To answer my question in the title … nothing really, but both are mentioned in my post.  :o)

Yesterday was a great Thanksgiving Day!  Of course there were the obvious things I could praise God for giving me, but I had some special moments that others wouldn’t recognize.   I will share those in just a moment.  (Please excuse photo quality.  All pictures were taken with my iPhone.)

I thought of Angela at Free Spirit Haven when I wore my pretty Christmas apron~ You know that lady LOVES her aprons!

After covering my shirt with this lovely apron, I prepared Paula Dean’s DELICIOUS squash casserole.  Oh my!  I can’t begin to tell you how delicious that casserole was!  You will just have to take my word for it and make it for yourself:  click HERE.

Approaching Thanksgiving was a bit of a hassle because my Mom was determined to have all of her kids around her table for a big meal that “she” wanted to prepare for us.   For those who don’t know, my Mom is bedridden.  (You haven’t seen pictures of her since spring because she hasn’t felt well at all and I haven’t wanted to place her pics out here.)

Each week my sister and I were harassed by our Mom (who is a tad confused) with ridiculous requests for this meal she wanted to prepare.  Mama hasn’t eaten much more than a bite of this and a bite of that for a long time now.  Boost is keeping her alive, but she wanted this huge meal.  All of the foods that you would see in a Norman Rockwell painting of a happy family eating a Thanksgiving meal were requested.

Over a month ago Mama started preparing by having the dining room table extended so that we could fit.   She had plate chargers under the dishes … preparations were being made.

Mama directed her helpers (who have become her friends) how to prepare each dish.    It was a big ordeal and the helpers said Mama was excited about it.

I know my Mom and Dad are dying and this would be the last Thanksgiving we would all be together on this side of heaven.    I am grateful to have had the chance to sit with them one more year.

Here are the small gifts that God gave me yesterday.

1.  I was able to see my parent’s table set like my Mom would have set it.  She loves her Apple pattern dishes (though I think she wanted to use her fine china).

2.  The house smelled like it once did, instead of unfamiliar smells that now occupy their home.  Since my Mom directed every step of the cooking, it smelled like it did when she cooked.  That was a sweet reminder of years gone by.

Below is a picture I took of my parents yesterday.  This was about the best smile my Mom could muster.  I was so thankful that God made a way for Mama’s mind to be clearer and for her to have the strength to sit up while we were there.

Please pray for my parents if they ever come to your heart.

We had a peaceful time at their home.  It was zoom zoom zoom for us though because as you could see on the clock in the picture above, it was 5pm and we were scheduled to be at the next family meal at 6pm!   My niece-in-law took a family photo of us all before we went our separate ways.  I can’t wait to see it!  That picture will be priceless to us someday.

On to our next destination which had a totally different vibe.  Our daughter had a new playmate to spend her time with and they had a ball.

It wouldn’t be a family event without a goofy shot would it?  Did something smell bad?  Naaaaa.  We were just being silly.

After eating more points than I could even track (not looking forward to my weigh-in on Monday), I ended my evening with my computer in my lap and our cat Clyde leaning against my leg.  I was full of blessings and food.

I pray everyone had a nice Thanksgiving Day!

Now the Christmas season officially begins!

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On a side note — do you remember me joining a group of people online who are memorizing Romans chapter 8?  This week I learned verses 5 & 6.  So here I go, I am typing this all from memory!  Yay!

Romans 8:1-6
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who don’t live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

YAY FOR ME~