Thanksgiving

We drove to Indiana to be with my sister for Thanksgiving. It was our last opportunity to do so before she moves to Mexico City.

We had a wonderful time together. We ate a delicious Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.

On Friday, we visited Churchill Downs, where we saw a real live horse race!

Friday night, we celebrated Stephen's birthday. We made a monster truck cookie cake for him and he ate exactly one bite. I should have stacked up some yogurt cups instead.

The trip was a success and thankfully we did not get stuck in West Virginia this time. Here are a few things I observed during my trip that I'm grateful for.

Mei Li is adaptable and resilient.
It was cold at the race track, and we forgot to bring any outerwear to Indiana. Mei Li wore just a sweater, skirt, and tights. Mei Li was smiling and seemed to be invigorated by the cold wind. I asked, "Aren't you freezing, Mei Li?" Her response was, "Yeah, but I have pockets!" And she continued to smile and twirl in the cold.

Stephen loves his cousins.
As we got ready to leave Indiana, Stephen cried over and over again, "I don't want to go back to Virginia!" As much as it hurt my heart to see him so sad, I was also happy to see that he had formed a bond with all four of these cousins.

Mi Na is indeed smilingly tender.
I sat next to Mi Na on the drive to and from Indiana. There was one time when she was so tired and crying so much, but could not be lulled to sleep by the moving car. So I smiled at her, and she smiled back, and we exchanged smiles for a few minutes until she smiled herself to sleep. She's a keeper.

Steve is better than Superman.
Some of you know about my Superman fetish. Steve is my Clark Kent, my Gilbert Blythe, my Superman, all rolled into one. He's sensible and nerdy, he can tease me with charm, and he can drive straight through the night and only stop for gas. Most importantly, he is good through and through, and I am reminded of that daily.

Ie Mei is an angel.
I'm sure I've said this before, but she truly is one of the most Christlike people I know. She lives her life in the service of others. Brad is lucky and deserving of her, and they are raising some great kids together.

I have much to be grateful for, more than I deserve. I suppose the best way to deal with that is to keep on being grateful and serve my family and others.