THIS IS THE LIFE: Thanksgving 2012

So much to be thankful for this year. Our family has been on a crazy roller coaster for nearly three years now it seems. Two Thanksgivings ago, I had to excuse myself from the table during Laura's famous prayer because I was crying so hard I couldn't breathe. I could barely handle celebrating any holiday just three months after my three angel boys went to Heaven, let alone one in which I was suppose to be thankful for anything. My grief was still so fresh and painful at that point it was unreal. We were also mourning the loss of Mike's job (career) and our nearly four months of both being off work that year. Last year, things for us were better, but my older sister had been fired from her job and her husband had some scary legal issues (he was later cleared of any wrongdoing!) so the prayer again was a tearjerker. What I didn't know last year at Thanksgiving was that God had already been working on a miracle in our lives. Gavin was nothing more than a tiny notion in my body that day, but we found out three short weeks later that he in fact was with us for that dinner!

This year as Laura stood to read the prayer (the tiny packages of Kleenex had already been passed out) once again there wasn't a dry eye in the house. This year we have become closer as a family. When Mom was diagosed with breast cancer in May 2012 we were all shaken to our core. As we sat at Mom and Dad's house that Thursday evening, we decided that we would all come together and this cancer stood no chance. We never dreamed how God's power would carry Mom through this. With prayer, the support of friends and family, and a big leap of faith, she will complete her last Chemo treatment on Monday. Radiation will follow and she is sure to soar through it as well. We gave thanks to God for being with her on this journey. The prayer continued with thanks to God for watching over Gavin and I as he grew stronger everyday and came screaming into this world on July 25th. A blessing that two years ago I wouldn't have even thought possible. Next, came a prayer of safety for Mike's brother Randy. He was sentenced to many years in jail a few months ago, something that has been very difficult to handle for Mike, his Mom, and the rest of our family. It is unimaginable to know that someone you love did break a law (no one was hurt) and was sentenced so much more harshly than we expected. Our hearts ached to know that one of us was not sitting at that table this year.

Our family has been through a lot. We are choosing to give thanks to God for our blessings and allow him to heal our hurt.

In no particular order really, here are just a few of my things to be thankful for:
-My husband, who is my rock.
-My son, Josey, who is the most amazing, caring, funny, four-year-old.
-My son, Johnny, who I remember as my tiniest miracle.
-My son, Jaxsen, who I remember to have looked so very much like his oldest brother Josey.
-My son, Asher, who had a look of calmness and serenity about him that I will never forget.
-My son, Gavin, who reminded me of a joy that a mother only experiences when she holds her child for the first time. A joy I did not know I would ever feel again. The weight of him in my arms, the way he looks at me as he cries, they way he rubs my face to calm himself down as I hold him close, and the way my heart aches when I am not with him are all blessings I am thankful for.
-My Mom, who is fighting each day to be with us. So proud to be her daughter.
-My Daddy, has shown a strength greater than any husband should have to. He has also shown his daughters the way a man should love his wife. I sleep ok at night because I know he is the only one that could care for Mom they way she needs to be cared for. Proud to be his daughter.
-My Mother-in-law, who is the most selfless woman. She helps me in ways I don't even know to ask for. Proud to be her daughter.
-My sisters, who are my confidants, my life-long best friends, and the ones who know me best.
-My nieces, and brother in-laws. I am blessed beyond measure to have them in my life.
-My career. I get to teach young children about not only education, but life, love, and friendship as well. I learn just as much from them as I teach them.
-God, who gave this all to me.

Highlights from this year's Thanksgiving!