Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  I hope you all enjoy this time with family and friends.  Thanksgiving has become one of my most favorite holidays.  I love having the time off to relax a little, it seems that is hard to do at Christmas.  Yesterday we slept in, did a little decorating outside, watched "Christmas Vacation" with dad, and even sat outside by a fire.  I was in my sleep clothes for most of the day and finally took a shower around 7:00.  Cedric had to work last night so I watched a little of the UNC basketball game then Gabriel and I watched the Peanuts Thanksgiving together.  Very fun and super relaxing! Today we will do lunch at Grandma Dots and dinner at Aunt Janies.  We usually make the trip to Kings Mountain to see the Moore family but Cedric worked last night and has to work again tonight--so he will be sleeping through most of the Thanksgiving festivities this year and is even going to miss Black Friday shopping with mom and me.  We are sad about this, he is a very good shopper and so helpful to us.  We have so much to be thankful for this year.  To much to even list but I will try anyways:

-Our kiddos- I can't imagine life without them.  They make me smile and laugh everyday.  I never know what they will say next. I am a mini-van mom and I love it. 

-Our jobs- Cedric graduated from nursing school in May, passed his boards and has been working full time for several months.  I am grateful I have a job.  Yes, I need a raise and don't know when I will ever get one (working for a broke state sucks) but at least I have a job that I love most of the time. 

- Our new home- We moved into our new place on July 7th and I have loved every second of living here.  It is so cozy and warm (if you were at the old place in the winter you know this is a big change!).  We have multiple bathrooms and sometimes when I am in our master bath I feel like I am at a spa.  I just love it.  I love having a pretty yard to plant stuff in (so far we have done rosebushes, a fig tree, and yesterday a Japanese maple) and a pretty porch to decorate.  So so thankful for our new home.  Also thankful for all the hard work my daddy and Zach put into building it.

- Our health. With so many around us who are currently fighting cancer (Cole, Aunt Linda) or have fought cancer and other illnesses (Uncle Gary, Miss Rhonda, Tommy R., and so many more...) I am so very thankful for our health.  I am also thankful for those that work in medicine to provide treatment to those fighting horrible disease.

-My hubby-I am so thankful for Cedric.  He is my rock.  Sometimes it drives me crazy that he is so laid-back (which is the total opposite of me) but in the end I think it is a good thing because it helps balance me out.  I love how he was out planting a tree and putting up lights on the porch yesterday when he should have been sleeping.  He did this because he knew it would make me happy.  He is a wonderful daddy and I love watching him play with the kiddos.  I am proud that he is a nurse and I can tell that he is a good one. 

-My daddy and mama.  I am so lucky to have both of them in our lives.  Many of my friends have already lost one or both of their parents.  I feel so lucky to have both of mine and even better, they are right next door to us.  My kids are crazy about them and I think they honestly believe that they live at both places. Gabriel goes up whenever he feels like it and gets treated like a king!  I am so happy that my kids get to see them almost every day.  I am thankful for the values they instilled in me and I hope I am passing those values along to my munchkins. 

-Family and friends- I have some of the best family and friends a girl could ever ask for.  I only wish that we were all closer together so we could see each other more often.

-Most of all I am thankful for God-without Him, I would have nothing.

Happy Thanksgiving guys!  I love you all and hope you enjoy this holiday season!!!