Thanksgiving

every year at this time, as thanksgiving approaches, i try to stop and reflect on all that i have to be thankful for. my life has been so richly blessed that listing everything could go on forever and ever.

drew and i have been so lucky. for the most part, our families are healthy. we have an amazing marriage that grows stronger everyday. i used to chuckle when he would make me give him a high five and say, "team beynon", but we really are a team. and last january we added two more little members to our team, preslee and mason.

getting them here wasn't easy. we struggled for almost two years before i got pregnant. then came all the worries of a twin pregnancy. but, again, God blessed us.

there is something magical that happens upon the birth of a child. it is something that is very difficult to narrow down because so many things change. it could be the overwhelming responsibility of being a parent. never wanting to make mistakes that will affect your child. it could be the feeling of mortality. realizing you are getting older and that your child needs you right here right now. it could be the sense of protectiveness that takes over after a child is born. knowing no matter what you will fight, scrape, and scrounge to ensure your child gets whatever they need to grow up to be happy, strong, healthy, and loving. mostly i think it is a sense of being thankful. thankful that no matter how bad you might think things are you still have more than most people. i am thankful we have two daughters that have brought us more joy and laughter than you could ever imagine.

how blessed i am that God chose me to be their mom. my life is richer because of preslee and mason.

i am thankful for the smiles of my children, for the feel of their arms around my neck, for the trust i see in their eyes, for the peace i see in their faces when they sleep, for the joy in their faces when they play in the leaves, for the simple fact that they are alive.

the thankfulness you feel for your children isn't the easy, sentimental kind. it's laced with challenges and frustrations, paid for with nights of broken sleep and a house that looks like it's situated in a hurricane's path.

what i am especially thankful for are the lessons my children are constantly teaching me. some of these i've learned just because of the nature of motherhood and the responsibilities it places upon you. earlier i insisted that my life be meticulously planned, down to the minutest detail. now i shrug and try to enjoy the next surprise that's lying in wait around the corner.

the best lessons, though, are the ones i learn everyday from watching preslee and mason. relearning, i should say, for once upon a time i knew them all. until i became an adult. one is the enjoyment of simple things. things that cost little, or maybe nothing at all, except attentiveness and an open mind. how bubbles have rainbows in them. the sounds leaves make when you crunch them. just the other day, they crawled into the kitchen and were leaning over the heat vent. when it kicked on and heat came out blowing their hair, they just laughed and laughed and then looked up at me with this wide eyed wonder.

preslee and mason, being your mommy isn't a job. it is an opportunity and a privilege. it is a blessing and everyday a new adventure. i love being your mommy. for you, i am so thankful!

thank you god, for preslee and mason. they have made our lives so, so rich.