A Thanksgiving essay

I love thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays.  You gather with family and eat turkey and ham and green bean casserole (my favorite) and so on. Everyone thankful (or most people are)  so here are some things that I am thankful for and why........ 
Loving parents, they are there for me all of the time. I am also thankful that they are not divorced. My cousins are so cool too, they are like my best friends,  they will always be my friends forever and always. They can be older or younger but they are awesome. Siblings, that are annoying sometimes don't get me wrong, but they keep me company and joy and I love them lots. My aunts and uncles because they are fun, and cool. My friends because they keep me company at school and are very nice to me. I am very lucky to have such good friends.  And last but not least my grandparents, they take me shopping and swimming and the children's museum. Thank you.
Food It keeps me from starving and some people don't get 3 meals a day like me. I can't imagine the hunger that some people have to deal with. Grandmas french toast, is THE BEST FRENCH TOAST EVER! She makes it like every time we visit.
Dance I love it it is fun for me and I am grateful that I can do it every week and strive to be better. Vacations are the best, you spend time with your family and you become closer. (And you might get to miss some school!) 
I am thankful for my soft warm bed, I am warm at night and I don't freeze especially during the winter. My warm house and I can share a room with my sister and it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Books, I like to read and they bring fun for me and that I can read and not everybody can. Happy thanksgiving!
Madison

Cereal

Behind a plate of waffles, Aliya holds her pencil and reads from her workbook. "God promises forgiveness and life forever with Him to everyone who asks Him and believes in Jesus."
In the depths of her bright mind, she says something like, "So people will die if they don't believe in Jesus." I love to challenge the articulation of my own theology, so I process out-loud (hopefully accurately), "Well, I understand that we'll all live forever. If we've asked Jesus to be the boss of our life, we'll live forever in heaven. But if someone choose to not make Jesus the boss and be their own boss, then they live forever in hell. I can't imagine how horrible that would be." As visions of heat, flames and darkness overwhelm me, she says, "Yeah, and they don't even get breakfast!" My mind's eye
jolts to burnt toast, Captain Crunch and the Newsboys. "Is that true?" This my dear is where my theology is uncertain.

Knows

There have been several stand alone incidents lately that as a biased mom I think, "I never want to forget this moment and this is a really cute story." I've not written on this blog for over a year. With the advent of Facebook and texting, I just didn't think it was necessary, but maybe I want to write to preserve for myself and for the practice writing.

At Breanne's second-ever swim meet in Northfield, Aliya was entertaining herself. (She's really good at that.) She made this quasi-acrostic of her own name. With five members of our family, it works perfectly. Each letter represents a member of our family. If you can't read the speech bubbles, I'd love to interpret. Mom is the first A and is saying, "I Love L." Who is L you ask? Derrick is L and he's saying, "I Love A." Here's where the Ahhhh, so cute ends. Breanne is the I and she's saying, "Stop it." Madison is the Y and she's saying, "Don't do that." Aliya is the last A (apparently getting hit) as she says, "Owww!"

A kid doesn't comprehend the complexity of marriage, doesn't know the obstacles and determination that accompany marriage. Sure, they see their parents get along and they see their parents argue. But what no one sees is the workings of the heart, the choices: to forgive, to change, to give, to pray, to commit. I can't help but praise God that in a world where so many kids are fearful that their parents might divorce or already are divorced, Aliya knows, Mom loves Dad and Dad loves Mom. That's a gift from God!