thanksgiving day has come and gone, but i remain thankful in my heart for the gift God has given me. to think, i had my son and his family in my house for thanksgiving. there we were, three generations that started with me. it was something i wasnt sure would ever happen when i gave him up so long ago. but then, God is good, and does far above all we can ask or think.
we picked them up at the airport just after nine wednesday night. the beau saw to it we had a rental SUV for the visit, which was much easier to do things in, what with a car seat and all the gear one takes with a baby. my son gave me such a hug at the airport, i felt truly like a mom. i also felt kind of short, even with all my five feet and eight inches, because he is 6’2″ and she is 5’11”. im not used to being short.
thanksgiving morning i started early and got the turkey going, and made my stuffing with pepperidge farm cornbread stuffing, celery, apples, and black walnuts. i tried adding whole cranberries too. hmmm, kind of tart they are. it was still good. she made green bean casserole, and i made pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust, from scratch. all in all, it turned out to be a pretty good meal, even with out the yams and the potatoes. oh well. it was still too much food, and just good to be with them.
the beau had to work friday, so i took them out for breakfast, which turned out to be lunch because we got out late. then it was on to the mall for some black friday marathon shopping for baby shoes. i think the beau was glad to be bored at work instead of with us for that. but it was more about them than me, so it was ok. i enjoyed it in some aspects, even though we were there much longer than i thought we would be.
it was fun having sienna here. she was a bit fussy, but she is just learning to walk, and really doesnt like being in a playpen or a spinner seat anymore. she is acquiring a little autonomy, and with it just a little independence. she kept us very busy in the evening, trying to keep her from getting hurt or into things not for baby. sigh. still, she is a happy baby, and not cranky. i was just amazed to see the offspring of my offspring.
saturday i took them to the airport for their 6:35 flight out. all the flights to the west coast are 6am or 6:35 am from tulsa. my boy sent a text when they arrived in california. he will be in camp pendleton a bit longer because he re-upped for another four years just before thanksgiving. he wont be going to iraq again, however. that was a stipulation of re enlisting. he will go to okinawa for eight months instead. he still plans to enter law enforcement, but it takes longer than he expected to get through all the exams and entry processes, so re enlisting will keep him till then. i think its a good plan. he took my zune with him, to load music on it for me from his. he has hundreds of songs and videos. he is good with that sort of thing, and we like much of the same music. fancy that. its nice to have something he can do for his mom. nice for me too. *big smile*
it was a little stressful, even though i loved having them here, but only because its a challenge for me to tolerate other peoples little habits and and ways of doing things, especially in the kitchen. if i wasnt so picky it wouldnt be such an ordeal for me. but i tried not to show it, since it was only for two days, and now everything it back to normal. small price to pay for the pleasure of having my children here with me. had i raised him myself, i might not have become so anal about my environment. they had a good time, and thats what matters. the beau isnt used to company either, and im sure he had to make allowances too. he was really sweet to them, though, and didnt seem uncomfortable at all.
all in all, it was a good few days. i look forward to many more days spent with them.