Another Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone.  This year, we enjoyed the weekend’s festivities in the presence of some new additions, including our baby cousins Scarlet and Nathaniel, and puppies Truffle and Thora (Thora lives in Ithaca with my aunt, uncle and Temba the Tibetan spaniel, who was none too happy about Truffle’s and Thora’s blossoming friendship).  And although we missed not having cousins Seth, Liz, David, Elias and Felix around the table with us, the Jetsons-like wizardry that is Skype allowed us to see and talk to them in real time from Iraq and California so that their absence wasn’t as acutely felt.

The weekend passed by in a haze of food, laughter and dogs running around our house.  We made our annual trek to the movies to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  Frozen is on tap for this afternoon.

Of course, we couldn’t start eating our feast without someone suggesting we all share what we were thankful for this year.  After the inevitable groans and eye-rolling, we got down to business. My list is a long one, with Chief Mom Officer sitting at the very top. No surprise there.  It’s been an incredible year – one that I will cherish for the rest of my life (or until I can’t remember it anymore).

Everyone else shared their thanks – some funny, some serious, but all heartfelt.  And then Sophie, being Sophie, announced in her compassionate 8-year old voice:  “I’m thankful for home, family and friends and all the other things that are important to have in your life, because many people don’t have all those things.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself, my sweet one.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.