Stop To Breath. Reflect. Be Thankful.

The last weeks have been jam packed with fun. It's in the fun that I can pause and be thankful for all God has blessed me with. 

I'm always thankful that I'm a mom to girls.  Daughter dates fill my heart. Not all of the girls are always around, but when they are.... Princess A and I always enjoy going to theater, midweek, to take in a stage production that I can almost guarantee King Ralph would likely not select. 

I do know he'd select the symphony, but sometimes a mom and her baby just need a date. So that's exactly what my D and I did! 

The bonus for King Ralph is that the STL Symphony's production of Musical Flight will air on our PBS station in January. 

It's been over a decade since one of the cousin's got married. Our entire family had a fantastic time being a part of K & R's ceremony.  D and Alyssa (the non-Catholics of the family) sang the entire mass and I did the second reading.  I think it's just the likely choice to ask D and Alysaa to sing, being they are vocal music majors in college. You know they did good when the bride is moved to tears while at the alter and at the reception (while thanking D). As for my reading...printed in 24 font guaranteed I could leave my reading glasses in my purse and wowwed everyone. 

It's easy to be thankful for love and marriage...a beautiful reception and a good gene pool of pretty girls. Wink,wink.

You know it's a good wedding when there are fresh, hot, mini donuts being created right on the spot (this is the mini donut guy from Soulard Market).

Only in our family would an arm wrestle go down at a family wedding reception, but why? Could it be the winner gets Princess A? Sister vs. her guy.  

In a moment of reflection I must pause and wonder how time passes so quickly. 

As one week of joy ends, another begins. 

While there was lots of cleaning and Thanksgiving prep going down, I still had to work. Wednesday left just two of us in the office, no principals and no students. It was the perfect day for "bring your dog to work day." Uli took in her first day at middle school by strolling the halls

and resting by my desk 

Finally it's Thursday. Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday. A weather perfect day! Sun shining, blue skies and 61*. 

We are a family of all "big" people, with just a few under age, making the bar options in full shake and stir 

(rum or bourbon and Coke, cosmos, wine or beer)

We ate and ate. It is a year to reevaluate the amount of "Lucy Corn" prepared and served now that we are a family of all adults. Although we had enough turkey we no longer have the volume of leftovers we once did. 

Something we did have was four of the five senior sisters of the family together for the first time in eons. 

For a second week in a row all the cousins were together. 

This a miracle of mammoth proportion! Not since before my nephew enlisted in the Air Force could a feat of such togetherness have happened. These young people warm my heart! These young people are the future of the family. 

What are the other measures of a successful day of Thanksgiving? 

My "out law" and making gravy partner in the family,

mini derby pies, 

Princess A's sugar cookies and pumpkin pie martinis, 

when the turkey gets passed around from head to head, 

And last but not least my nephew's French Bulldog puppy: Sherman (named for Gen. Sherman of the Civil War). 

This is why my cornucopia runneth over. 

Family. 

Love.