Our Thanksgiving week end was filled with spending time with family and friends, with a little excitement of an  911 emergency visit to the hospital of a dear friend, thrown in there. I have to say that spending the day in the hospital emergency room really helped to remind me of why I try to eat healthy whole foods. This experience will really help me get through the holiday season making good food choices.

I have good health to be thankful for. As is usual, I am so thankful for my clothes dryer and indoor plumbing; two things that I could do without, but am so glad I don’t have to! I was talking with my sister today and we agreed, that growing up in a family with a very resourceful one income earning mom, you learn to appreciate things. We were reminiscing about one summer when our air conditioning was broken. We had a few hot summer months to get through, while my mom saved the money to get it fixed. My mom made it seem so fun as we rolled the big bed out onto the patio to sleep in the cooler night air. Keep in mind we lived in Texas. She made it seem so fun and carefree, but now as an adult, I know she must have been worried. She must have felt guilty about us all sleeping outside. She must have felt very ALONE.

So, on this Thanksgiving, I am going to urge you, if your mom is still alive, take a minute to tell her what she did right. Even if there is a lot she did wrong, find something she did right to thank her for.

I wish I could thank my mom for that summer of the “fun” outdoor sleep over and so many other things. Things like learning how to fix a car, build a fence and be a plumber, all the while raising 3 girls, feeding, clothing and loving them.Thinking of this makes me so thankful for my husband. I don’t have to feel alone. He is my hero. My fixer of all things broken, including hearts. My knight in a baseball cap and jeans. I love you Hunter!

I am thankful for the harvest! Before the freeze we worked hard to gather all the crops in and to process them into something edible.  We harvested bell peppers, habanero peppers, jalapeno peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, basil and lots of green tomatoes. Hope this inspires you to know that you can grow A LOT of food on a small suburban plot.

Most of all I am thankful that my Heavenly Father sought me out while I was still a sinner and showed me great love and forgiveness. I am thankful that I have a VERY powerful Father who loves me the most out of all creation that I can lean on when things break and go terribly wrong. Guess what, you have that same Father, with that same love for you!

What are you thankful for? Blessings, Dash & family