Thanksgiving 2014

I love Thanksgiving, always have.  However, this year was extra special to me, and for obvious reasons.  I have so much to be thankful for and blessings far too great to count.  I've been given the gift of life....a second chance.....a new opportunity.

Thanksgiving was also especially exciting because it was the fist time I was able to travel home with no restrictions whatsoever since being put on the transplant list at the beginning of 2014.  It was the first time I could really sit back and enjoy my family without having my phone attached to my hand for fear I may miss "the call".  I had no restrictions, no deadlines and best of all, no crappy old liver to slow me down and make me feel awful!  (Honestly, I didn't feel great but I'll explain all of that in a later post)  

Just like every other year for as long as I have been alive, my entire family gathered at my Grandparents' house in Two Egg, FL where we spend the day together enjoying each others' company, watching the kids play and feasting on the most delicious foods.  I simply can't imagine spending this holiday any other way.  It's something I look forward to each and every year.  However, just like last year this was a bittersweet time as Granddaddy was sorely missed.  It's been just over a year since we said goodbye and it almost doesn't seem real until the whole family is together like this.  There's such a void there that can never be filled.  Oh how I wish he could see me healthy and happy with my new liver.  More than anyone in this entire world he wanted so badly to give me his liver.  Every time I would see him tears would fill his eyes as he told me "baby if I could give you mine I would do it in a heartbeat."  Ironically, it was cancer of the liver that ultimately took him from us in just five months time.  He would be so proud to see me enjoying my new life.  

Isn't my nephew Wyatt the cutest??  I could eat him with a spoon!!  The last time I held him I was laying in a hospital bed, two days post-transplant with tubes and wires coming from my arms, neck and stomach.  This was MUCH better!

Wyatt, Aunt Sissy and Kyndall

Wyatt with his Great Grandma

Cookin' up a storm in Grandma's kitchen! 

Mom made her homemade mac and cheese!  YUMMM!

Thankful for my mini

Matthew's parents always join us at my Grandparents' house as well, which is great because we are able to spend time with all of our immediate family on Thanksgiving Day.  I love having everyone together!

My two greatest blessings!  My whole life in one picture.

It's a tradition in our family that just before we eat, we gather around the room and one by one we say what we are most thankful for that year.  When it finally came my turn I could barely speak and I think I somehow uttered the words "I'm so thankful for my donor".  Through sobs I explained that although our family was celebrating my new life that day, another family somewhere out there is mourning over the loss of a loved one.  I'm sure Thanksgiving was probably a very hard day for that family, as it is the first holiday without this person.  I thought about them all day, wondering who they were, where they were and if they ever wondered about me.  

Once the blessing was said we were free to pig out!  

Food coma??

Kyndall saw Bryce and Garrison playing football with their Grand Man and decided she wanted to play too.  (?????)  So, my Dad jumped in with her......

I haven't seen my Dad run in YEARS.  It's amazing what Grandparents will do for their Grandkids!

Yep, they're FOUR years old.

My cousins are more like my siblings.  We are very close, despite the fact that I don't get to see them as often as I'd like.  I'm the oldest of the five and I'm the only one who lives far, far away.  We were way overdue for a new cousin picture so for fun we attempted to recreate a picture that was taken in front of this very same cane mill about 15 years ago.  It looked pretty much exactly like this, with Jeffrey hanging over us like a baboon.  I wish I could find that picture!

I'm the oldest and also the shortest.  Jeffrey is the youngest and the tallest.  Ironic.

I think Granddaddy would be exceptionally proud of us if he were here.  You're looking at four wives, three mommies, two dental hygienists, one nurse, one radiology tech and one soon-to-be Pastor.  Yep, I think he'd be quite proud of his Grandkids!

And then he'd probably roll his eyes at us......

You look good with a baby in your arms, Carrie!!  =)

Aunt Beth's lap is apparently the place to be!

At one point during the day I slipped away and went into "town" to visit my MeMe at the nursing home.  This is the first year she hasn't been physically able to join us for Thanksgiving, so I went to where she was instead.  

We stayed in Two Egg until late that night and then packed up and headed to Thomasville, GA to spend the rest of the weekend with Matthew's parents.  On Friday we slept in, relaxed in our PJs and decorated the tree.  I wasn't feeling that great so it was a nice break to just take it easy that day.  You can have your black Friday sales and long lines---I'd rather pay full price than fight those crazies for a "deal".  No thank you!  (Besides, I have a real problem with people going out and acting like a bunch of grouchy, greedy toddlers just hours after sitting around the table saying how grateful they are for what they have.  It just doesn't seem right.)

Black Friday Hughes style........

On Saturday my parents, my sister and brother-in-law and Wyatt all joined us at my in-laws' house for an early birthday celebration.  But before we celebrated, we had a little photo shoot so that my Mom and my Mother-in-law could get the pictures they wanted for their Christmas cards.  I'm dying to show them to you but I don't think they want me to spoil the surprise.  But, here's a hint.....

Sweet cousins!!!

We went out to dinner and had a little "party" back at the house.  I'll share that in my next post.

Sunday morning my drill sergeant husband made us get up before daylight to head back to Tennessee.  It was a long drive as usual, but thankfully by getting on the road early we missed most of the traffic.  

I'll never forget my first Thanksgiving with my new gift.  It will always be special to me because it's the first year I've really truly been thankful for the little things.  I know we say we're thankful for these things but it's not until they're taken away from you that you really appreciate them. Being away from my home, my family and my routine for over a month gave me a whole new perspective on the "little things".  

As for my donor, I will forever be thankful to the precious soul who selflessly gave me the ultimate gift so that I can continue to enjoy these "little things".  In my eyes, he or she is the true definition of a hero.  Someday I hope to know who my hero was, where they lived, maybe even what they looked like.  For now, though I will remain content to know that God orchestrated all of this in His perfect will for my life.  Thank you, Lord for taking me on this journey!  For without it, I might never have appreciated the things that I do now. 

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18