With a Thankful Heart...

We had an enjoyable Thanksgiving Day with our loved ones. My mom prepared an absolutely bountiful, delicious meal. We all stayed at my parents' house well into the afternoon. My sister and her family packed the girls up and began the journey back to their house...we left soon too. Unfortunately, I developed a headache through the day and just needed to get home to lay down (where I ended up snuggled into my bed ~ taking a two hour nap!). 

It's quite dark outside now and things are relaxed and slow-moving here at home. The wood stove is keeping us warm inside while the snow lays cold and icy outside. As I sit and contemplate listing all the things I am thankful for, I realize that there are just too many things to count! :) What a blessing life can be. God's gifts are innumerable. Praise Him! 

Here is a sort-of photo summary of our day...

Eloise and Dinah were in good spirits (and high energy ~ which is a good thing!). They had fun playing and running around, smiles abounding...

El and her pretty mama...

Madelyn, setting the table...

Jaxson...

I am *quite* thankful for him...

Madelyn, helping in the kitchen...

Xavier...

Our sweet great-aunt with Dinah...

Madelyn in all her girly-cuteness...even down to her silly socks and over-sized slippers...

Me and my girl...

Watching the parade...

Getting ready to eat...

I always love an Xavier-smile!

That Dinah-girl sure loves her Madelyn!

Jaxson and El loved playing with the doll house after dinner...

Father-son snuggles...

The greatest thing that we should all be thankful for this year...(beyond the temporal gifts God has bestowed upon us...the air we breath, the food we eat, the family we have and more...) is the gift Christ gave us when He willingly sacrificed Himself for us. All glory to Him! To suffer and die in the place of wretched, dirty sinners in front of an Almighty, perfectly Holy God to provide for our salvation ~ can you even fathom it? 
As our bellies are full...will we be content with that? Will we be content with the temporal? Or do we see past the here and now with our eyes on the eternal? Do we thank Him for the gift of Who He is...whether our bellies are full or not? Do we praise Him in the good and the bad? Do we thank Him for molding us and making us more like Christ even though that hurts at times? 
As we sit with thankful hearts, may we never be content with just praising our Lord for the temporal. May we praise Him for His goodness always. May we praise Him for His love *and* justice. May we praise Him for Jesus...sweet, wonderful Jesus, my Savior *forever*. Is He yours? 
With a truly thankful heart, Katy