Thankfulness

I love Thanksgiving. I love getting together with family, eating, talking, laughing...I love it all. The fact that last year I had a stomach bug the day before Thanksgiving and couldn't really enjoy the festivities makes me even more excited for everything this year. I am excited about the delicious food and the fact that we have a new little pilgrim to celebrate with this year!

It's hard to remember what life was like without her and yet a year ago doesn't seem like that long ago. Last Thanksgiving we didn't know we were pregnant and were a happy little family of three. Leighton really was happy too she just didn't like to smile for pictures ;)

This year we have our hands full with our little girl and her huge personality and our not so little three month old (she weighed 17lbs on the scale yesterday...). Life is much more busy this year but I am oh so thankful. Thankful that life seems to be settling into a new normal for us. The girls are both getting easier to manage and I feel a lot less overwhelmed. Having two has been such a joy lately. Leighton with her sweet little comments like, "Whoa Mama, dat is scaring me," which she says about five times a day or "Why Mama? Why?" which she says about 50 times a day :) and Gracen with her easy-going personality and sweet little giggles. I just love them so.

We took Gracen for her three month pictures last week and got some adorable sister shots. They are both growing so fast and I am so thankful to be able to watch them grow each day. Leighton is an amazing big sister, never jealous or mean and always more than happy to help out or give kisses and tickles.

She is such a spunky little girl with a smile and laugh that is infectious. Whether she's singing her Wiggles songs or doing the motions to Blues Clues, she loves to sing and entertain us and is such a light in our lives. The love she has for Gracen warms my heart and I love to watch them together. Even when Leighton is in a grumpy mood (she is definitely a moodly little thing) she is still so sweet to Gracen and you can tell Gracen adores her. She watches her every move and never fusses when Leighton man-handles her. Big sister is still learning how to be extra gentle with the baby :)

I know every parent says they are thankful for their children but I have truly never been more thankful for a blessing in my entire life. It's not always easy and we have had our our fair share of "bumps" along this parenting journey, but I know that Toby would agree that life with these two is such a blessing and definitely our definition of thankfulness this year :)



And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. --Colossians 3:17