Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving was lovely, far lovelier than my photos will demonstrate. In fact, I was too busy drinking and chatting and eating to take many pictures at all. And it seems that I was too eager to continue the drinking and chatting and eating to spend much time on the pictures I did take so they are mostly out of focus and over exposed. I am choosing to see this as evidence of the fact that I was enjoying the moment.

{The Give Thanks glitter banner was the result of a lazy crafternoon last week.}

You don't really need pictures to get the idea anyway. We drank, we chatted, we ate...a lot, and we gave thanks. For the third year in a row, everyone wrote down what he or she was thankful for, and we looked back at the things we were grateful for last year and the year before.

This year we were extra fortunate to have some extended family celebrating with us. My dad's aunt and cousins joined as did my mom's brother, my uncle Steve. My dad's cousin Karen is also my godmother, and as a woman of excellent taste, she is a big fan of my blog. [Hi, Karen!]

{Karen and her mother, Caroline}

 I used to think of it as a pit stop on the way to Christmas, but I must say, I have really grown to love Thanksgiving. It's pretty great to have a day dedicated to focusing on all of our blessings, all of the things that make us happy. Plus, it unites us all as Americans. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists can all get on board with a holiday that calls us to draw our families close and tell them how thankful we are for them.