The Olson Odyssey: Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year. It is a great reminder to take "stock" of everything in my life that I have to be thankful for. A time to sit and reflect (which doesn't happen a lot these days) on the things in my life that make me "full." There are so many things and some of them may seem cliche, but they make everyday life so enjoyable! This year I was especially thankful for our new home. What started out as a hard thing (deciding to short sale our home), God ended up turning into a huge blessing. We have so much more space and are in a home that allows us to entertain and fit our growing family:) I am so thankful for God's provision during that season. Having a sick kid the last few weeks has also reminded me how grateful I am for Dillan's health. He has really only been sick a couple of times in his life and for that I AM SO GRATEFUL! Seeing your child sick is so hard and DRAINING:) I am also very thankful for the chance to grow our family. I am so excited to bring Connor Charles into this world and watch our family grow from three to four. This year was a pretty tough year for a lot of people with the economy taking a dive. Although it was a hard year for Dusty, he got up every day and kept hitting the pavement. He works so hard to provide for our family. We are so grateful for his job at Federated and the security he has there. We are also so grateful for our family and friends that surround us and walk through life with us. Their loyalty and support are unwavering!

I had a great word spoken to me during my quiet time the other day about being thankful for our suffering. It was out of the Message in Phillipians 1 "There's far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There's also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting." And so although it is hard, I am learning to be thankful for suffering and praying that God uses it to shape and mold me into the the woman He has designed me to be.

This year we hosted our first Thanksgiving and cooked our first Turkey! Her name was Matilda and she tasted oh so good! We had 20 Olson's over and it was really fun to look in magazines for creative ideas on table settings, decorations, and recipes. The day was a great success! Food was yummy, being with family was awesome, and Oly's bucket games were in full effect.

We then headed up to Pasadena and had a Davis Thanksgiving on Friday. My mom and dad pretty much cook the ENTIRE meal on their own and it always tastes SOOOOO good! Everything is homemade with love and care and for that I am so grateful! We had extended family with us this year as well which is always fun. And of course the babies make EVERYTHING better (even when they are sick).

Thanksgiving is over and we are now entering into Christmas! We are celebrating the fact that Christ was born in the most humble way and became man so he could know us that much more intimately. So here is to celebrating the real reason for the season!

Happy Thanksgiving!