Grateful Hearts

My Sweet Siestas,

It's a little after 7:00 PM on Thanksgiving evening and it's just me and my best little buddy, Star. WHEW! We had a great celebration today that started with a bang. I had an abbreviated quiet time out on the back porch (it's gorgeous and cool in Houston right now) then hit the kitchen tile running. I baked a ham, pulled it out of the oven and glazed it, put the turkey in the oven, and started setting tables. Everything becomes a table for holiday meals at the Moore house. Melissa and Colin rolled out of bed early and helped me get everything ready. She made the most incredible broccoli rice casserole. You'd think that dish would take the place of a green bean casserole but not in my family. They would be aghast. Amanda also came over early and brought that incredible pumpkin dessert. I made my usual Texas Sheetcake. It's a family tradition. Curtis lagged behind another hour with Jackson and Annabeth so Amanda would just be free to help before all the company hit the house. My sons-in-law are the best.

My mom would have been super proud of my cornbread dressing again this year. It wasn't my absolute best but it was really great. Keith's parents, one of his sisters (the other lives in Japan), her two fine boys, one of my sisters and her two fine boys, the Joneses, Fitzpatricks, Keith and I all crowded in this very familiar abode of 25 years. So many memories here.

It was such a sweet day. We gave thanks to God, ate, all talked at the same time, laughed, and ate some more. The Fitzpatricks left the earliest because Colin's parents, Joe and Jude Ann, live in our area, too, and they didn't want to miss that celebration either. The two of them will probably gobble in their sleep. I remember those days really well because, when Keith and I were young, our parents also lived in the same town. We didn't want to miss out on either family and would have gotten in the biggest fight if the other dared suggest otherwise.

Keith and one of his nephews headed for deer country by mid afternoon. (I told you he would. Has for 25 years. Uh, make that 30 but who's counting?) His other nephew headed to the Texas A&M/Texas game. One by one all the other company left as well. My sister and I hadn't seen each other in way too long so we hugged and hugged before she and her boys pulled out of the driveway.

Curtis and Amanda would not leave me here by myself until they'd cleaned the entire kitchen and even vacuumed my floor. I was astonished. I've had a dern herniated disk - the MRI said a "large" one - and, boy, has it ever hurt. I have never been a weakling or a person who preferred to be waited on so it's really been hard for me to sit back and let people do certain things for me. This back thing has been so painful, though, that it has forced some sizable limitations. I've been so annoyed with it. That does NOT include putting down Annabeth - she's within my weight limit, that tiny thing - although I have had to tell Jackson that Bibby can't carry him for a few weeks. He dearly loves for Bibby to carry him.

After watching CJ and AJ whip my house back into shape, I packed up enough leftovers for them to have for supper when they got home and I walked them to their cars with their sleepy babies. Then, I came back inside, got down on my face and thanked God for my family, fixed me a plate of leftovers and savored every bite in front of the television. Have you ever noticed that you can't really relax and taste the food as well when you're the hostess? But afterward, you can relish every single crumb all by yourself and say, "Not bad, woman. Not bad at all."

Well, Lis just called me and she's on her way home so I better sign off. She's dying for some of her mother's leftovers. Can you believe it? She'll eat then we'll have some hot tea, put our aching feet in some hot soapy water, and talk all about today. Tomorrow we'll do absolutely NOTHING. And I can hardly wait. I'm closing in on the last few chapters of a really great Christian fiction novel. Yep, tomorrow's the day. Monday will come all too fast.

I am so thankful for each one of you. So grateful to our merciful God for the privilege to serve people like you. So thankful for my family. For my salvation. For JESUS. I thought it would be so rich to ask you to share one thing that you're thankful for this year THAT YOU NEVER DREAMED YOU'D BE THANKFUL FOR. In other words, what has caught your grateful heart by surprise this year?

I love you. Happy Thanksgiving, my dear, dear fellow sojourners.