Challenge

Here's my answer to a challenge given on Two Peas:

1. A childhood Thanksgiving memory: We never really lived around family until I became a teenager. I really don't recall us doing anything special. I don't think Thanksgiving was celebrated until we moved to Florida, where my mother's family is at. At that time we all went to Grandma's. It was a lot of cooking by the sisters. Several things stood out. 1. The men always ate first. Afterwards the women and children were allowed to eat. 2. Grandma's biscuits were the best and well worth the wait. 3. My Grandfather like a 50/50 mix of cold sweet tea and red Kool-Aid to drink. Yuck. But now they have Cherry Coke so Grandpa must have been on to something. 4. I remember always singing "Over the River and through the Woods to Grandmother's house we go. The horse knows the way......"

2. A family Thanksgiving tradition: our family tradition is that Jacob, our youngest, come up with different shapes showing Thanksgiving and writing things that we should all be thankful for. Before saying grace over the meal everyone went around and said what was written as their thanks to God. We always pray over our Thanksgiving meal. We always have Sweet Potato Crunch. And we always have a houseful of family and friends and it doesn't look like it will be any different this year.

3. Five things you're thankful for...besides family, friends and health. Give it some serious thought and be specific:

a. I am most thankful for my husband Jimmy and for Bob, Ruth, Joan, David L., David, Dave B., and Samy. These are the people who love me unconditionally for one reason or another. They all have shown me the love of God through an illness that scares most people. My husband is my hero how he has looked after me and loved me even when I was at my sickest. No one of the list above left me, but was there when I needed to cry or needed a laugh. Wisdom ruled several of those listed. I will always remember their advise and the choices they taught me to make.

b. I'm so thankful for my dog Bailey. That sounds silly, but it is Bailey that brings me much comfort. But I love to walk him first thing in the morning and the last thing at night because the skies are so beautiful and different every night. It really shows me the grandeur of God.

c. I'm very thankful for the love, grace and mercy given me by God. I'm certainly not deserving of His love, but He gives it to me and even forgives me and finds me justified before His judgement of my sin. Today especially I experienced His grace and mercy.

d. For scrapbooking/crafting. I make so many friends online and at my local stores and crops. It does give me a seance of belonging to my mother's family. They are all so creative and I could never find my place in all this creativity until I found scrapbooking. Everyone now loves my books and projects. I'm a real Thomas now!

e. Next to my scrapbooking I've fallen in love with photography recently. I love to photograph the world around me. It brings me peace, exalt God's creation, and my family is a little tired of the camera right now. LOL