thanksgiving.

This break has been wonderful. 

I have heard extra laughs, given an abundance of hugs, and done an assortment of crafts.
I have also wiped sister induced tears, done more laundry than usual, cleaned more messes, and been slightly more tired. 

We had my parents, brothers and SIL and their family, come over on Thursday. We cooked turkey and I potato peeled off a chunk of my finger. We drank wine and ate appetizers and laughed and played with the kids. The cousins ran around outside while it wasn't raining and I ran around trying capture the day in spurts of 2 or 3 photos at a time. 

I am ready to go back to our weekly routine, though. One week off seems like forever when it is raining outside all of the time - and even when it's not, it is sub 40 degrees (hey, that is cold here!). Reese has asked about her friends and teachers all week and is ready to return to her classes and daily schedule. We are ready for packing lunches, going to dance, and getting to bed earlier because there's no sleeping in. Only one week of a break, but it always helps me remember to be grateful for our regular day to day - and how blessed we are to have our day to day filled with such amazing people.

I have so much to be thankful for that it is hard for me to start in the middle of it all. I am thankful for  the health of my sweet babies, for my family who I love so dearly. I am thankful to be able to provide for them daily. I am thankful for my wrecked heart who longs to do so many things outside of my comfort zone. I am thankful for the pain and sadness that has led me to realize how blessed we truly are. 

We go into this next month with our elf on the shelf, our lists for santa being written, our tree up, and our days packed - but remember to stop for a second and look around. It is easy to get wrapped up in it all at this time of year - the stress and the hustle, but all you need to be wrapped up in is each other.