Sounds like life to me : Give thanks with a grateful heart

Wow, what a busy weekend !  Thanksgiving ... scratch that... all holidays are exhausting for Charles and I right now.  All of our immediate family and some of the extendend family lives within 2 hours or so from us.  Well, since we are the "young marrieds still without kids" we have decided to appease both sides of the family and do all major holiday events.  Soooooo here's a basic run down of our weekend.

Some goodies I made for the extended family.

Wednesday: Kim gets off work at 3pm, gets home at 4, finishes packing, wrapping, baking, makes dinner, does laundry. Charles gets home, eats, packs. They go to sleep.

Thursday: Wake up, pack up the car, Kim drives while Charles does a grad school project in the car (laptop on cookie tray with internet tethered from his phone and power by a DC to AC converter under the seat.  Arrive in Gtown and have lunch with Kim's side of the family. Leave Gtown and head to Ctown (not telling you the real names of the towns so you can't join us)  for Charles' immediate families Thanksgiving dinner.  Drive to stay with my mom and dad in Atown.

Precious couple in Gtown.

Sweet family in Ctown.

Friday: Wake up, run errands with Mom and do some honey do items for her.  Lunch with Sister and her hubby and sweet baby girl at Chili's then head to Rtown to see my Yia yia (grandma in Greek) and some of my dad's side extended family.  Leave Rtown, fly down the highway to Atown to get changed and arrive in Ctown i.e. Charles' grandma's place.  Kim leaves for Dtown to go to see the Radio City Rockette's with some of the ladies, and Uncle Bob. Charles, joins the boys in R town for NCSU vs Elon basketball. Meet up in Ctown and head back to Atown for a good nights rest at Mom and Dad's.

Sis, bro-in-law, niece

My immediate family and grandma

Sister and cousins

Rockette's with hubby's fam.

Saturday: Wake up, go to Chik-fil-a with mom and dad.  Kim and Charles meet up with the other Barrett boys in Ctown and head to Rtown to see an epic football game, NCSU vs Maryland. They all head back to Ctown to visit with family. Kim and Charles return to Atown to do more school work and relax.

GO PACK !

Me and the Barrett boys.

Grand dad and nephew Rhett snackin' post game.

Sunday: Wake up, meet family in Ctown to then drive to Rtown to go to church. Head back to Ctown for brunch with all the Barretts.  Relax in Ctown for a while. Leave Ctown alllllll the way through Rtown, Gtown, Ctown, and many others in between til we arrive home, late sunday evening.  Get home, unpack, eat, watch some TV/finish grad school project. Go to bed. 

The whole crew in Ctown.

Overall, we had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I was really worried that the whole miscarriage convo would pop up... and it did. Mainly in really sweet side conversations filled with hope and encouragement, which I truly appreciated. 

The thing I didn't anticipate hitting me so hard was the overwhelming sadness and emptiness I would feel around family with children and how left out I felt.  Yes, new moms and dads gushing over their babies, as they rightly should, and talking about their shared parent experiences.  Feeling, once again, as not part of the club, and behind the curve.  Grand parents adoringly stating "their world is now better since they have a grandchild" and how they are so happy with their new role.  Once again... feeling like chopped liver.  Praying no one would "make an announcement" that they were expecting again and trying not to envy the baby belly.  Wow... didn't know it would hurt so bad. Gosh, even hearing the Christmas story out of Luke made me sad... Seriously Kim??? Jealous of Mary carrying baby Jesus .. yep. Sad but true. 

Oh well, as the post is titled "Give thanks, with a grateful heart..." I do have a lot to be thankful for. I truly do.  My faith in the most loving savior Jesus Christ, my husband, my family, my job, my house, my car, my church, my friends, my health and so on and so forth. 

"Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich"
Because of what the Lord has done for us.
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich"
Because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks
Give thanks."

I don't need to be jealous of anyone for any reason. But I am finding myself that way and I pray that this feeling will pass.  The other thing about this week is turning 25 this thursday.  I know, I know, it's just a number. But it's once again a reminder that time isn't standing still and my life is furiously passing before my very eyes.  I will give thanks, I will be grateful for each day and each blessing the Lord gives to me.