Thanksgving...Oh SO much to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving this year was warm and full of lots of family and friends getting together and eating WAY too much  and laughing WAY too hard!  :)  I'm gonna be honest though... I didn't wake up super grateful.  I woke up actually pretty annoyed, frustrated and stressed about all the things that had to be done that day.  As I rushed my children to get dressed and snapped orders to clean up their things, I realized that I was sooo not having a heart of peace and gratitude.  But it wasn't until my daughter began to cry, "Mommy, why are you so annoyed??  Why can't you be in a better mood?" that is when I broke down too.  "Oh hunny!!!"  I cried, "I am soooo sorry!!!!"  It's times like this that we mommies have to do the only thing left to do....ask for forgiveness from our children.  I told her that sometimes even mommy gets into a bad mood and needs Jesus to remind me that He is our joy and satisfaction and that no matter what is going on around us...we can choose JOY with His grace!  It was after our little conversation and some much needed prayer that my day started to turn the corner.  I let out a big sigh and by God's beautiful grace He allowed me to have such gratitude, peace, and even JOY for the rest of my day!  

The kids before everyone else got there pretending like they were at a camp fire

The ladies in the kitchen enjoying themselves  :)

Annabella, Leah, and Sierra.

My hot tea and all the black friday ads....  :)

The table is set...now time to eat.

Wow...that's alot of food.  Surely no one could actually eat all that??

Oh I could...  :)

all the kiddos watching tv

all the big kids making a toast  :)

me and the hubby

me and my Annabella

Ezekiel trying to get everyone psyched up about playing football.. :)

The girls felt the need to go put on princess attire...naturally.  :)

Malachi and Ezekiel, the only boys, were finding it their sole purpose for the evening to make the girls as mad as possible... so we finally decided to just put them in my room and let them watch some Spider-man.  

The ladies!  Wendi, me, mama, Becky, Kelly, Julie, and Maike. 

Oh how there is SOO much to be grateful for!!!