Happy Thanksgiving! With a 20 degree high and snow, we’re forgoing our annual Turkey Trot hike and hunkering down with movies and lots of tasty goodness. As I type this, my awesome husband is brining and then smoking our turkey.
This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for this beautiful family of mine. The kids are growing so fast–too fast–and I’m trying to treasure every last minute with them. We had planned to go skiing but ended up sticking around for a week of fun with friends that included a game night and also a boy’s lightsaber fete while Hadley was at her bestie Alex’s birthday.
There were casualties.
A free Hammonds Candy Factory Tour with 25 fun friends.
Hiking Prospect Park, an adventure we’ve done a hundred times but with Clear Creek’s low water levels, an otherworldly cavernous maze was revealed.
While Hadley was ice skating with friends, Bode hit Big Time Trampoline Fun. It was to be my day of triumph when I conquered their new Wipeout-esqu “Big Balls. Until I took my first step and they completely deflated. Note: not built for anyone over 100 pounds.
On Tuesday, our plan was to go mountain biking and to piano lessons. We decided to combine them and bike to piano but hadn’t anticipated the adventure we would have through Van Bibber Park. If my kids ever relay a story of how their mom dragged them up a hill so muddy they got completely stuck and their wheels wouldn’t turn, don’t believe them. Lies. All lies.
The calm before the (muddy) storm
We had a PJ/movie day where Bode made cinnamon rolls from scratch almost completely by himself.
Bode’s Cub Scout troop did the Scouting for Food drive. The kids and I then donated the food to our local food bank–almost 50 pounds! And then went went to the playground across the street and soared.
A couple of weeks ago for Family Home Evening, we did our annual gratitude turkey. Hadley designed the body while Aunt Lisa cut out the feathers, resulting in our most beautiful turkey yet filled with so many blessings!
This article in The Atlantic nails it: “Gratitude is the truest approach to life. We did not create or fashion ourselves. We did not birth ourselves. Life is about giving, receiving and repaying. We are receptive beings, dependent on the help of others, on their gifts and their kindness.”
My heart runneth over to have so many wonders in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 