Abundantly Thankful.

Warning: Long post. ;)

I wrote a blog, which I chose not to post, the day before Thanksgiving. It was about how sad I was to have to share my Holidays with my other family. Whom I have grown to love in a special way but still cannot replace being with your own momma on Thanksgiving. (Selfish... I know)
I am glad I didn't post it because most of what was in there was contrary to the whole point of Thanksgiving.

I have not truly been thankful for my new family, gained by love.
I have not really embraced their differences as beautiful in their own way.
I have not been confident enough to reveal to them who I am or why.
I have not pursued a relationship with those people who have shaped the life of the man I love.

This Thanksgiving was one of little to no anticipation on my part. I dragged my feet in every way possible before finally getting in the van to go.
Part of my dread could be best rationalized by the knowledge that those we were going to spend time with have been at odds with each other for a few months now. And the only catalyst that the pot-bellied stove needed to erupt was the slightest misspoken word. (Enter me. The girl with foot in mouth disease.)

I baked all day before we left. And that, all by itself, put me in the holiday spirit.
We got in the car around 10:30am Thanksgiving morning and reluctantly drove toward what I knew was going to be an awful experience. I kept telling myself, "We owe our children a reasonably good Thanksgiving memory - so if it's bad - I'm going to leave..."

About halfway there, I began to call my relatives. My Grandmother, my Mimi, my mom.
I cried like a baby after talking to my mom. I so wanted to be with her.
Then it started snowing.
And snowing.
And snowing.

By the time we got to Big Spring, it was a virtual blizzard!!
The kids were ecstatic! I was ecstatic!
I have never seen such snow!! It literally snowed until it began to grow dark.
We rolled in it. We built a colossal snowman. J. kept saying our snowman had to be 5 layers tall!!
It was.
It was truly a sight to behold!
I have never built a snowman that wasn't mostly mud and leaves.
This one was pure white, fluffy snow.

Everything was great. We all had a great time.
Food was great. Company was great. Cowboys won. Chris parents even gave up their bed for our family - of course I didn't ask them to - but it was very generous of them.
This morning when we turned on the tv - CNN had Big Spring on a special segment talking about how we got over 8 inches of snow on Thanksgiving Day!!

The kids made some great memories!
I am so Thankful for the Thanksgiving that I so dreaded.
Thank you God for helping this knucklehead see the opportunity that is before me in being Jesus to my in-laws.
Thank You for leading me down the path that brought me to my wonderful husband.
Thank you for the family that raised him. Without their love, he wouldn't be the man he is.
Thank you Father for your foresight into our lives. You truly do order our steps, though we may not always see it.
Thank You Father for all the things You provide; whether it be clothing or food, healing or friendship, laughter or family. Thank You for always creating an atmosphere of bounty for those who are looking for it- and even for those who aren't...

I so appreciate being able to see things with a Thankful heart.