give thanks

thanksgiving isn't usually a holiday i get super excited about - sure, we all love a full plate of turkey and mashed potatoes and hanging out with the fam, but more often than not it is a little anti-climatic and everyone winds up falling asleep watching football with ridiculously stuffed bellies.
this year thanksgiving meant so much more to me.




it didn't really hit me until i started thinking about where we were last year. we had just moved back to california from a summer in wyoming a few months before and were living in oceanside. we were happy to be close to the beach and close to my family - sad to be far again from the ericksons. but what i remember most about last year was the emptiness i had been feeling inside for the longest time after trying to get pregnant for so long. i don't think i really thought about it at thanksgiving specifically (at least not any more than i did EVERY day), but this year, with little owen in my arms i feel i have so much more to be thankful for.

first, i am thankful for faith and for a heavenly father that answers prayers. i don't know how many prayers were sent upwards pleading for Him to send us a child - and then afterwards to make sure he made it here safe and sound. for a long time i wondered why i wasn't able to receive that blessing and was full of self-doubt and questioning. now i know that the long wait has made the arrival of our son that much more amazing. i am so grateful that god in all his wisdom and mercy has blessed us with this beautiful boy at this exact time in our lives. i know he knows better than we do.

second, i am so thankful for family. i loved spending the day with family yesterday. we went up to my sisters house for the festivities and it just felt good to be surrounded by loved ones. (we missed you t&e!) we had fun playing with the kids and watching my sister and mom whip up an amazing feast while i had the excuse of tending to the baby (what will my excuse be next year for not cooking?? let's face it - i'm just no good in the kitchen!) mique was the perfect hostess not only for providing a great meal, but also had the cutest decorations that the kids had made and provided an opportunity for all of us to express our gratitude for one another. as i sat writing all the reasons i was grateful for my family members i realized it is just too impossible to put into words what family means to me. not only the family that i came from, but now my own little family that is growing. what a huge blessing to have a wonderful husband and a sweet baby boy to remind me of the things that matter most in life. what a blessing to be surrounded by people who know you so well, and love you anyways.

third, i am thankful for friends. life as a new mom is not the most socially invigorating time shall we say. i spend most days talking to a baby and a dog. if i'm lucky i get out of the house once, maybe twice, and if i'm really lucky i get to go on a walk with fellow-new-mom-friend amy. i think about how many "friends" i had in high school or college (we're talking quantity, not quality) and i realize now that i don't have nearly as many friends now as i did then, but the friendships i do have are solid and are people that i would do anything for. i am grateful for mature friendships that go beyond going to the mall together and talking about boys. i am grateful for meaningful conversations, good laughs, and support that i know will always be there for me and my family.

that pretty much sums it up. this year i am so grateful for faith, family, and friends.