Barn Full Of Blessings: Thanksgiving...28 years later:)

Thanksgiving has ALWAYS been special to us. Craig and I met a couple days before Thanksgiving 1987 and were married Thanksgiving weekend 1988. For us, there's nothing better than the crisp autumn air, the laughter of family gathered near, and the lights and sounds of the approaching holiday season. We've known tremendous joy, as well as sadness and loss. In the almost 3 decades of our life together, we've grieved at the loss of my dad, all of our grandparents, as well as a few close friends. We've rejoiced in the delights of our four girls, and the joys of the dailyness of our family life. Yes, It's A Wonderful Life.

This year we enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving with the girls and Mom gathered close for Thanksgiving dinner. Then Sarah and I talked GramCracker into joining us for our annual Black Friday shopping trek (a miracle in itself because she goes to bed so early, yet stayed awake and had a great time until well after midnight). While we were out and about, Craig and Gracie got our Christmas tree up and the lights on so our army of elves could come back and create chaos until Christmas Eve. And Hannah just enjoyed hanging out at home watching Christmas movies.

Mid-shopping meal. Sarah's blood sugar was crashing and mom needed energy to keep going.

For our anniversary, Craig and I decided a road trip to see the pageant and lights in Minden were in order. Sarah had to work, Tess has her own life these days, so we loaded Gracie and Hannah up and off we went. In classic "Schroeder style" things started to go awry from the start. After a delayed start due to McDonalds yet again getting Gracie's Big Mac order wrong (it's a crime against Big Macs, really...two beef patties slapped between the three pieces of a Big Mac bun...seriously! No pickles, sauce, lettuce, cheese. UGH!). We get nearly to York and Sarah calls to tell us she'd locked herself out of the house...no house key or truck keys. GramCracker to the rescue, thankfully! A quick stop at Starbucks for lattes all around. And then....a strange "pop" sound right around Wood River. Yup, a flat tire. Thank God for AAA. The tow truck showed up about an hour later, loaded Lucy up on the flatbed, told us we could all get cozy in the cab with the girls in our laps, and back to Grand Island we went. It was about 3:00 at this point, so a quick meal of pizza, hot dogs, and soft pretzels at the snack bar while waiting for Lucy to be back on four tires, then off again. A little exploring in the country, and we made it to Minden minutes before the parent started.

We made it off the interstate and into a truck stop just in time before the last gasp of air left that poor tire

Loading Lucy up...

Nothing like a selfie to commemorate their first tow truck ride.

Getting Lucy some triage help at Sam's Club.

Back on the road. Those are trees blurring by...no, my window is not that dirty;)

Now, if you have ever bemoaned the loss of Christmas spirit in our society, ever wished for Christmas like it was in days gone by, wanted to see the true meaning of Christmas without the commercialization and merchandising that only creates greed and discontent...head over to Minden, NE. You will find your heart melt and tears slip down your cheeks as you're transported back to when Christmas was "real". It's like nothing you will ever find anywhere else. And...it's the true Christmas story, the story of the birth of Jesus. Gracie and Hannah were in awe, and Craig and I smiled, knowing it was something they'd never forget. It was the perfect way to spend our 28th anniversary!

So, as we are heading into the heart of the holiday season, it's our wish and prayer that everyone can find the true love and contentment that only God can give thru His gift of Jesus, born to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, with the gift of eternal life in Heaven. Enjoy the delight in your children's eyes as they take in everything and tuck it all away to pull out as precious memories down the road. Merry Christmas!

Craig opening his gift...the quilt I started 3 years ago and only worked on when he was traveling and wouldn't see it. I couldn't believe I actually pulled it off!