Thanksgiving and Being Thankful

For some reason, The Muffin has a new game....we'll call it "Barack Obama's Coming". She'll be playing quietly, suddenly gets a look of fear and runs to me or Big Daddy and says, "Oh, no! Barack Obama's coming!". We have no idea what got this started. She was the only one in our house that was supportive of Obama, so we're confused on why she seems so afraid of him. Big Daddy thinks it's because she checked out our latest issue of America's First Freedom, the official magazine of the National Rifle Association, and realized that her Second Amendment rights are in jeopardy. We have assured her that we're armed and prepared to defend ourselves. Tonight, the game changed. Muffin said "I thinkBarack Obama's coming!" then there was a long pause and she said, "It's okay, Daddy'll get his gun and scare Barack Obama away." On this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that Barack Obama is NOT coming to our house. I think Muff realizes that the NRA has had a boost in membership and our local gun shop has had an increase in sales since Obama's become the President-elect. She realizes that she's a Life Member of the NRA and just wants to make sure that he's not making any door to door visits to discourage us from protecting our rights. I'm also thankful for our freedom to come and go, speak our minds and to be Christians...and to buy firearms and firearm accessories.

My family decided that a trip to Pigeon Forge, TN would be a fun and exciting way to celebrate Thanksgiving. Due to Big Daddy's school schedule and the fact that we aren't fond of going anywhere that may have cooler weather than we have here, we decided to stay at home. We'll be Thanksgivings orphans...sort of. We could go to Mike's parents or accept the invitations from several of our friends, but staying home is not that bad. The Muffin will help me fix our lunch, we'll move her from a toddler bed to a big girl bed and we'll decorate the Christmas Tree. Lately, we've had very little time as a family so it will nice to just be at home together. I'll miss the food and family that would have been at my mom's house, but I'm sure I can replicate her cooking...maybe. My Daddy actually said, "Do you know how to fix dressing?". I assured him that I do. I'm thankful that we have families even though we won't be with them on Thanksgiving Day.

We have lots of fun family stuff that we can do. Just decorating the tree with Muff this year will be an adventure. And then we'll have to go to her favorite greenhouse on Friday to let her pick out a new ornament for the tree...and I'll get to pick out an ornament for the Baby-to-be. Maybe Big Daddy can come along and experience the joy that taking The Muffin to the greenhouse. Everyone there loves her and they give her free stuff. We were there after Halloween and they gave her a pretty butterfly windchime, just because. She chases and torments the greenhouse cats, Cookie and Spike. I think they hide as soon as they hear her coming. I'm so thankful for fun times with The Muffin and Big Daddy.

The associate pastor preached Sunday and gave a great sermon about Thanksgiving and being thankful all the time for even the simplest things. He said he was thankful for his new church family, his wife and his daughter. I'm thankful for our new church family and for finding this church that I think may just be the greatest church...ever. He and his wife tried for years to have children and finally adopted the most beautiful daughter from China. She's in her early teens and sings with her dad and has the voice of an angel. He said that he always wanted a child that could sing. Then there are two couples in our Sunday school class that are in the process of adopting children from Ethiopia. One couple has an adopted four year old daughter from China and the other couple has two young children, by birth. I'm thankful for our sweet Baby-to-be that I have the pleasure of growing in my belly and spending every nauseating moment with. I'm the only person other than it's Creator that can say I was with it from the beginning. I will have actually held it before anyone can ever hold it in their arms. (That's why Big Daddy is allowed to hold it before anyone else and also why we can tell people that they cannot hold our sweet baby until we are finished holding it.) I'm glad that we never take being able to be parents for granted. I'm thankful for our vasa previa miracle, The Muffin, and that I can't forget the day she was born and the miracle that God performed even when I try. And because of her I'm so thankful for the International Vasa Previa Foundation and all that they do to raise awareness and support the parents of vasa previa miracles and angels. I would have lost my mind without them.

My hormones have been crazy and I've been freezing for the past three weeks. I'm almost never warm. I'm so thankful for our house that is so much warmer than outside, warm clothes and fuzzy, warm blankets. I'm also thankful that I have two people that I can cuddle with for a little extra heat.

I read in our church bulletin that our local "soup kitchen" , The Breadbasket is in "desperate need" of dried beans and peas. The Muffin and I are going to take some food items by there soon. I'm thankful for our stocked fridge and pantry, even when I say there's nothing to eat.

And because I'm pregnant I have a few silly things that I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for sweet tea, yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard, toasted bread, saltine crackers, sweet pickle relish and Sierra Mist Free Cranberry Splash.

I hope that you have lots to be thankful for this year too.