Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve y'all.  The kids don't have school today, so I'm enjoying a lazy morning at home.  I'm sitting at our dining table, still in my PJs (which is not all that unusual), with the delicious scent of cinnamon and cloves gently wafting through the kitchen to my grateful nose (which is most definitely not a usual occurrence).  I've got pumpkin pie in the oven, and cake almost ready to go.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, my friends, because as much as I love spending time with extended family, there is nothing I like more than lazy days at home with just my favorite people.  Expectations are a breeding ground for disappointment, and when I spend time with others, even family and friends whom I love, I find myself mired in expectations that are spoken and unspoken.  It's stressful, y'all, like navigating a minefield.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.  And the next day, and the next, because the five of us, me and my favorite people, will navigate these days together with love and grace.  We will bake and eat.  We will play football and watch football.  We will most likely go tree hunting and catch a thousand-pointer.  We will spend time outside.  These few days are a welcome respite from the ever-increasing demands of daily life.  For these few days, we will enjoy each other.  And ponder our blessings.