Our artificial Thanksgiving

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! H and I didn't really get to celebrate today because he is currently working "mole" (AKA nights only), and he basically slept all day. I woke up around 8:30 to meet him when he came in from working last night, we ate breakfast together, and then he went to sleep. I watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which I totally love, and was especially happy this year because it included David Archuleta. Love him!! Anyway, our "real" Thanksgiving celebration will be on Saturday, for which I have a lovely and extensive menu planned, but today we had a sort of prelude celebration. We told each other what we're thankful for and then went for a buffet dinner at Shoney's. Yeah, not your traditional Thanksgiving, but at least we got some ham and stuffing (the turkey was TERRIBLE!). I also forced H to take a family picture so I could post one on here, which also pretty much counts for my weekly picture this week since, once again, we've forgotten to take one. I'm looking pretty big, but trying to be positive after my freak out last week, thanks in large part to many of your kind and thoughtful comments about how great I look. That was really nice! Here's the picture:Soon we'll get to take our yearly Christmas picture as well, and I'm really excited about that. Anyway, even though we didn't have a real Thanksgiving today, I did spend a good amount of time reflecting on the things I'm thankful for this year. First, I'm thankful for my amazing husband who makes so many sacrifices and works so hard to show me how much he loves me. I'm such a lucky girl! I'm also thankful for my amazing family (and family-in-law), who has given me SO MUCH love and support during this pregnancy and before (during the miscarriages), and who has always been there for H and I whenever we needed. Finally, I'm SOO thankful for this precious new life that we're adding to our family. Last year on Thanksgiving I had my first miscarriage, and I never thought I could see things the same way again. I thought I would be stuck under that dark cloud for the rest of my life, but God has given us such a gift in little H, and brought us, especially me, safely through all of that sadness. What an incredible blessing! Oh, and speaking of little H, I've been promising some of you that I would put up a picture of the crib, even though it's not in it's final position yet. It's pretty much just pushed into a corner because we haven't moved H's desk to the new office yet, but it's still very beautiful and you should all get to see it. I especially love the finish on it, it looks great with those Shamrock Shake walls! Check it out, from two different angles:

It's pretty much unmade for now--I mean, it doesn't even have a mattress--but I couldn't contain myself once the box was in the house. I had to put it together, and I'm glad I did because it looks amazing. And, it's HUGE, by the way. I think I could sleep in there. :)

I also took a picture of the bookcases that we have in the nursery, just because I love them and I think they are so pretty. They are shelves that I built with my granfather a few years back, and I'm so excited that they get to be passed on to little H. Also, my grandfather is graciously making us some surprise art for the nursery, so that will go well with the bookshelves, I'm sure. Just a few other things I love: the adorable stuffed animal collection and the "Buenas Noches, Luna" book on the top, my favorite so far. It's precious in Spanish.

I love you all so much, and can't wait to share the miracle of little H's birth with you. You've been such a strength and support for us, even from far, and the only thing that makes me sad this Thanksgiving is the fact that we can't be with you all in person. For everything else, I'm eternally grateful.

I hope you all have a blessed, blessed day. :)