Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful day. Truly. I know I've said it on here before, and I know I'll say it again, but I have so much to be thankful for. I enjoy my family so much. They bring joy to my life in countless ways.

We had a lazy morning. We hung out and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and ate a small breakfast. We went to my sister's house around one to eat lunch and camped out there for the rest of the day.

It was my 3 sisters and their husbands and kids {including me and mine, totaling 20}, 4 sets of parents {that would make 7 in my case}, a cousin from Texas {Desiree}, and her sweet friend from Belize, Norma. So all in all, that is 29 people who passed through Lisa's house today. Wow. You can just imagine the spread we had. Most of it was eaten, with not enough for leftovers.

I was proud of myself for not sleeping today. I ate very little turkey. Because, you can imagine, it knocks me out. Whatever that sleep~inducing drug is~it knocks me out.

We ended our lovely evening by going to see Old Dogs. It was really good, and I highly recommend it. It was very clean~no bad language or anything. It was really funny~at one point, I thought Graham was going to pass out, he was laughing so hard. I was laughing at him laughing.

We came home and ate snacks. Because who really needs two meals on Thanksgiving day?? Not us! Two boys had cheese dip nachos, one had cereal, and one had popcorn.

Oh, something I forgot to mention is that I've had a...

~duhn duhn duhn duhn....

...GIRL in my house since Tuesday night! My adorable niece has spent the past 2 nights with us. And I have loved it. She fits right in with the boys and they adore her. She even went to the movie with us tonight. I've been getting some ridiculous stares from people I don't know~I can imagine their thinking: "That crazy woman has 5 KIDS!!!" I've loved every minute. Her mom is threatening to send her to me next summer for 2 weeks.

I~we~are abundantly, immeasurably blessed. We really are. My heart is so full it could burst. I love my family. I absolutely cherish every single moment I have with them. I love the little moments, when for no reason, Jonah or Noah come up to me and say, "Mommy, I love you". I love the moments when Graham comes up to me and hugs me and kisses my cheek. And I love the way that Drew tells me "thank you, Mom!!!" in his gruffy voice.

I love the way that Graham prays unabashedly in a house FULL of people. I love that they all talk to God as if He were right beside them. I love the faith that they have in Him and the trust they put in Him.

I love the way my husband loves me. He loves me in his own unique way, but he does. I love that he still hugs me all the time. I love the way he makes me feel protected when I sit beside him. I love the way that he shows the boys that same love. I love that he is always the first one to start up a late night game of "chase" through the entire house.

I am blessed beyond measure. We all are, if you stop and think about it. It's all a matter of reflecting what it is God has given us.

Have you ever read the story in Luke 17 about the ten lepers that Jesus healed? Only one of them came back to thank Him. You know what Jesus said? Luke 17:18 says, "Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

I don't want to be like those nine. I want to be like that one that had the thought to go back. Every good and perfect gift is from above, James 1:17 tells us. Everything. Not just certain things~everything is from and of God.

I met a sweet angel of a girl from Belize today. In talking to her, I realize how much we have that we just expect to be there. Food, for instance. She is not used to the amount of food we had today, and she told me they don't eat that much in her village. She thought she was in a mansion today~and she loved everyone and everything about today. She was precious and thankful.

How many times should we be more thankful?

I know I should be more outwardly expressive of my gratitude. These precious girls that I talked to today could probably teach us all a thing or two about life as we know it.

They're in a school called Master's Commission here in Memphis, and the school's purpose is to take away all that comes between them and God. That means relationships, internet, movies, probably even books. They are used to functioning on just a little, and I loved their attitudes today.

It just stuck out to me today, and it's something I hope to remember for a long time.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory"...Ephesians 3:20, 21 tells us.

Thank You, Lord. I am amazed at You. I absolutely, wholly and truly ADORE You.

Happy Thanksgiving day, friends. I hope your day was blessed.