DECEMBER 1, 2011

this is all that remains from our thanksgiving dinner. and while i am not a huge pumpkin pie fan, i cannot fathom having thanksgiving without it. my other two dishes did not last more than two days – yeast rolls ( i believe andreas ate 6 in one day) and a killer mac and cheese (and i mean killer: bacon, three cheese, breadcrumb topping). we celebrated at my aunt kathryn’s house with a scrumptious dinner followed by football and looking through back-friday ads in the newspaper.

for me thanksgiving is a time of reflection – remember the past year and the blessing that we have received. so i wanted to record those this year, here. i asked Andreas to write a few down, and here is what he came up with. and yes he does know that he has two letter Bs. i have to admit, my eyes started to tear up just a little as i read over his list.

Anniversary
BBQ
Baby
Collage basketball
Dollars
Easy days at home
Finished fence
Gracie
Homemade food
Ice cream (especially chocolate)
Jacobs well group
Kansas city
Lindsay
Movember
Norway
Oversea flights
Prayers
Quiet neighbors
Roadtrips
St Louis hospital
Trondheim
Unforgettable walks in the mountains
Visitor from Norway
Wife
X-ray, to see baby
Zermatt

i did not get that creative, but mine are nonetheless heartfelt.

i am thankful for scientific advances in modern medicine. without doctors, researchers, and patients andreas and i would not have had the opportunity to create our family in this way.

i am thankful for celebrating five years of marriage. coming from a divorced family, ideas of commitment or separation will always looms in the back of my head, even if they are far far away. Andreas and i have struggled through infertility together, a crisis that not every relationship survives. but we did. and we will continue to.

i am thankful for my job and the opportunity to go back to school. a few years ago, daily i would ask: what do i want to do with my life? well i have found something that i love, i am good at and fulfills me. there can be nothing better than that.

i am thankful for my husband. this year he has worked really hard and put in so many extra hours during the week. i know this has come as a personal sacrifice and he did it for us. he did it for me. i consider myself blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!