Gratitude Finale!

And, in summary, I am grateful for:

• The run I took on Thanksgiving morning. The sun was just rising over the mountains as I ran towards it down the hill. It was cold, but there was no wind. Beautiful.
• The awesome Thanksgiving dinner we had.  Our neighbors came over, loaded with food and kids. My mom came early and helped me cook, which was so fun.  She brought a favorite holiday food from my childhood: cinammon pie crust. Mmm.  A taste of the past brought to life.
• All the yummy food we had. I made yams for the first time ever, and they turned out pretty tasty.  The turkey got cooked, and didn't have the neck still stuck in the cavity (which happened 2 years ago when I cooked a turkey the day after Thanksgiving. Lovely.)  Everything was so good.
• We got a surprise visit from Shane's niece and nephew who haven't been to our house since Ben was born almost 5 years ago.  It made Shane's day to see them.
• Chatting at the table with my mom and friend Shelly after dinner. We talked about sewing and kids and families.
• Visiting at Shane's mom for a little while after dinner. It was fun to see her.  No matter what, we are always able to see her on Thanksgiving, which is pretty cool.
• Shopping early on Friday morning with Melanie. I got a really good deal on new running shoes for next spring, bought lots of smelly girly things at Bath and Body Works, and spent 45 minutes waiting in line at Old Navy. Luckily Melanie met me there, and so we alternated waiting in line and perusing the store. One such perusal resuled in my getting Beatles Rockband for $20.  Hey, the guy said it was $20 and so they had to give it to me at that price. Score!!
• Decorating my house on Friday, then spending the evening eating leftovers from 2 Thanksgiving dinners with Melanie and her family.
• Yesterday I finished my decorating.  I don't think I left the house all day. I love days like that!

And now, Thanksgiving is over for another year. I had so much fun doing these gratitude posts.  It's nice to have a reason to focus on the things I'm grateful for.  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Day.