We are so lucky

This Thanksgiving came and went rapidly as always, without much time for pensive reflection on gratitude, yet as a I looked at the few pictures I took last weekend, I realized that we are all so very lucky.

We are lucky to have two families (Chris' and mine) that are so thrilled and excited to welcome us into their homes whenever we want. We bring noise, fighting, pickiness, and laughter, life, and love.

We are lucky to have the world's cutest nieces. I'm serious. Look at these little ones.

Samantha was so open to playing with the boys this year. She was in chasing mode and was always at least half a lap behind when they ran around the house.
She even gleefully posed for these pictures for her Aunt Jen. I couldn't even get Evan to glance at me long enough to snap the shot. Bummer!
McCamey is like a whole new person from the last time that I saw her. My last image of McCamey was of her knowing how to sit by herself. Now, she is a full-fledged walker with a whole head of hair and cute little ponytails.
We are also so lucky to have the world's sweetest nephews.

Noah enthusiastically adored McCamey and continued giving her little kisses to show her his affection.
We also celebrated my nephew Matthew's 10th birthday. (Unfortunately, I caught him with his eyes shot and didn't get another shot!)
I have always known that I was lucky as well for having such an awesome family. My favorite part about going home is the conversation I have with my siblings. We talk about everything from politics to Facebook to old memories to kid stories. I treasure those moments when we are all together.

We are so lucky.