This week’s theme/prompt is:
HEADS – Fill *OR* TAILS – Phil

Just so you know how behind I am in life, this week I am going to tell you a little about how my life was filled with love on and joy on Thanksgiving. At this rate it will probably be February when you hear about Christmas.

I really had no idea how much a home could make a difference to our family. Home has always been where we are gathered, not necessarily a particular place. But this year, filling up my little new home with my loved ones was like the frosting on a cake! It made the house feel perfect and special. The fact that we were all able to fill it without overflowing was so comfortable and right.

I managed to get a 22 lb. turkey for $7.88!!! And it was terrific, much to my surprise. Moist and tasty. One of the most wonderful parts of the day was having Ladybug help me make the pumpkin pies. I have never been able to cook with her before and it was so much fun for her and me! She was just so excited to have an apron on and help Grama. And if you could have seen her face when I let her use the mixer and she yelled “Look Mommy, I am doing it. I am doing it!” And when MacD and Funsize arrived she kept running around saying “I made TWO PUMPIN PIES.” Oh wait, you can see her face, although this one doesn’t really show the true pride she was feeling:

She also helped me make the mashed potatoes, but we ran out of milk. Bear was on her way home from Fishboy’s parent’s and so I called her and asked her to bring some home. Ladybug would not leave the kitchen, pulling her stool over to sit and watch the pies in the oven. Bear was also bringing a surprise for Ladybug: the Kung Fu Panda movie, which Ladybug had been talking about all day. When Bear arrived Ladybug ran to the door and Bear showed her the movie, expecting squeals of delight. Ladybug just looked at her with disappointment and said “Neenee, that is not milk. We are waiting for milk.” Maybe she is my future chef?

Everyone wrote little cards about they were grateful for and read them out loud after we made Lloyd say grace. There were some tears, but many laughs. My heart was filled with amazement at the wonderful people my children have grown to become and the love they share with each other and us.

All around it was a wonderful weekend, except for the broken leg part. But even through that Ladybug filled my heart with a bit of laughter after she came home from getting her cast. “Grama,” she said, “look! I got a sock from the doctor! But it is too big, too long and too HARD (pronounced HAWD)!”

I am truly blessed and so grateful.