From one turkey to another.....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Just a small recap of ours:

We got in from work on Wednesday night. Ran to the house, unpacked, repacked, showered, and hit the road to Clover. In the small amount of time we were at home, we saw evidence that Stuart Little, or at lease one of his relatives, had moved into the house. I packed extra clothes. My in-laws were stuck with us for a couple of days, like it or not. :) (They didn't mind) There are several things in life that I just cant deal with, and mice are on the list. Near the top.

We got to my in-laws and immediately joined the ranks of people in the kitchen cooking. I was tired but there is nothing as enjoyable as the family in the kitchen cooking together. Especially with Grandma Wiggins. She is one of those women, like so many others, that will never be able to write all of her recipes down for us so we have to watch and learn. She rarely uses a measuring cup. It's like an art form.

We finally got in the bed around midnite. I walked into the room and there was an 11 year old laying in the middle of the bed, smiling like a cheshire cat. We all crawled in the bed together and he played with the dog and giggled his way into sleepiness. I had a few moments of nostalgia as his daddy carried him to his bedroom and tucked him in. Will that be the last time he feels comfortable enough to crawl in the bed with us? Will that be the last time his daddy carries him to his bed after he has fallen asleep? We are reaching an age with him that when I see these things, I have to wonder if it is the last time I will see it.

Thursday morning brought an onslaught of dishes that still had to bake and be finished up. Friends and family came in from all over NC and Virginia. Caroline even had a pug friend, Ginger, come visit! The puppies were happy about their visit, the cat however still hasn't spoken to us. :) By the time we sat down to eat with our plates that weren't big enough to hold all of the side dishes, we were tired, fulfilled, thankful, and starving. When we finished eating, I don't think there were too many people at the table that could still breathe. ;)

We are home now and back to the grind of life. Cleaning house, packing to go back to work today (for me), praying that Stuart Little is gone, doing laundry, cooking meals, etc. As we come down from the rush of the first holiday meal, I am thankful for family. And friends. And hard work and big payoffs. It is every bit worth it and now on to the next one. My boys decorated the tree last night and as I sat here and watched them (They wanted to do it themselves) I couldn't help but wonder if this was the last time that Seth wouldn't be able to reach the top of the tree without his daddy's help. And so the cycle begins again. Praying that I go through the season with eyes wide open and capturing every memory in my mind. I never know if it's the last time it will be like this.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!! From one turkey to another....