.....................Giving Thanks

I know it's late for a Thanksgiving post but so it goes....We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We went to Mom and Dad's and my Aunt and Uncle Ricki and Ron joined us. My brother was coming from Louisiana, while his wife Jane and his step children Stephanie and Anna went to NY for the Macy's parade and shopping. However their dog was not doing well so he stayed in LA. We missed him but they are all coming the week before Christmas so that will be great to have all of them here. It was a great day, lots of food and laughs. Ella played outside in the leaves and Alex, well he just chilled out on the bouncy seat and slept. Some things I am thankful for this year: Stephen-I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband, my girl Ella-she is just amazing and keeps us laughing and on our toes all the time, my boy Alex-one year ago I was trying so hard to be at peace with the fact that we probably would not be able to have another child and here he is. My parents that are the most giving people, my job-although I am loving being on maternity leave and would love to stay at home, I do love my job. A lot of people can't say that about their career but I do just love it. I feel so blessed that since I can't stay at home, I love where I work. I am thankful for our home and where we live, it's so easy to want for more but we have all of our needs met and that is plenty. Finally, I am most thankful for a God who loves us all, enough to give his Son that we may have life.

Since Thanksgiving we have put up our tree, we got a real one this year. This is the first real tree since early in our marriage and it's beautiful and smells great. Ella enjoyed decorating it. She is still enjoying school, not enough to hop out of bed in the moring...I still have to drag her out of bed but she does love it. Alex is doing great. He is 10 weeks old this week and still not one sleepless night woo hoo!!! He is growing so much and just smiles all the time and started laughing last week, which is just so much fun. He is reaching for things and is facinated with the lights on the tree. We take him back to the Children's Hospital on Monday to get a check on his Cystic Hygroma, it's larger than what it was but he is dong fine. Stephen has been busy landscaping all day at work and then coming home and working on our own yard. Little by little we are getting the yard the way we want it. The back and side of the house is pretty good now we are tackling the front. We started with just the one side of the house and will complete the rest of the yard by next fall. He dug up all the shrubs and planted a new bed. It looks great and I can't wait until the rest of the yard is done.

Christmas is around the corner and I am trying to get everything done before I return to work which will be here before I know it. I go back on the 15th. I already told Sabrina, who sits next to me, to have tissues on my desk ready. It will be an emotional day. After a week or so I think we will all be settled. Well, it's early in the moring and I need to get Ella up and ready for school....another day, another battle.

Holly