Happy December! I can’t imagine a better way to start out this first day of December than with the arctic blast blowing through Austin; Christmas music playing; a fragrant pine candle lit; some much needed time spent with Jesus and the reminders that living “for the greatness of God is to live a great life” and that “His greatness is big enough for the two of us”; a happy, babbling baby crawling about; and a cup of hot tea in hand. It’s only 9:30 a.m. as I’m writing this, but it’s already a glorious December day.

It seems longer than a week ago that we boarded a jet plane for the Oakland/San Francisco area to spend Thanksgiving with Matt’s family, hosted this year by Matt’s sister and her hubby. Despite his ear infection, Brennan traveled amazingly well; you’d never have known the fella was sick. Even the two-hour time change wasn’t an issue. He fell right into Pacific time without a hitch and was much more flexible with the comings and goings and adjustments to his schedule than his momma. Oh, the lessons I learn from that child are a hundred-fold.

I loved how Antique Mommy recapped her Thanksgiving with a list of things she’ll remember, along with a few things that she won’t. Here are some of the highlights, precious moments that will remain etched in my heart over the passing of time from this Thanksgiving.

• Sunset gazing. Our first night there, we drove up to the highest point in Berkeley to watch the sunset over the bay. We enjoyed appetizers and champagne as we toasted to being together as a whole family, the first time in over two years, I think. It was breathtaking and cause for pause.

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• The food. I mean, how can a foodie not remember the food!? Kim has become quite the chef extraordinaire! The girl doesn’t pick simple recipes either, so a lot of time and love went into preparing not just delicious food, but works of art. (These photos were from our picnic and day-outing in Sonoma.)

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• The mornings with my boys. The three of us, along with Papa and Nana, stayed in a house in Berkeley that was graciously shared with us for the week. It had a fantastic view of San Francisco (it’s a bit hazy in the picture below). The three of us were the early morning risers and enjoyed mornings out on the deck. I’ll never forget playing peek-a-boo with Brennan that spurred deep laughter by using Matt as the object to hide behind; how Brennan would lean in towards my face to give me kisses; and what my little boy looked like the morning of his first Thanksgiving.

• Brennan’s ability to brighten lives. I know the sociability of my son will likely vary throughout his young life, but I hope and pray that the friendly outreach he has toward all people, particularly towards those considered unlovely and lonely, will be a character trait he exudes the rest of his life. Right now, Brennan is constantly waving to any passerby, whether or not they take notice. The three of us went out for breakfast on Friday morning, a quiet, drizzly and still morning. As we sat together as a family, laughing and sharing our highlights from the week, there sat a middle-aged lady in the corner of the restaurant by herself. Alone. Buried deep into a book. She could very well have been content and happy. She also could have felt very lonely as she sat solo the day after Thanksgiving. Brennan was persistent in turning around in his high chair to wave at the lady. Between every bite of his pancake and banana, his little body would twist around with his arm and hand extended moving in an up and down motion. She finally caught his eye and a grin appeared at the simple, friendly gesture. I’m not sure how she walked in, but she left her table with a smile on her face that morning.

• The special, beautiful touches. I can name few people who will go out of their way to lavishly make their guests feel welcomed, treating them as the most special people in the world. Kim is one of those people. Along with her hubby, Tom, they have the gift of hospitality. Even with a young toddler, she worked on extra, finishing touches that set the tone for the whole week: personal welcome signs on each of our bedroom doors; gift bags of a picture frame for me and Matt and Thanksgiving bibs for Brennan; notes written on our name cards at the Thanksgiving table; Scripture verses tied to our glasses for each of us to read aloud. She had a few personal helpers that week: Tom, Ruth (Nana), and her younger sister, Melissa, whom I know were all integral behind-the-scenes servants to see Kim’s creativity projects fulfilled!

• Family bonding. This took place over the course of our few days in California, but Thanksgiving Day was the most meaningful as we gathered around the table together to celebrate and give thanks for so many blessings we’ve been given, mainly each other. After the little boys went to bed, each of us went around the room answering a question we’d picked out of a bowl. We shared things we were thankful for; how we’d seen the Lord’s faithfulness demonstrated the past year; and what character trait of the Lord’s had been most evident in our lives right now. Tears and laughter ensued. As Truvy from Steel Magnolias aptly said, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion". Hands down, that was the most special moment of the trip for me.

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• Cousins. Seeing Brennan and Jadon play together for the first time! It was our entertainment for most of the week. <grin>

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Things I will likely forget but are kinda fun to mention:

• Ed & Tom both stepped in fresh dog poop on our way to dinner. Thank goodness for baby wipes!

• It was a good thing Ed drove slowly to Tom and Kim’s place on Thanksgiving and that we didn’t need to get on the freeway, because look who left my walking shoes on top of the car:

• It was not my best moment: waiting for the Christmas Tree lighting to take place at San Francisco’s Union Square. It was taking forever and well, the excitement of being in the cold with all the Christmas lights with Brennan for the first time quickly wore off with the overwhelming sensation of feeling claustrophobic in the mass of people. And Brennan’s reaction to the tree lighting: he burst into tears because the crowd’s loud cheering scared him. But we got some really cool pictures:

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Any Thanksgiving remembrances (precious moments or likely to forget moments) that you’d like to share?

(You can click on “View Full Album” to see enlarged pictures).