Thanksgiving has always been a great holiday for me. Family, food, friends, and fun, not to mention a day to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for. No matter who I’ve spent this day with in the past it’s always left me with a good feeling and warm memories.
I have memories of Thanksgiving shared with the Lugo family, eating rice and beans, with family filtering through my Grandparents house, almost as if we were scheduled in shifts. I have memories of Thanksgivings with the Casper family, with the whole family sitting at the table to eat a turkey and all the trimming together, all while the guys continued screaming at the football players in the TV, as if they could hear. And most recently, Thanksgivings at the Chatwin home, where the visiting and games after dinner were really what everyone was looking forward to.
I have memories of Thanksgiving shared with the Lugo family, eating rice and beans, with family filtering through my Grandparents house, almost as if we were scheduled in shifts. I have memories of Thanksgivings with the Casper family, with the whole family sitting at the table to eat a turkey and all the trimming together, all while the guys continued screaming at the football players in the TV, as if they could hear. And most recently, Thanksgivings at the Chatwin home, where the visiting and games after dinner were really what everyone was looking forward to.
Last year Thanksgiving was about being thankful that Curtis survived his accident and was finally able to come home. In fact he was so healthy; he actually boarded a plane to visit his Dad. So, without him, we all came together to give thanks for that. The day ended not so well for me, leaving the ER early the next day. But look, it’s a year later, and I’m still here, planning Thanksgiving Dinner for this year. I’m going to try to not let the anxiety of those memories or my uncoming test results haunt me, I’m going to give Thanks for my family, my friends, my health (yes, my health), my families health, for my ability to work and help provide for my family, and equally if not more so that Ronnie is able to do so, I’m going to give Thanks for all the wonderful people who have stood by me from day one, those who have come out of the woodwork to show how much love they have to share, and those who have shown they don’t, so I can get on with those who do.
And above all, to give Thanks to God, who has given me this wonderful life, who gave me the people I need in my life, who instilled in me the strengths I’ll need to endure and the faults I’ll need to help me learn. Who brought my wonderful husband into my life, and blessed us both with the two most wonderful children we could ask for.
Yes, the trials are not over for the Hess Family, but that does not mean the sun is shining any less bright on our faces. And for that, we’ll give Thanks.
And above all, to give Thanks to God, who has given me this wonderful life, who gave me the people I need in my life, who instilled in me the strengths I’ll need to endure and the faults I’ll need to help me learn. Who brought my wonderful husband into my life, and blessed us both with the two most wonderful children we could ask for.
Yes, the trials are not over for the Hess Family, but that does not mean the sun is shining any less bright on our faces. And for that, we’ll give Thanks.
And although she's as beautiful as ever, and her hair is still the most awesome color of auburn, I'm more proud of the little lady she's becoming then anything else. She's so independent and sure of herself, she doesn't question her opinions or look to others for the path to take. She is a leader and a social butterfly. She loves to learn, and has actually been teaching a hispanic girl in her kindergarten class English. She hates the days she's out of school and can't wait to get back to the classroom. She's fearless, not afraid of anything, the only girl in a kung fu class and the the little girl who doesn't want to get off the 50 she inherited from her big brother. She has her own sense of fashion and loves the sparkly stuff, but also loves wearing her dirtbike riding pants and playing in the mud, she's a tomboy in a dress one day and wearing pearls with jeans the next. 
I don't put anything past her, no one can tell her she can't when she knows she can. She told me this morning she wants to visit Mars, and knowing our daughter, she just might.