(43-120) Forty Three Reasons That I Am THANKFUL

Thanksgiving is my very, FAVORITE holiday.  It always has been, and if you tune in again tomorrow; I promise that you'll find out one of the biggest reasons why... 

Now if you've read "The Bumpy Ride" before; then you know that I am all about giving thanks, and expressing my gratitude, for even the simplest of things.  And since this year in particular, I am grateful for EVERY day that I draw breath; I've decided to share my list of Forty Three Reasons That I Am THANKFUL this holiday.

In "100 MORE Random Things About Me;" I told you that I make lists; which is kind of ironic, considering that , in and of itself, that blog was a list.  But, at the risk of being repetitive or God forbid, predictable.  I'm going to have at it again; and in no particular order; here we go.

I'm Thankful:

  1.    To be alive
  2.    For my 3 AMAZING children; Nicky, Lyndzi and Kelsie
  3.    For my INCREDIBLE husband; Luis
  4.    For my cousin Jackie, and all of the love that she is bringing into my life
  5.    For Hershey, (my bilingual Chihuahua) and her daily companionship
  6.    For coffee
  7.    To live in the United States of America
  8.    For the men and women in our armed services; who keep us safe
  9.    For bottled water
10.    For my children's teachers
11.    That the Art Nazi is no longer working at my kid's school 
12.    For my kid's soccer coaches (ESPECIALLY the one who's a good kisser)
13.    That I have healthy children
14.    That I am my own person
15.    For people who take the time to read "The Bumpy Ride"
16.    For everyone that encourages me to keep writing "The Bumpy Ride"
17.    For my wonderful In-laws (ALL of them!!)
18.    For my laptop; which enables me to write my blog any time, anywhere
19.    For FREEDOM (each and every kind)
20.    For laughter and everyone that inspires it
21.    For ALL of my friends; old and new!
22.    For Facebook
23.    For my creativity
24.    For my ability to write
25.    That my children always thank me for every meal that I give them
26.    For email
27.    For fresh air
28.    That I'm determined
29.    That Bristol Palin didn't win "DWTS"
30.    For comfy pajamas

31.    For Dreyer's Slow churned 1/2 the fat ice cream (you can't taste a  difference; REALLY)

32.    For Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry and Diet Mountain Dew

33.    For our home

34.    For my job

35.    For Luis' job

36.    For unexpected surprises

37.    For Kohl's - their sensational sales and unbelievable return policy

38.    For The Macy's Thanksgiving day parade

39.    My health

40.    For new experiences

41.    For books

42.    For EVERY minute that I share with my family and friends

43.    That my husband understands the importance of waiting until the day AFTER Thanksgiving to put up our Christmas lights

In honor of Thanksgiving, I think it's important to take a few minutes and remember many of the reasons that we have to be grateful.  No matter how bad any of us may think that we have it; I'm absolutely certain that there are many who would be all to happy to trade places with us.  Thanksgiving is a time to acknowledge all that you have and not dwell on what you have not.   It's a time to be appreciative of experiences past and present; and all that we are blessed to have, from things that we take for granted to things that make our lives a little easier and things that we couldn't live without.

I wish you all a TERRIFIC Thanksgiving, and I hope that you gobble till you wobble.                                                   

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING                                              

(43-118) Hide The Turkey

Hiding or disguising the turkey is a traditional Thanksgiving activity for the kindergarten and first grade classes at my kid's school.  The kids are given a piece of paper with a plump, Thanksgiving turkey on it; and as a family activity, you are supposed to hide or disguise the turkey, so that he won't be eaten.

When Nicky was in Kindergarten, we disguised his turkey as Santa Claus and turned his plumage into a sack of toys.  Then, in First grade, Nicky's turkey masqueraded as a pirate.

When Lyndzi was in Kindergarten, we hid her turkey underneath an old fashioned gumball machine and in First grade, her turkey was transformed into a butterfly.

Last year, Kelsie's turkey assumed the identity of a ladybug and this year it's camouflaged as a bucket of popcorn. 

I wish that I had thought about doing this blog BEFORE I covered the turkey up.  I tried to find a replica of the original turkey so that you could see how well we'd done; but alas, he was REALLY allusive; so you'll just have to take my word for it... he's under there; and he is as large as the bucket of popcorn. 

Can you tell that I LOVE this activity? The kids and I always have a fantastic time deciding what to do with the turkey and creating something together.   I am THANKFUL for these times, indeed.

Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING