what happened to thanksgiving?

i am so thankful for this smiling, happy, toothy grin ;)  

almost a full week later, i think hendrix is finally better and feeling back to his normal self.  

he battled another bout of ear infection and that icky croupy cough stuff right through our weekend halloween festivities.  

he did get to go trick-or-treating, but he missed plenty of other fun events (including a costume birthday party for one of his favorite gal pals).

I can't help but notice that his eighth tooth is finally starting to poke up, and wonder if there is a correlation to sickness and teething?!?  the doc says no, but i have heard many other mothers make this correlation.......

hmmmmm

anyways, this pictures makes me happy.

it makes me thankful.

it reminds me that my life is full of blessings.

and it challenges me to take a few minutes to stop and consider them.

this evening after work i stopped at wal-mart really quick to pick up a can of pumpkin puree that got forgotten on my grocery list last night.  i thought it would be pretty easy, being early november, to find said pumpkin on an aisle end cap or in the seasonal section.

i got all the way to the seasonal section to find that the pumpkin has already been replaced with cranberries and christmas ornaments.  

what?

now, don't get me wrong here, i love christmas. 

i really do.  

i probably love christmas more than the average person, and i can't wait to go chop down our very first real christmas tree this year.....

but

i really would like to take it one holiday at a time, and right now i want to focus on thanksgiving.

apple cider.

pumpkins.

turkey with stuffing.

family time.

red and orange leaves.

pilgrims.

counting our blessings.

so, in honor of my revolt against skipping this important holiday, i thought i would compile a little list of the things i am thankful for today.

1. my hubs.  he is my rock. my constant.  i love him so much.

2. my sweet boy.  he makes me laugh, he makes me tear my hair out.  he keeps me young and he makes me feel old.  he is a doll.  he is at an age where the whole world is opening up to him and he is starting to make connections about the way things work - it is so fun to watch!

3. crisp autumn mornings.  the kind that make me want to wear turtlenecks and boots.  (by the way, hendrix tried out his snow boots for the first time this evening, while he was brushing his teeth.....he is a fabulous multitasker, just like his mama!)

4. a quaint, though a bit rough around the edges, house that we have made a home. 

5. pecan tassies and gingersnap cookies (both of which i made this morning) that make an entire house smell delicious for days!

6. big piles of raked leaves that make loud crunching sounds.

7. pumpkin spice lattes.

8. friends.  the kind that stop by when i am still unshowered in my jammies and don't even make me feel bad about it ;)

9. family gatherings. the kind that fill a whole house up with noise and laughter.  

10. my camera.  i love the way i am able to see the world differently when i look through my lens.

but i am most thankful for the life-changing role of mom that was given to me 14 months ago when this little boy was born into our family.  i wouldn't change a thing.

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