And a Happy Thanksgiving to you!

YEA YEA YEA!!!

thanks to our dear friend, geno, who came over and spent more time than he realized he was going to, i now have access to the internet on my laptop. we still haven't got the wireless router working yet and i've got to download picasa or some program like it so that i can resize pictures before putting them on my blog, but i'm just glad to be up and going again!

and it makes me feel better that someone else couldn't figure it all out, too. see.....it wasn't just me! but he did agree with me that the old computer needs to go. actually, he got on it, looked around, and said that he would remove all documents that we want to keep and trash it. i'm thinking i agree.

THANK YOU, GENO, FOR YOUR HELP!

so anyway............

today was Thanksgiving. wow. a day that often times gets overlooked with all of the hustle/bustle that begins in a few short hours. but isn't it one of the greatest days, too? we have so many things to be thankful for, but more often than not, we keep our eyes open for what we want next instead of being content with what God has given us. and we all have more than enough.

we got up early this morning and drove to carthage to pick up tommy's grandfather. when we left there, we went to the cemetary. about 1/2 of the people who read this blog know us pretty well and the other 1/2 are "new" friends. so for those who don't know, tommy's dad died 5 years ago this january to the dreaded disease cancer. it is so hard to believe that this time 5 years ago my father-in-law was sitting in hospice in ridgeland. he moved in on the day ole miss played alabama. we had gotten tickets to this game (tommy still hasn't been to a game in tuscaloosa - - - road trip, jeff/shana??) but got rid fo them when his dad really started going down. our good friend, will haas, came over and watched the game with us in the waiting room.

i can remember the smell of hospice. the smiles on the faces of patient's facing terminal illnesses. the man who came to me right after his wife took her last breath because i had befriended them across the hall. the roses i would take and divide up among a few patients - just to make their room a little more cheerful. the drop in my heart when we would walk into hospice to see a "rose on the table" - a sign of another life that was gone.

i am thankful that tommy and i were able to have that experience. i know...this sounds really strange. but really, hear me out. it has made both of us accept death easier. his mom has even volunteered at hospice. our family knows this facility is often a "last resort", but we are so thankful that they were there for us.

i don't know how everything got on the hospice subject, so now i'm kinda rambling. oh yeah - we had gone by the cemetary. when we left, i was just thanking God for my parents who are still both living. and even though they are divorced and we have to split time here and there, they are still here to enjoy my sweet mary peyton and to be in mine and tommy's lives. and also thanking God for my mother-in-law, who is one of the most giving individuals that i have ever known.

but also, i was thanking God for billy barnette. for the short amount of time that i was able to know him. tommy and i started dating in may 2000, he was diagnosed with cancer in june 2000, and went to be with the Lord in january 2003. i know that God had every single thing orchestrated the way it was to be. i could not have asked for a better father-in-law. he loved me as a daughter and was my 2nd dad. he did everything he could for me - including putting tommy in his place once or twice!!! but he hung on to life for everything just to be at our wedding. and i know - every time i hear mary peyton go on and on about her "o miss" - that her pap-paw barnette is in Heaven smiling down. if ever a family bled red and blue, it is the barnette's.

we had thanksgiving lunch at tommy's mom and step-dad's house and were able to see kate/brook/brady & amanda/kevin/layton. it's always fun when all 3 grandkids are together. then tommy left with brad and jude headed to columbus to stay the night at chasity's parent's house so they can go to the game tomorrow.

speaking of that, i don't know if i'll be thankful if we win tomorrow (big IF) or thankful that this dreaded season is over.....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYBODY!!!