Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is Rob's favorite holiday, he loves preparing for the big meal and he savors the 3 1/2 days he gets uninterrupted with our family. It is so sweet to see him fully embrace a long weekend. I swear there is not another time in the year where he is just HERE with US. He was particularly excited this year to have the girls both more independent and able to join him in hikes outside. We took one with RaRa and PopPop through our back woods which is slowly becoming a nice little hiking trail and then we went again this morning to a trail 2 miles from our house, the girls absolutely loved it. We saw a "spooky" tree, we crossed two brooks, and we almost made it to the big tree but Julia's little legs had had enough. So Mommy and Julia headed back, but Rob, Emma and Grandpa kept exploring for another 30 minutes. It was really a beautiful way to start a Sunday, Emma was so proud to have "finished the whole trail". She was excited to be the leader and look for the blue rectangles that were marked on the trees as the guide of the path. We all have realized that absolutely nothing gets by Emma. Even if you think you've said something quietly, if she's with in a 2 room earshot, she's heard it and will ever so deftly let you know in the upcoming conversations that she did in fact hear you ... that Emma!

We got to enjoy a delicious and leisurely dinner at home with RaRa and PopPop on Thanksgiving, it was really a perfect pace. We ate and gave thanks around the table, then played and the girls napped and that gave us adults a chance to also recharge, then a bit of dessert across the street with Rob's parents and Aunt Karleen and Uncle Charlie. It was very nice, we missed April and Timmy but we will get to have them again next year ... I think :)

Once we tucked the kids away to bed, we plotted our shopping trip -- we left at 2:30 a.m.! How we did it is still a mystery, since at 11 p.m. Julia decided to join me and April in bed, she was hysterically trying to antagonize "Nantie April" by doing cheerleading and ninja moves all at the same time. It took me 1 hour to get Julia to relax and convince her she could sleep in her own room ... conversations of "Mommy there are scaaarrry things in my room", "My belly hurts", "My teeth, I need medicine", "I miss you Mommy" (with a big kiss on the lips) ... ahh, that little one knows how to play her cards, but Mommy perservered and by 12:15 a.m. Julia was back in her crib ... though I was still wide awake thinking "should we just leave now?" but April was just falling asleep, so I closed my eyes and before I knew it the alarm was blarring at 2 a.m. We grabbed out Turkey Stuffed sandwiches and headed out for a marathon of shopping. I still haven't wrapped my head aorund the 12 hours we shopped, or exactly what we purchased, the bags are stowed in the basement and hopefully this week I can organize them and figure out what I bought while in a state of delirium!

But, I give thanks ... thanks that once a year we get that uninterrupted opportunity to seize a shopping excursion, find amazing deals, spend such real time together as sisters and daughter(s), we have the best time ... even when we haven't been able to find a "damn cup of coffee" for 7 hours! ;)

I give thanks to the traditions we have started ... the Lowell Parade, the Black Friday Shopping, the Thanksgiving Hikes, the Crazy Pajamas, the sleepovers, and the excitement that is the Holidays!

I give thanks for the personalities of our two little girls, Julia continuously finds ways to amuse everyone ... from her "underwear" song renditions, to her whispering in your ear voice, she makes us all smile and fill up with love. And Emma always finds a way to let everyone know how special they are to her, she will be playing and then quickly break and come right up and tell you "I just love having you here". She is very sweet and loves having her family around.

I feel so very thankful for all of the beautiful moments we shared this weekend and the year behind us. I am giving thanks to all of my family and wonderful friends. I hope that each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with great love and food.