Happy Thanksgiving!

On this day of Thanksgiving, we think about all the many, many things we have to be grateful for. As I write this, we are headed up to Alexandria to spend a few days with the Lawrence's, which is always filled with lively conversation, a messy kitchen that produces a great meal and just genuine family time. I am blessed that my mom and Ronnie are also invited, so I get to see some of my family, too. As we're riding, here are a few things we thank God for:

1. Pregnancy - as tired as I am from lack of sleep still, it is quickly forgotten when I feel Mary-Michael kick and think that she will be here in our arms in just a few months. I really do love being pregnant and am so grateful to be able to carry a child. We have taken a jump start on this parenting thing as this past Sunday we started Growing Kids God's Way - a 17-week parenting class at church. Not only will it focus on encouraging and disciplining your children but it will also focus on the importance of a strong marriage and regular self-reflection.

2. Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins - you can guess who said this...and yes, it was a sorry game, but as Geoff reminds me a win is a win no matter what. He is very excited to gloat to Keesha today at dinner. Sorry Keesha!

3. Family - while we can often frustrate each other and have trouble seeing eye to eye, we are still family, and we are blessed to have so many that live near us and support us in our lives. Thanks for putting up with our antics and loving us no matter what. We were able to get together with my momma's side of the family on Sunday for Thanksgiving - Carla entertained the little ones, and it was great to have my Mimi and Grandad from Alaska with us.

4. Friends - the fall is always an exciting time at our home because fall=hunting season, and while neither of us hunt, we have many friends that do, and our land apparently is filled with deer looking to be eaten. This often means early morning arrivals and late morning check-ins at the house to eat breakfast, warm up and sometimes take a little nap before heading back out. These are some of my favorite days. And we've enjoyed over this last week spending time with April/Jared and the girls, Anne (my running partner whom I love dearly), Ash (the name says enough), my monthly dinner ladies (April, Lacey, Renee) and the usuals (the Young's and Klug's). We love all of you!

5. Our jobs - we are so grateful that Geoff's company continues to thrive and provide, and while owning your own company has its ups and downs no matter what stage you're in, they have managed to make it and grow in a tough economy. God is good! And while the last few months have held some long hours for me, I really do have a great job, am part of a great team and am managed by a great lady. If you want to see what TNTP is up to and how we're changing the education landscape, check out http://widgeteffect.org/.

As I look at the length of this post, I can see that I need to be better about updating regularly. Thanks for those that made it to the end of this. I still have more I want to share, but I'll save for next time. Below are two recent pics of our current "baby" - Carla. Happy Thanksgiving!