ThaNkSGIviN9 DaYO

It's Thanksgiving Sunday and I'm thankful.
Nice how that worked out.

We are not having a typical Thanksgiving ... whatever that means. No turkey today. No big, happy family gathering. No country-church-service with canning, fruit perserves or hay bales on display beside the pulpit.

We (the 4 of us) are shivering in a freezing cabin that hasn't been heated all week; here only to collect those things we forgot to bring home last weekend - like 2 jugs of milk, the garbage from the bathrooms and a pillow or two.

We started the day by going to Gracepoint, a church we visited every other Sunday during one of our transition periods, because of their very appealing 11 am start time. We walked into the Bell Centre during the first song. Can I say it was incredibly awesome and wildly fantastic without hurting anyone's feelings? Wow. My whole being was filled with joy and it has stayed that way all day- even though it's pouring rain and January-like cold.

It wasn't until we were driving to the lake, dissecting the service ten ways from Sunday, that I realized why I loved the morning so much. It wasn't because the service was only 1 hour and 15 minutes EXACTLY ... or because I knew and liked every song (they had a 'country' theme going on, complete with a banjo and fiddle) ... or because the sermon, based on Hebrews 12: 1-3 was succint and applicable .. or because the theatre seats were deeply padded and wonderfully comfortable ... or because the stage was asthetically pleasing ... or because the transitions were flawless ... or because the communion service was efficient yet moving ... no, I loved this morning because unlike yesterday when I sat in a pew by myself at the wedding, this morning I had my three boys sitting with me.

Oy.




It dumped buckets while we were at the cabin, and there's no internet up there. And they belly ache EVERY SINGLE TIME I suggest we go. But once we're there, we find our groove and settle in peacefully. I love that. I love that we're OK just being by ourselves sometimes. It rarely happens. And no one looks forward to just-us time.... complaining bitterly when it looks like we might get stuck with each other.

But it was good.

We stopped for a late breakfast (2pm) at the Sardis Ricky's then dropped a few bucks at Nuggets before arriving at Cultus. Max bundled himself under a mountain of blankets, Clint took a closer look at the books he bought and Drew? Drew went to the beach to take some pictures, then came back and played with water. He filled up the kitchen sink with hot water, then added a bag of ice cubes. Then put in a can cold rootbeer. Then filled up baggies with water in order to lob them off the side of the deck. Then he tried to drink hot rootbeer.

This is typical cabin behaviour for a boy. You don't question it.
At least we've finished that phase where they freeze everything. GI Joes, frozen in cups of water. Or Hot Wheels; frozen solid. Or rocks. A freezer full of rocks.

Anyway, it was a lovely afternoon.

We got home around 6 and ordered Chinese Food. That works for Thanksgiving, doesn't it?
Max noted that I hadn't prepared either meal ...
His point?

Just before night fell, the sun came out and lit up the neighbour's tree...

Three things I'm thankful for:

1. The kids? All sitting at computers, looking at the same site, reading out stuff to each other, laughing out loud. Truly life does not get better than this.

2. Lunch tomorrow is all looked after ... lotsa chinese food leftovers in the fridge. :)

3. My dad. My mom. My sis and her fam. My bro and his fam. My kids.

Shalom,