Happy Thanksgiving

Just recently with the holidays right around the corner I have had a little time to sit and reflect on the purpose of Thanksgiving.
Earlier in the year as my class and I studied the first Thanksgiving we learned some interesting facts. They were fascinated to find out that Thanksgiving lasted three whole days. They also found out that the first Thanksgiving wasn't in November but in the middle of October instead.

I wonder if it weren't for Thanksgiving would we ever stop and give thanks for all the things that we have been given? I am not so sure. Take me for example, I tend to get so busy and so caught up in the every day things that go on that I don't take time to stop and think about the things I have. What I find myself doing is taking time to stop and think about the things I don't have!

My favorite Thanksgiving memory is when I was in fifth grade. We had just left Monsterrat. We had moved in with Grandpa and Grandma Hagen in North Ogden. It was kind of a hard time because we had left my dad down on the island to finish school. We had moved to northern utah where we hardly knew anyone. We had to move up there until the renters had a chance to move out of our house in southern utah.

My grandparents happened to be going away somewhere for Thanksgiving, I can't remember where so it was just my mom, my two sisters and two brothers and I. I think we were all feeling a little down in the dumps without my dad around. We had been eating so much chicken down on the island it was a wonder we all didn't have feathers and clucked! So when it came time for Thanksgiving we couldn't even look at another bird. When my mom asked us what we wanted for dinner it was unanimous! We all said, "PIZZA" So that is exactly what we had. I remember all my friends thinking that was so funny but to us it was the best Thanksgivings we had ever had. Of course it was difficult without having my dad around but we did the best we could and ate pizza and had a great Thanksgiving Feast!

This Thanksgiving I would like to tell everyone what I am grateful for. There are way too many to mention but I will give it a good start. I am thankful for a family who loves me no matter what. My family has always been a strong support to me and I love them. I am thankful for good friends who help me get through difficult times and are so caring and supportive of me and the things I do. I am not exactly sure what I would do without them. I know sometimes I can drive them nuts but they are still there to help pull me through.
I am thankful for all my nephews. They brighten my days and help me to be a child again. I love each of them so much! In March I will have 11 nephews. They are so fun and make me laugh all the time. I am thankful I am a teacher. I have helped me have many growing experiences and I am grateful for each of them. There are so many things to be thankful for. I could go on and on. I may not know too many things but what I do know is that I have more things in my life to be thankful for than not. So next time when I get to thinking that life is too hard and the stresses start out weighing everything else, I need to stop and think of all the things that I have in my life.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and I hope that you will remember all the things in your life to be thankful for.