To Be Thankful...

Today, for many, is the beginning of an extra long weekend as we here in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving, so today I thought I would share why I am thankful.

Today I am thankful for my husband and children. Jake is my best friend and I truly do not know what I would do without him. He makes each day brighter in some way or another, can always bring a smile to my face even amid tears and he loves me like no other. My Girls bring me innumerable moments of joy, whether it is my oldest settling into life as a grown woman, and doing so with strength, courage and a great deal of poise, or my middle daughter running her first cross country race to my youngest who decided to sail to India this morning in a wicker laundry basket.

Today I am thankful for my mother, father and brother. My mother who cares for my wee girls when I cannot and who does so with such joy and happiness that the moment she enters the room they run screaming  N A N N Y !!!! and jump into her arms...even though they see her every day. My dad who at this very moment is tiling my tub surround because I have to be at work, but more than that he is a man who would do anything for his children and we know it. My parents are full of the most important kind of love, the love that abounds and lets their children know that no matter what and above all else they are loved. I am thankful for my brother who is going through a major life change and has sacrificed a lot to do so (perhaps more than he should). We are excited to have him in our home as he starts this new chapter in his life and we are excited to have 'Uncley J' around for lots of fun and games with the girls.

Today I am thankful for the friends I have...though not many they are the best kind of friends who are there when you need them, no matter if it has been three days, three weeks or three months since you last saw them.

Today I am thankful for the changes we are about to undergo as we begin the process of closing our business and moving on to the next stage in our lives. I am thankful for the opportunity that being a small business owner has given me, for the things I have learned and the people I have met along the way. And although we will be open for the balance of the year, I am thankful for the many words of kindness and understanding that we are receiving after having shared this very difficult decision.

Today I am thankful for the job I have waiting in the wings and the people who have so generously understood my current situation and are still willing to wait to take me on board. I look forward to the new challenges this job will bring, to returning to a world I love, and to be working once again with some amazing people whom I have had the pleasure of working alongside before.

I have so much to be thankful for, I am brimming with gratitude and hope you have half as much to be thankful for and moreover that you are able to recognize all that you do have, it is a wonderful state to be in, and I hope you can join me...what are you thankful for?

Cheers,
Jo

Thanksgiving...the Verdict

I figured I could not leave all 6 of you hanging (yes I only have 6 followers...but I'm new so it's okay). Thanksgiving as hosted by my 21 year old daughter was fabulous!

It was a bit hectic the night we arrived and my little girls (2.5 and almost 4) did not manage to fall asleep until midnight and even then it was a fitful night sleep with me lying on the floor with them rubbing backs and cheeks to lull them back to slumber...I was tired the next day. But we woke Sunday morning to a wonderful warm day with the sun shining. Jake and Caitlin worked out the timing of the meal and that was it for us until it was time to eat.

Caitlin set a beautiful table...as you recall she said prepare to be amazed...and amazed I was...sort of. To say I was amazed would imply that I had little faith in her abilities, which is not true. I knew she would do a great job and she did.

The turkey was cooked to perfection, the ham as well, fluffy mashed potatoes, the best candied carrots I've ever had and a wonderful new addition of panko breaded asparagus spears. Yum! Of course the meal was followed by dessert which as always was sublime with her fresh apple and pumpkin pies and whipped cream and ice cream. My waistline suffered, but my palette did not.

Apart from doing the dishes I did not lift a finger all day...it was wonderful!

It was one of the nicest Thanksgivings on record and Caitlin and her boyfriend Max proved to be wonderful hosts...so much so that Jake and I would like to make it a new tradition...what do you think Cait?

Monday saw us enjoying the Kitchener Oktoberfest/Thanksgiving Day parade which was amazing and kept the girls thoroughly entertained for almost two hours (and we left before the parade was over).

After that we headed on over to St. Jacobs to explore the village this time (you may recall we loved the market). It is a lovely little village and thanks to fellow blogger Lisa Roy who mentioned in a comment on my last St. Jacobs post that the Bakery there was a must see...oh we saw...we ate and we loved! My mouth waters at the memory.

Hope your Thanksgiving (if you celebrated) was as glorious as ours was.

Thanksgiving...

And so it is that as fall takes it's hold on us here at the top of the northern hemisphere, it is our Canadian Thanksgiving. This is truly my favorite time of year as I have posted about before. I love the changing colours, the crunch of leaves underfoot, and the chance to wear the boots, leggings and warm knits that have been tucked away all summer. But what I love the most is the time for reflection that Thanksgiving brings.

via pinterest

This weekend we will be travelling as a family to stay at my oldest daughter Caitlin's apartment. She will be, at the fair age of 21, hosting her first family Thanksgiving. We came upon the idea when she and I were enjoying the St. Jacobs Market a couple of weeks ago...you can read about it here, and ever since she has been a ball of excitement at the idea of it all. Jake and I have been telling her not to get stressed over it, it is just us after all...and she insists she is not, and I believe her. So sweet is she, that  she even started a Pinterest board for Thanksgiving ideas. Her words to me last week were "prepare to be amazed". To say that we are proud and excited would be an understatement. I have been getting a play by play all week about her preparations, list making, grocery buying schedule etc.,  and with each call or Facebook message my smile grows just a bit bigger.
 

 

via Caitlin's pinterest


As my smile grows I reflect on how thankful I am that my daughter is growing up to be such a mature responsible young adult. She is thoughtful, caring, and funny and of all the paths that teenagers can travel down she went the right way. I am thankful that though for much of her life I was considered a 'single parent' I was not, as she and I had the love and support of my parents.

I can only hope that I can get it right with my two little girls who I am so thankful to have in my life. They bring me such joy each and every day with something as simple as a look or just the sound of their giggles. I am thankful that I still have the love and support of my parents who are part of my little girls lives on a daily basis...what would I do without them? 


my mom and dad at the 'X' 1966

  

I am thankful for the love, support, friendship, strength and humility of my husband. I wonder often where life would have taken me if I had not met him, and shudder to think of a life without him. He is my rock even though he gets tired of that every now and again. He makes my heart smile every day and what a joy that is.

I am thankful for wonderful friends too many to mention, and above all else thankful for my health and wellness.

I hope everyone out there whether celebrating Thanksgiving or not can take a moment to be thankful for someone or something in their lives.

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Thanksgiving!