Today I looked outside and saw that I still have some rose blossoms on my bushes that I just planted this past spring. I can’t help but smile whenever I see my roses.  They brighten up dreary days, and even sunny days too.

So I went outside to admire their beauty and inhale their fragrance, taking a moment to appreciate all the blessings of life and family.

We had our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday.  With no other family in the area, it was small and quiet as usual, but lovely just the same. Cole was spending Thursday with his mother,  Kallie wouldn’t be back until Christmas, and the Blue Dinosaur was working through the holiday weekend, so we decided to have dinner on Friday, even though we weren’t quite sure if the Blue Dinosaur would  actually be able make it home by dinnertime. Luckily he was able to make it home just in time to eat.

The holidays are never an exact day for us. With the blending of two families, and the Blue Dinosaur’s work schedule, we’ve always had to plan ahead. The days and times may never be the same from year to year, but we’ve always been able to get together to celebrate.

Cole came over early in the afternoon to exercise with Laurel. They were smart to get a good workout in before our little feast. And feast we did!

I see the sun finally peaking out in the sky. I think I’ll get out and take a nice, long walk.

The rush of Christmas will soon take over, so I’ll just take another moment to smell the roses.