Thursday, November 14, 2013

Thanksgiving Day ... early


Today is A Grateful Heart Thursday, where I share one positive thing that happened this week - a happy thing, a kind thing, a tender mercy, a small and simple something that happened, bringing a smile to my face and to my heart, helping me to recognize the hand of the Lord in every minute of my life.
 
 
 
We aren't going to be home for Thanksgiving this year due to our stay in Seattle for stem cell transplant. And this is the year that our married children spend Thanksgiving with the other side of the family, so our Thanksgiving Day is going to be very different than usual.
 
Our son and his wife came home last weekend for a visit (from Southern California), and we were able to be home too, so we decided to have a Thanksgiving meal with them here.  It turned out lovely! 
 
The girls helped with so much and made it a special day.
It did feel like Thanksgiving and my heart is so happy to have that feeling to help carry me through the 28th Thanksgiving Day.
 
I have such a one track mind lately, with this transplant on my mind, and I wasn't even the one that thought up this wonderful idea to have this dinner while our son and daughter were here.  This idea was planted in my mind the previous weekend when I was talking with a friend and she asked if we were going to have a Thanksgiving meal while they were here.  Well, that was a glorious idea, so I used it.  I am so grateful that we had that conversation - it was during a doctor visit I had for myself because of a sinus infection that I was wishing didn't have to be.  Now I think it was a tender mercy.  
 
Even good things can come from the bad and this time having a sinus infection that sent me to the doctor gave me the inspiration to prepare a Thanksgiving meal when so many of us would be together. 
Tender Mercy indeed!
 
It was a lovely day!
A lovely weekend to keep close to my heart.
 

Because of our short time and not wanting to create a bigger mess I'd have to clean up later I didn't decorate with centerpieces like I would have liked to.  I did however get to use my assorted china and goblets to help create a look I love. 
 
Even with the lack of fancy center pieces I was happy because the best thing at the table was the family around it.
It's not so much what's on the table that matters, as what's on the chairs. ♥
(this image was from Pinterest, but I have it from a calendar, previously shown here)