GIVE THANKS

THANKSGIVING IS COMING 

AND OH DON'T WE HAVE LIVES FILLED WITH THINGS WE CAN BE THANKFUL FOR.

PICTURES FOR INSTANCE. THAT'S ONE THING I'M THANKFUL FOR.

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'M A SERIOUSLY HORRIBLE PICTURE-TAKER. 

MY MOTTO ON THE MAJORITY OF FAMILY VACATIONS, EXCITING DATE NIGHTS, AND OTHER EXTRAVAGANT OUTINGS IS THIS:

"OH...OH...WE'RE TAKING A PICURE??? I GUESS I SHOULD GET OUT MY CAMERA. WELL, DANI'S GETTING HERS OUT- MINE'LL BE JUST FINE STAYING THERE IN THE BOTTOM OF MY BAG."

AND EVEN THOUGH EVERY PART OF ME KNOWS PERFECTLY WELL THAT I WILL NEVER SEE THAT PHOTOGRAPH AS LONG AS I LIVE, EXCEPT FOR MAYBE A GLANCE AT THE DIGITAL SCREEN THE MOMENT AFTER THE PICTURE IS SNAPPED TO SCRUTINIZE THE WAY I LOOK, I CONTINUE TO LIVE THIS WAY.

BEING FAR TO LAZY TO KEEP ANY SORT OF CONSISTENCY WITH MY PICTURE TAKING. 

I GO IN MAJOR SPURTS INSTEAD.

TAKING PICTURES ON MY AFTERNOON WALKS WHEN TIMES ARE GOOD- AND FORGETTING TO BRING A CAMERA ON MINE AND BJ'S ANNIVERSARY STAY AT SUNDANCE WHEN THEY'RE NOT.

MAYBE THAT IS WHY I CHERISH THE PICTURES THAT I DO HAVE.

THIS ONE FOR INSTANCE...

HA HA- THIS ONE.

I LOVE THIS PICTURE.

THIS WAS TAKEN LAST YEAR ON THANKSGIVING DAY, AT OUR THANKSGIVING DINNER IN SANTA BARBARA.

WE WERE EATING AT A NICE HOTEL AND THE MEAL WAS LOVELY.

EACH GUEST HAD A CHAMPAGNE FLUTE AT THEIR TABLE WHICH WAS CONTINUALLY RE-FILLED BY WAITERS AND WAITRESSES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.

OF COURSE, WHEN THE FIRST WAITRESS CAME TO FILL UP OUR CHAMPAGNE FLUTES, WE REQUESTED SPARKLING APPLE JUICE INSTEAD. NO ALCOHOL FOR US THANK YOU.

AS THE NIGHT WENT ON, BJ KEPT THE WAITRESS BUSY REFILLING HIS GLASS. HE ALWAYS LOVES A GOOD DRINK WITH HIS MEAL.

EVENTUALLY, HIS GLASS WAS REFILLED BY A WAITER WHO HADN'T YET HELPED US.

UNAWARE OF THE SITUATION, THE WAITER FILLED BJ'S GLASS WITH THE REAL DEAL. YOU HEARD ME- I MEAN... CHAMPAGNE.

THE CONVERSATION WAS SO GREAT AT THIS POINT THAT THE ONLY ONES THAT NOTICED THE LITTLE MISHAP WERE KIM AND AARON.

MISCHEVIOUS AS THESE TWO MEN ARE- THEY WATCHED BJ RAISE HIS FLUTE TO TAKE A DRINK- AND THEY COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WHEN HE REALIZED HE WASN'T DRINKING APPLE JUICE.

AARON FINALLY CRACKED AND YELLED AT BJ TO STOP.

KIM BELLOWED AND LAUGHED OUT LOUD ABOUT HOW HE WAS GONNA LET BJ DRINK IT.

BLESS AARON'S HEART.

BJ TO THIS DAY, HAS PROUDLY NEVER TASTED ALCOHOL.

HERE ARE MORE PICTURES FROM LAST YEAR'S THANKSGIVING. 

WE HAD A GREAT TIME IN SANTA BARBARA.

I AM UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR'S THANKSGIVING, FOR ALL OF THE BAUM FAMILY WILL BE TOGEHER IN THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS.

WE ARE THRILLED.

NOT ONLY WILL I GET TO ENJOY THE BEST COMPANY POSSIBLE, AN EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD MEAL, BABY CUDDLING, AND LATE NIGHTS FILLED WITH EXCITING DISCUSSIONS,

I WILL ALSO RETURN HOME WITH A SUITCASE FULL OF MY SISTER'S RETIRED MATERNITY CLOTHES.

NOW HOW'S THAT FOR SOMETHING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR?