Thankful

Last year, Evie had a bug and threw up the night before and all day on Thanksgiving. It was awful - no sleep, yucky mess, and such a sad little baby. We had Jack in the Box for dinner. So this was the first Thanksgiving we've celebrated with Evie, and it was wonderful.

We celebrated (and by that I mean, we ate) with my mom, Rachel & Jyoti, and a friend of my mom's. The day was really perfect - one of those times when I feel like I live in a Norman Rockwell picture.

This morning Evie and I were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and James Taylor performed. Since childhood, he has been one of my all-time favorite singers. During the parade today he sang America The Beautiful. I tried singing along, but I choked up.

O beautiful, for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful, for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine,

'Til all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine!

O beautiful, for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years,

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw;

Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!

I am so blessed to be living this life. I live in a country where anything is possible.

I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, a loving mother and father and brother and sisters and aunts (and uncle) and great aunts and cousins and in-laws and friends.

I have wonderful, warm memories of people I've lost - a good friend, my Poppa, my mother-in-law, my Grandma. While I miss them all, especially on days like today, I am so blessed to have known their love.

I own a home and two cars and two computers and two iPods and two televisions and closets full of clothes and more diamonds than I can wear at once. My cupboards are never, ever bare.

I have a God who never leaves my side, even when I stray from His. Today is truly one of those days when I feel these words in my soul: God shed His grace on thee!

Happy Thanksgiving. May you feel His grace, too.