Giving and Thanks

It's Giving Tuesday, which, in actuality, would be better placed before Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I hope we can all make time today to give to our favorite charity, to a friend or neighbor, or to a stranger on the street who looks as if he could use a helping hand or a friendly smile. It's the giving that matters, as we are able. And every day is a good day for giving.

To recap our Thanksgiving weekend, we spent Thursday at my brother and sister-in-law's home, along with my parents, my other brother and his wife, and some of our kids. Cheryl made a turkey, some awesome appetizers and sides, and the rest of us brought a few things to round out the meal. 

We watched some football, and enjoyed the company and conversation. Jon even brought along his new puppy, Hogan, who is growing like a weed, as babies do. I am thankful for babies.

I didn't take many photos, and it was so nice to relax and enjoy the day. At the end of the day, this guy was plum tuckered out from all the food and the fun. I'll bet there are some grown ups who assume this position at the end of a bountiful Thanksgiving meal. :) I am thankful for sleep.

I am not a Black Friday shopper, so I enjoyed this beautiful sunrise on Friday morning from my cozy spot at our house. I am thankful for new mercies each morning!

I spent Friday preparing for our last Purdue tailgate of the year, and for our Thanksgiving meal with our children and grandchildren on Sunday. We have been tailgating for a few years now, and it's always a little sad to pack the box and check off my master list for the last time. Of course, the best part of tailgating is the time spent with family and friends, and giving support to our team. And this year, the team needed lots of support. I am thankful for our Boilers.

Jamalyn and Jessica joined us at our tailgate and at the game. We always enjoy being together! I am thankful for friends.

Jamalyn met Cayden, who has been a regular at games this season. We hope the team will improve as he grows! I am thankful for hope! 

Cayden was quite adorable in his football snowsuit, being cuddled by his Aunt Darci. I am always thankful for baby cuddles.

This trio in green came through the lot collecting money for their pizza fund in a bucket. Dave and Jamalyn posed with them since their son Nathan is a fan. I am thankful for game day fun! and pizza!

David and Shylah came in to the stadium with Cayden zipped up in David's jacket for warmth. It was chilly, but stayed dry for the most part. I am thankful for warm coats and tiny humans.

A couple of sections over, the rest of the group was putting on their best happy Boiler faces. I'm thankful for family and football.

The game was not going well, and rather than watch that team from B-town make off with the bucket, we opted to head out after the excellent halftime show. We took a little walk through campus, and ended up finding a spot to enjoy a beverage or two to drown our sorrows. I am thankful that there's always next year.

On Sunday, we gathered with all our kids and grandkids, my parents, my father-in-law, my brother and his wife, Jim's sister and her husband, and our niece and her kids to give thanks again for our many blessings.

Our tradition, for the last few years, has been, not turkey, but beef. Lots of beef. Look away vegetarians! We love our beef tenderloin. I am thankful for beef.

Courtney took this sweet photo of our oldest grandson, Matthew, reading to Haleigh and Noah. I am thankful for books, and for little readers.

These four made a good group sitting on the bench together.

They even asked to do a silly picture. I am thankful for silly!

We celebrated Jennifer and David's November birthdays with our favorite chocolate chip cake, with my dad looking on. I am thankful for birthdays, and dads, old and new.

We made an attempt at getting a photo of all six of our grandchildren before folks started heading home. We were only slightly successful, as one would expect with six little ones ranging in age from 12 weeks to 11 years. It's not a perfect picture, but it is real, as life is. We laugh, we cry, we worry, we fear, we hope, we pray, we rejoice. And we give thanks. For life and for love, through challenges and celebrations, that bring us to the moment. May we strive to be present in each of our moments, making memories and being, always, thankful. Amen.