Thankful Thursday 4 and 5

No pictures again today since I'm still figuring out my storage issues, but thanks for all your tips!

I missed posting last week since we traveled down to Austin to see my brother, who was in town. Seeing Uncle Rece was definitely high on our thankful list since that is an all-too-rare occasion!

We had an amazing lunch that I did not have to cook, so I was quite grateful. {Although, tip to restaurants boasting a Thanksgiving buffet--let us all take one plate home--I missed having leftovers!}

With the exception of the last hour, C traveled well, so there's another thanks. As I mentioned, she's still full of "stranger danger," so Uncle Rece got about five minutes holding her while she ate. {Then she gave him a piece of her mind, and we got really tickled seeing her little temper.}

Thanksgiving is always a bittersweet holiday for us because that's when my Mom passed, and this marked 10 years. Those "big" anniversaries are tough ones, and having C here made it all the more poignant this year.

But I'm thankful for a million things about my mother and the time we did have together. Her life just sparkled, and she set a standard for kindness that I will never achieve.

This has been a tough month as I anticipated all the grief surfacing, but God--over and over and over again--provided encouragement and comfort, and, for that, I'm overflowing with thanks.

Then, of course, there are the biggies. My little family and the joy they bring every day, all the rest of our families and the close ties we have with them, sweet friends, a job that I enjoy, a house that keeps us warm and together, our health, and this little corner of the blog world.

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!