Gratitude

 On Thursday morning, David and I set out for Lake Sinclair, heading to the Coody lake house to join my Aunt Dinah, her four kids Adam, Claire, Ben/Ned, and Taylor/BayBay; my parents, siblings, and Gongaman. We had a very traditional Mama Doris/Datee Thanksgiving meal - they were certainly watching us with love and pride.

My Aunt Dinah made special "thankful" cards for each of us!



As always, everyone gathers in the kitchen.

Brince, David, Dad, and Asa - The fried chicken cooks!

Love these two!

Gorgeous day for giving thanks

Asa

Gongaman and Mom

Claire and Taylor

Adam

Ben

Abs

Bax

Friday afternoon, David and I headed to Lake Blackshear to the Griffin lake house to join my in-laws, Amanda, Ben, David's Aunt Noel and Cousin Pamela. Ben was happy to share what he, David and Pop caught on their fishing poles! We had a delicious Pop-fried-turkey for dinner, and lots of Southern Thanksgiving dishes. After watching the UGA/GT game on Saturday, we set out for the Coody Cabin Classic back in Hawkinsville. It was a great weekend!

My favorite almost-6-year-old

Someones sleeeeeeepy

Gorgeous sunset over the lake

An afternoon enjoying family time

On Thursday, we even had a good ol' fashioned photo shoot for the proverbial Christmas card.
Sneak Peek of the Coody card.....

I've been seeing lots of Facebook and blogger friends making declarations of what all they're thankful for during the month of November. I'm a little late to the Facebook game, but it got me thinking of all the things I am thankful for every day.

David - My heart is full and my days are better because I get to spend them with him! We've been married for almost 3 years, but I've loved him for much longer than that!
My faith - I am thankful that my days are led by divine intention, my prayers are answered through God's will, and that my spirit is led by Jesus.
My parents - I am so grateful for their guidance, love, and support. They're two of my most favorite people.
Brince, Abbye and Asa - How blessed am I that my siblings are also my friends?
The opportunity that comes with every day - I am thankful that each day presents a time to do something good.
My grandparents - I am thankful for truly knowing all four of them, for what all they taught me, and for the legacies of love than they've all left.
My job in retail and my work in interiors
Creativity - I love looking at a photo of something, or seeing something in a magazine, or an empty room and being able to imagine all of the possibilities.
My in-laws - Pammy, Pop, and Amanda - Having them as family makes me a lucky girl. And having them be close with my family is such a bonus.
Our nephew, Ben - he's our little angel. David and I love spending time with him! He reminds us of what's important, and always makes us laugh with his funny little comments.
My Aunts, Uncles, and many cousins....its super fun to come from such a big, lively, healthy family!
My travels - what a great big world there is to see!
Our health - I think it was Oprah that said "If you have your health, you are truly wealthy beyond measure."
My co-workers are awesome!
Our home - David and I love being at home, working on our home, and having family and friends here. Its been such a fun project for us to work on it all together.
Roots - Since I moved off to college 10 years ago, the time has gone by so fast! But, I am always happy to come home and love the small town perks of being from Hawkinsville. Having both sets of grandparents from the same place, our family roots are deep in middle Georgia.
The holidays from Thanksgiving through New Years - I love all of the gatherings, invitations, and times spent with friends between the end of November through January. Time spent in festive attitude is always fun
My education - I loved every minute of school, and I am so thankful for my parents and all they provided in the way of elementary, middle, and high school, and college.
Nature - Its so nice to appreciate the beautiful farmlands, river landscape, and open fields where we're from. In North Georgia, I have such a love of the lakes, rolling hills, and mountains in the distance.
Books - Someone said "If I could be paid to read for a lifetime, I'd die happy." I concur.
My girlfriends -When it comes to my buddies, I am humbled by their love, support, and encouragement. In this way, I am really lucky.
Laughter - Its really such a fantastic feeling to laugh until it hurts.
The Internet - I mean, what was life like without it?
Music - I love the way a song can transport your mind to a moment in the past, a place in time, or a sweet memory.
Art - Since I was a kiddo, this was always my favorite subject in school. I always chose it as my elective in high school. Growing up, I had a few drawers devoted to my art supplies; in college, and even now, I had an art closet to hold endless possibilities. Pinterest has only fueled this love of creating things myself. :)
Baxter and Sandy - I can only imagine how much David and I will love being real parents. For now, the joy these two little furry kiddos bring to us is wonderful every day.
The art of cooking - How blessed am I to have learned to cook from my Mom, my Mama Doris, my Baboo, and our Susie?
Dreams - Its bittersweet to wake up and remember a dream in which I saw someone I've lost. But I am thankful for those unconscious moments always.

There's many things to be thankful for; I am a lucky gal! And am so thankful for all of you blogger readers every day!