Our Thanksgiving weekend

We are going to DisneyWorld for the real Thanksgiving, so we celebrated Thanksgiving with our family on Saturday. There are many advantages to doing this. Stores are open, roads aren't as crowded for travel, and there are no shortages of holiday-specific foods. We had a LOT of food. Our family is never lacking for food when we all get together. I made the usual turkey. This year, rather than making mashed potatoes, I made homemade Mac and Cheese from a recipe that a friend recommended. It was so good! My parents made applesauce with cranberries, stuffing and jello. Sandi and Bob brought some delicacies from Costco (we are in seventh heaven with leftover apple pie!) Matthew has been sick off and on so we weren't sure if we could do the celebration, but everyone risked exposure to whatever stomach bug is plaguing him.
We have so much to be thankful for. I was watching my kids play yesterday. Natalie was chasing Matthew around the house, Meagan was reading a book to Natalie, and Matthew was spontaneously running up to them and hugging them. They are happy. My life is as simple as that- my kids are happy, I am good. I hope that they are successfully learning in school, but most of all, I just want them to be happy. If they are self-confident and proud of themselves, they will have one less major roadblock to learning. I am also thankful for our good health, all of us. Matthew's stomach has definitely been funky, but that is about it. Natalie, thank God, has an immune system of steel. Even though she has hit that wonderful milestone of age 6 (febrile seizures are MUCH less common after age 6), I will always worry when she has a fever. Even our dogs are healthy. I truly believe that Barni, who is at least 11 years old, will live longer than any of us. I am thankful that I have a job that makes me happy every day. It is not totally perfect, but it is pretty darn close right now.