeing their eyes reflect all the lights and glitter on the tree as they ooh and aah the first time it is lit up. I love going out and braving the cold to find that perfect tree and then drinking hot cocoa with a candy cane in it that night. I love the smell of snow in the air, I love the music that plays everywhere you go.

I think that even if you don't celebrate Christmas itself, it would still be hard not to be caught up in the magic of the season. It is beautiful. I always wondered why it is that I have always considered Thanksgiving the best of all the holidays, but I think that's why, it's just the beginning of the magic...

Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure of our Thanksgiving-no perfect shot-just perfect happiness.

The place cards that Chad, Bekah and I made this year. A tradition I started last year-to make placecards for everyone who will be at dinner, and on the back or the inside a place to write what you have been thankful for this year and a goal for next year that you would like to be thankful for. Example: Next year I will be thankful to be living in my new house!!!Bekah has turned into quite a flirt. Jim's 16 year old nephew Zach was there, and she never left his side-of course who doesn't love a guy who can play guitar this well! This kid can hear a song once and play it perfectly. We may have a little groupie on our hands! Yikes!Here is my niece Mckayla-she was lots of fun to have around this week. Tab-o and Charlie in his sweater-poor dog!Bekah's favorite part of Thanksgiving has always been the olives-this year was no different, this is pretty much all she ate for dinner-it was a holiday so I didn't fight it.Topher's fave part was the pumpkin pie and the home-made whip cream, he didn't eat much else, but once again, a holiday so I just let it be.After dinner Topher thought he would see if Grandma had any more room down there! For some reason he stuck his whole fist down her throat and I just happened to have my camera pointing at them to get this priceless shot. Ha Ha! Too funny.See that heavenly glow around Chad as he's washing dishes? I love a man with dishpan hands! What a sweetie-he did the whole lot of them!

Me and my sis, who better know how thankful I am for her-her husband will be home on the 4th, so she is heading back to Washington this weekend and I am going to miss her like crazy. I think she is the only person in the world that I fight with about something on an almost daily basis, and yet I still want to hang out with her all the time. It's just one of those things I guess! BFF!!!

Let the ANTICIPATION BEGIN!!! Here comes Christmas people!

29 days and counting! (Chad would say 30-but he can sometimes be a glass is half empty sort a fella! So I will go by my own calculations and say 29!! Less than a month!)