Where to begin?

I'm not sure I even know where to begin tonight. This weekend has been a celebration of gratitude, and a wonderful stroll down memory lane as well. My parents and Ben came Wed. night and we enjoyed a WONDERFUL halibut FEAST! Then, Thursday we walked, talked, baked, cooked, carved, and enjoyed! Our friends, the Griffiths, came over to share the holiday, too, and we were so glad to be together. Friday morning we left for Sequim, and we spent Friday afternoon and Saturday renewing old friendships and catching up with friends we haven't seen in at least a decade. They were each so sweet and gracious to welcome us into their homes so we could "catch up". We enjoyed each visit, and Steve was a champion to watch the kiddos so they didn't have to get stuck being "quiet" all day. :) There are so many good people in Sequim...from so many different facets of our lives. It was lovely to visit them again.

My folks left this morning for a VERY LONG drive. I'm sorry it's such a long drive, but I'm so grateful they were willing to make it. My kids love them so much, and I enjoy being in their company again. There's just nothing like having your mom & dad around.

Today Steve has been sick and spent the majority of the day in bed. I got to watch "Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition" with my boys tonight. It's kind of a Sunday tradition. I'm glad my kids like to watch that show...it makes me cry EVERY TIME! It is just so wonderful to see good people work together to make someone else's life a little easier. It's a ray of sunshine in this dreary, wicked world. Tonight we watched one about a couple who has 11 children: 3 biological, and 8 adopted. The show was a wonderful reminder of all the things with which we've been blessed. I talked about it with Kenneth & Daniel afterwards, and we talked about how blessed we are to have food on the table and a nice warm bed to sleep on. There are so many things for which I am grateful, I don't even know where to begin. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, that helps me know that I can live forever with my family. My good family - and family-in-law. I've got the best family EVER! My good husband - who knew we would be such a perfect fit for each other? Steve is such a blessing in my life. My beautiful children - they teach me something every day. I'm so grateful for their health and their sweet spirits. My good friends....too many to list...that alone is such a profound blessing in my life. My beautiful home. My reliable car. My tooth brush. My shower. My pillow (thanks for the reminder, Amanda). My socks. My refrigerator. My non-leaky roof. The food in my cupboard. My heated blanket. My education. My job. Steve's job. I could go on and on and on. It's rediculous how richly I've been blessed. All I can think of is that scripture that says "where much is given, much is required". I hope and pray every day that I'm doing enough to "give back". I wish I had more to give. I am dubbing this holiday the "giving" holiday. I'm going to try to touch as many lives as I can this holiday by focusing on giving, and not getting. Those who would like to join me, here's a great place to start:

Thank you