Thanksgiving - things I love

I love Thanksgiving. I look forward to when my kids get married with children and come home for Turkey Day. It could quite possibly be my favorite holiday.
Things I love & have learned about Thanksgiving:
~ I love the cooking. (not so much the cleaning)
~ Love all the new recipes, and all the old favorites.
~ I know that we need a deep fryer so I can have fried turkey more than once a year.
~ I also have learned that to recreate Ireta's famous green beans, I need a pressure cooker. Seriously, I am scared to death of those things and the noise they make, so guess I will just have to stick with the safer version that doesn't stand a chance of blowing up in my kitchen.
~ I love spending time with family. Especially when it's not rushed and when I know the majority of them.
~ I love the football that comes with the holiday.
~ I know that I would love the shopping, just have never experienced it. Our family has one of our dinners on Black Friday, so it's also a cheap holiday for us.

I guess I could sit and think of tons and tons of things that I love about Thanksgiving, but it seems the older I get the more the real meaning of the holiday seems to surface.
It isn't a holiday filled with boxes of candy or dozens of roses. It isn't a holiday filled with baskets of eggs or fingers stained with dye. It isn't about fireworks or kids knocking on doors begging for candy. It isn't about presents & gift wrapping, or lights that won't glow.
To me Thanksgiving is time to reflect all the blessings I have. To think of His goodness & mercy He's shown. I think about giving thanks to the One who gave His all.

I will give thanks
~A