Thanksgiving

We are on our way to Seattle.

Its the day before Thanksgiving and our car is packed with suitcases, bags of snacks, and a bowl of Ross's famous cranberry pear salad. The car is humming with happy music, the smell of cheese and crackers and the anticipation of a holiday that will be spent with Ross's family: parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and all the rest.

We are in weary, good moods. Traveling to Seattle for the weekend is a break. Behind us we leave the usual chaos. No matter how much we clean, there are always corners of dishevelment in our house. Sigh. The cluttered home, the pile of unfinished laundry and the clouds of stress that our jobs create. Breathe in. I close a fall play. Breathe out. We post grades for another grading period. Breathe In. Don't forget to pay bills. Breathe out. We need to buy new tires for the car. Breathe In. Need to get packed for our weekend. Breathe out. The kids are "helping" pack their own suitcases. I notice a lot of pajamas and single socks going in . Hmmm.

We anticipate the Thanksgiving holiday that lies before us as we drive down the road. His aunt and mother have prepared a joyful feast. The kitchen is already bursting with pies, homemade breads, and the promise of stuffings, potatoes, and green beans. They are excited to see the kids, more loving arms to hold the little ones.

Breathe In. It is a weekend to catch our breaths, maybe even sneak off to see the latest Harry Potter movie. Breathe Out. Popcorn may be involved.

As for me, I love Thanksgiving. Its my favorite holiday hands down. And really, I'm not sure what I love more. Spending the day in my slippers, watching those silly parades, burning candles and saying prayers for loved ones who no longer live on this earth, or the cornacopia of endless spices and warm scents that fill the air, the busy kitchen overflowing with so much activity that it seems to vibrate its own energy.

Baking bread with Aunt Linda

Resting before the dinner

Dining with family and new friends!

Hey look.

Most of the time...our lives look and feel a lot like this...

I mean, we are two working teachers, balancing the demands of our jobs with the demands of parenthood. It isn't always easy. Ok. Its almost never easy.

But at the end of our weekend, we are once again returned to Bellingham. I find myself nestled on the couch with my family. We are cozied under a blanket with a stack of books between us. Winnie the Pooh and Mrs. Rumphius await. Its just us. The four of us and a the familiar stories that we love. The soft rhythm of words draw us in. Mrs. Rumphius is beginning to plant those lupine seeds, making the world a more beautiful place. I pause a minute. Taking a breath between my words to take in this moment. Holding this moment of closeness. Of the togetherness. The blessed ties that bind. I look down at these children, my own lupines.

Oh. How they make the world a better place.

I feel my son lean his head against my chest. "Family." he says softly. "Family."

And that is when the real Thanksgiving occurs. Quietly with no other words, it is spoken. We are thankful. Thankful for this family.

For our love

for our joy

and for the sense of wonder that fill us up each day

Mostly, we are thankful for the picture that is us.

Our family.

Together.

From the deepest places in our hearts we hope your Thanksgiving was a lovely one and that your Advent is full of quiet miracles.