Happy Thanksgiving - Memories, Food, and Laughter

Yesterday as I baked, played with my kids, and did our usual routines, I reminisced about past Thanksgivings. I explained to my kids about Thanksgiving and how it became a holiday in our country. I told them how much Thanksgiving meant to me and that it is my favorite holiday. Growing up I spent nearly every Thanksgiving in northern California at my grandparent’s cattle ranch surrounded by acres and acres of orchards. I have fond memories playing Frisbee with dried cow patties, the sounds of the bullfrogs at night on their pond, playing horseshoes with the adults, hide and go seek, and watching my boy cousins ride their motor bikes in the back forty.

Thanksgiving at my grandparent’s house meant lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, and close family friends. It was usually standing room only in their living and dining room. Lots of food, singing, stories told, but Thanksgiving was always more special because it was always close to my grandfather’s birthday. My grandfather’s favorite pie was a chocolate pudding cream pie that my grandmother would always make for him. I remember it like it was yesterday, sitting at the table as a young girl with blonde hair and piggy tails listening to my family sing to the man who was the patriarch of the Hamilton clan. The twinkle in his eyes and the pure love and emotion that exuded from his body and shown to each of us.

Thanksgiving to me means family, love, togetherness, kindness, thoughtfulness, cheerfulness, joyfulness, and most of all loving each and everyone around you as if it was your very last moment in life. Oh, how I miss those special moments of singing and eating with my family, of tracing my hand or drawing a picture on my grandmother’s Thanksgiving table-cloth she later would sew over with thread. It was a holiday I looked forward to all year and still love even now as an adult.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for many blessings God has given me and here are a few I share with you:

I am thankful for each of my children, while I have many moments of exhaustion, of feeling inadequate to be their mother, I know each of them are gifts and bring me much joy.
I am thankful for my husband and best friend. My husband Michael and I have been together over 13 years which is a long time considering I am still in my early 30’s. We have been through dark periods in our relationship, but thankfully through prayer and lots of work we keep chugging along. He is my biggest fan and for that I am grateful.
I am thankful for my family and friends who support and love me no matter what. Who are kind with their honesty and love me even when I have not loved myself.
I am thankful for finally having the courage to start Inspired-Housewife because my blog is and has helped so many people out in Internet land. I never knew blogging about a pee soaked mattress would literally save hundreds of mattresses from the landfill, or that I would inspire people to make diet changes or connect with so many who also suffer from Albright’s Hereditary Osteodystrophy like my precious son Tristan. My blog has brought many new friendships and friends along the way and I am and will be forever grateful to each of you who read what I write and comment and interact on my Facebook page.
I am thankful for music, and after six years of only singing lullaby’s to my babies, I joined my church’s music praise team and I start this Saturday singing again publicly. Music is healing in so many ways and it is also a little something I can do for me too.
I am thankful for the opportunity to share and volunteer in my community, showing my children how love is not just a word, but also an action.