There's no place like HOME~

We have a CHRISTmas tree tradition that every year I buy a new ornament or two for each of us that has some memory of an event or activity or accomplishment for that year. As you can imagine with 5 people it has grown rather large.
I love to see the anticipation from the kids as they each are given their ornament. Tonight we followed in our tradition as it seemed that CHRISTmas had come early by the kids excitment when they found out that I did indeed already have their ornaments for this year.
Each one was carefully wrapped & passed out. We each took turns opening our ornaments beginning with the youngest. Each ornament was met with surprise and discussion about the stories & events behind each one. Perhaps my favorite this year was our Family Ornament. I try to find one ornament that represents something significant for our family that year. Past ornaments have included a skiing Santa, a new school and my favorite a new church. But this years ornament was simple to decide on.
We each carefully unwrapped the layers of paper to finally discover a beautiful home. Indeed this is the year of having our first real home as a family. A place to call our own. A place to raise our family in. A place that protects & shelters. A place to dream in. A place to laugh in. A place to share with friends. A place to host our families. A place of rest.
My hope for you is that your home, whether new or old, large or small, owned or rented is a place that comforts you, draws you close, and provides a place where life long memories are created.

There's no place like home,
~A

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