Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on November 26, 2013.

Thanksgiving is here again. The leaves have fallen to the ground and crunch under our footsteps. I have to dig out my sweats in the morning and wear a jacket outside. I’m knocking on wood, hoping that our “sick season,” which lasted most of the fall, is gone for a long time.

In the past, I wrote about creating new family traditions and how that can be hard sometimes, especially if it requires breaking away from old traditions. This year I’m thankful that we’ve established some traditions for our sons, such as staying home on the holidays and working together to cook a big meal.

Lately I’ve been cooking more (much to my husband’s surprise), and every time I make a meal, I let my sons help me. It’s pretty crowded at the kitchen counter, and it can be messier too, but now that I’ve started this ritual, I’m finding it’s a good motivator to keep me cooking. I’m just so happy that my boys enjoy it, and they’re learning something too.

I told them that along with all the other traditional foods, we’re going to make an apple pie for Thanksgiving – I’ve never made any kind of pie in my life, so it’s a learning experience for me too. My picky boys probably won’t eat it, but sometimes I can coax them to try something after we cook together. That’s a huge leap in this household.

I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and though this may sound strange, I think the thing I’m most grateful for is the ability to be thankful…the wisdom to see that this life I’m living is Blessed with a capital B.

I haven’t always felt so cheerful (not that I’m cheerful all the time now), but for the most part, I’m happy. And for however long this lasts, I’m deeply grateful.

I’m thankful my life has been mostly good. No big tragedies – but enough sadness to keep me down to earth.

I’m grateful to have had parents who loved me and did the best job they could. My mom, especially, did a lot of work, and I love her for it.

I’m grateful for my husband who I know loves his kids and me more than anything, and even when we disagree, I know we have a better relationship than many unfortunate couples.

I’m unbelievably grateful for my children who have shown me how to look at this world with fresh eyes. Last week when it warmed up a bit, we went hiking, and we stopped by a river, and I watched them search the shore for treasure…. rocks, a shell, sticks and a few moments spent with a tiny frog. I realized I have learned more about our natural world in these last few years than I ever knew before simply because my seven-year-old is the Nature Boy, and the four-year-old is following in his footsteps.

I can’t imagine not spending this time with them. I can’t imagine not taking the time to learn what makes them tick and finding ways to feed those fires and their imaginations. They are too precious to leave in the hands of anyone else. I’m grateful I can stay home and homeschool them.

I am also thankful to you, whomever you are, for reading down to the last paragraph of this column.  You may be in a different place in your life, you may have different ideas on how to raise children, and that’s okay. I’m grateful that you’ve taken the time to read what I have to say. Happy Thanksgiving.

And thank YOU, my blog follower too. 😉