thankful and more

while everyone else in blogland has moved onto christmas preparations, i am still stuck at thanksgiving. my blog is just a reflection of my real life (minus the times i try to retouch the two age spots on my left cheek or crop laundry baskets out of pictures) so it makes sense that i would be behind in blogland the same way i seem to be in everyday life.

i am thankful that my sd card was miraculously healed and i recovered my pictures of our thanksgiving and em's birthday celebration. so i can recount the time my family spent together.

together is my favorite place to be...

though we were without our beloved matriarch, georgie and alvin (aunt "ju ju" and "uncle alvie" to lulu) were a gracious host and hostess.

georgie, like gunga, knows how to make things lovely...

it was lovely and delicious. oh how i longed for elastic pants...

why yes, i love mashed potatoes. why do you ask?

also, on my plate, for those of you who love food more than you should like me:

my mommy's stuffing (the best), creamy corn (butter and cream cheese...all in favor say "aye"),

sweet potato casserole that tastes like a dessert, my sister carrie's pomegranate salad,

and turkey (dark meat only). not pictured: gunga's famous parmesan rolls.

many people throughout my adult life have told me that they wish they could be adopted by gunga. most of that was because she was so loving and so fun (as you may have read once or twice on my blog), though some of it was because she took us on cruises. even though gunga is gone, i must say that my family is still a pretty desirable one to be a part of if only for the fact that O.MY.WORD we have amazing food. and the men do the dishes.

i especially love that about us...

though much was different, we had old traditions like Aunt Ayay's pumpkin pancakes...

we celebrated a certain 10 year old's birthday...

yes that is the thanksgiving pumpkin pie that we put her candles in. what else are you going to do with a thanksgiving birthday? though her mommy did not bake her a cake, she got her this to celebrate with at school...

the birthday girl was super excited about receiving the american girl doll "addy"...

as well as the justin bieber doll...

we had some meaningful times, like letting the grandkids choose from gunga and

granddaddy's christmas ornaments...

and the girls putting on gunga's tiffany perfume (she always smelled divine) and gathering to share favorite memories from their house.

also writing down one thing we were thankful for then having everyone guess who wrote it.

this was both meaningful and hilarious...

i have so much to be thankful FOUR...

as i write this post, it is the end of world aids day. to be honest,

i have kinda wanted to forget about it all day long.

i have spent most of my life forgetting it.

but as i have spent time writing this post about my blessings,

there are two things i can't get out of my head:

"for to whom much is given, much is required" (luke 12:48)

and

"he has showed you, o man, what is good. and what does the lord

require of you? to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly

with your god." (micah 6:8)

these bid me to take note of a day like today.

and to take note on more than just a day like today

i am called to be thankful. but i am called to more than that.

if you read this blog post, you may have been mildly entertained.

read this if you want to be challenged or inspired.