It's Thanksgiving - Bring out the Pecan Pie

So here is Thanksgiving and I thought I was going to get to sleep in this morning. Then I realized I am the father of six "sweet" children who don't believe in sleeping in when there is no school. Aaron came in at 6:00am and started beating me on my back. I adopted the Belle principle that if something is bothering you, ignore it and it will go away. Aaron finally went over and got some hugs from his fantastic mother who loves him so much. Andrew was in his crib trying very hard to sit up. I think Andrew is one of those kids who just wants to walk with all of his heart, he just can't figure out the whole getting up on his legs. He has learned how to wave his little hand and I think that is one of my favorite things, along with giving "knuckles" to Aaron. I finally got my lazy carcass out of bed and came downstairs to the smell of cornbread and the sounds of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My wife has already made breakfast, fed the baby, and made an amazing recipe box for her sister. I am pretty blessed to have her as my best friend. She puts up with my creative binges, my long term building projects, and my fun with the computer. She tolerates my movie collection and she even likes being with me. I firmly believe any other woman would have committed hari-kari by now.
I had the opportunity to have Josh come and throw himself on me in what he describes as a hug. Josh is beyond excited today because it is his 12th birthday. He had his interview with the Bishop on Sunday and will be ordained a Deacon on Sunday. Josh had the Deacon's Quorum president and the Young Men's President come and speak with him and he is on fire about the whole thing. He really wants an electric guitar for his birthday. I told him they are really pricey and we might not be able to make it happen. I was able to trade for a pretty cool guitar and amp so I know he is going to be over the moon.
Kimi came up and gave me a huge squeeze. She is my soft hearted child and is always trying to help her mom and become more like her mom. I could think of a lot worse examples she could be following. Kim is a great student and puts her heart into school. She reminds me a lot of my sister Sara. She is very determined and has an attitude of self that is very positive. Kim tries everything and wants to do everything. She is always asking questions and many are ones I can't answer without using GOOGLE. She always makes me smile.
Ben is always cracking jokes and loves to be involved with things that command his entire attention. It is killing him right now because I have removed the video game and computer from his life because of his missing school work. I know he HATES homework. I use to hate it to. Why should I have to do all this crap because some teachers make me. He is a great kid and has a fantastic ability to make others happy. Ben can charm a baby better than a snake charmer can charm a serpent. He is very helpful taking care of Andrew when his Mom needs a break. Ben was a great help when we were putting the yard together this year. He is taller than his Mom and getting bigger than is Pop.
Emma is our actress girl. She is always putting on the drama over anything that happens. She loves to have fun and play with her friends. Emma still loves her Dad and she is at the door most of the nights when I come home. She is the little blonde girl that loves to dance and party when we have music on in the house.
I am pretty thankful for my motley crew. They are a pack of fun, excitement, and joy. We have been blessed to have a new house and to get the things done on it this year. I never thought having grass would be such a huge thing. I am thankful for all of the people who have helped us this year. Mom & Dad Lalliss for the time they take to come and help us on the house and watching our kids. Mom & Dad Price for dropping everything and helping when Belle needed to go to Oregon. To all the friends and neighbors we have that came and broke their backs to help us with our yard and our house. I feel pretty blessed. So there you have it. Lets score some turkey and bring on the pie!!!!