thanksgiving

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving with Riley today. It was a fun day with Shelby's cousins up in Maine. It was also a serious feast. All of us ate to total contentment. All of us. Riley had an entirely solid food meal for the first time. Usually he has a bottle along with the solid stuff, but this time he ate so much of the solid stuff he didn't need (or want) the extra. Shelby brought along the food mill and was able to make food for Riley right at the table. The boy gobbled it up. Yams, mashed potatoes, turkey and some veggies. Our good eating boy!

Riley also got to play with cousin Erica for a while:

Riley and Erica









Riley liked Erica's hair...in his mouth









Thanksgiving is the named holiday today but it's been a state of being for me, especially over the last six months. This has been an eventful year. There are a number of things that I am particularly thankful to God for today:

• My wonderful wife Shelby - If ever there was a person that I felt filled the spaces in my life just the right way it is Shelby. When God was going to create woman, he said, "I will make a helper suitable for him." It is so nice to have someone in my life I feel compliments me so well.
• My beautiful boy Riley - I am continually amazed at the love I feel for my boy. That 20 ton sledgehammer of love has left a permanent imprint on me that is nothing short of joyful. I knew that I would love any child that I had, but never would have figured I'd be happy to get up at 2 am (or 3:50, or 5 or...) I never thought that I would take joy in changing a diaper, feeding a bottle, putting clothes on or just rocking my little one to sleep in a rocker. Fatherhood has rocked my world.
• My family (on both sides) whose love for me and mine is shown so well.
• Friends - I received the blessing of many more great friendships through my marriage to Shelby. I now have two networks of some of the greatest people I can imagine knowing. It is a great blessing to share my life with you all.
• CTK - A church that blesses me with fellowship, education in my faith and a continual push to grow in faith, my relationship with God and particularly with his Son Jesus Christ. This savior is the one I'm most thankful for. It took a lot of grace to save this sinner. Thank you Lord.
• God's plan - It's a great comfort to me that God doesn't leave things to chance. I know that He has a plan for everything in my life. With uncertainty in housing among other things in the coming year I am grateful for having seen God's hand in my life in the past, and knowing that He's with me now. I can't say that I've enjoyed his lessons in patience, but I am grateful for them since it helps me deal with those uncertain things in my life.

Life is good. Thank you Lord!


Jonathan