Giving Thanks

So, I was definitely bummed out that I probably would not be able to eat much on Thanksgiving, but it actually turned out to be a great weekend so far. Sure, I'm still throwing up and was only able to taste a few things on Thanksgiving, but lots of other great things happened this weekend that I can be grateful for.

1) I got to spend time with my sister and her family. She has the most adorable children, by the way. They are so fun and so funny.
2) Garrett is ALMOST done with the trimester and then he gets three weeks off. That is really something to be grateful for!
3) I got to hear my little munchkins very strong, rather fast heartbeat yesterday. It was the first moment that I've felt real excitement in this pregnancy. I still can't believe the little stinker is making me so sick.
4) I got to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Am I just silly for LOVING to watch it every year? I feel like Thanksgiving just isn't complete without getting to see it.
5) I have had some time to watch some wonderful movies and read some good books.

BOOKS: I love to read a good book, whether it's for pure entertainment, or for philosophical enlightenment. May I suggest a few that I have read recently and a few of my favorites:

UNWIND: It's a futuristic science-fiction book about what happens to the world when the pro-life/pro-choice abortion battle gets out of control and how the people decide to reach a compromise. It's a young adult novel, so it's easy to read and very entertaining. However, the subject matter is also very interesting and really makes you think about our world, the direction we're heading in, and what values we'll be willing to stand for in such a confused world.

NIGHT: Night, is written by Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor who tells his story about living in the concentration camp, Auchwitz. His story is very well-told, although heart-wrenching. I LOVE reading and learning about history, so these kinds of books really appeal to me. However, I believe it is a book that everyone should read in his/her lifetime. It's a pretty quick read, too.

GOOSE GIRL: Okay, this book is just a fun read. Kind of like Twilight, but I dare say even better. The story may not be as captivating as a girl who falls in love with a vampire, but I believe this book is much better written. It's about a princess who is betrayed by her lady-in-waiting and overthrown. She is transported to a different kingdom where no one knows her and there becomes a "goose girl", or the girl who watches over the king's geese. It's a good story, has some witty humor, and skips the cheesiness that Twilight is known for. I loved this book, and it's also a fairly easy read that I think adolescent girls will love as well. Shannon Hale is a great author, and she's written other books along the same genre: Princess Academy, Enna Burning.

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS: This book is written by the same book who wrote The Kite Runner, which is one of my favorite books. Khaled Hosseini is a great story-teller, and because I know so little about Middle-Eastern history and culture, I learned a lot from reading the Kite Runner. I've just started reading this book (which tells about Afghan history and culture as it pertains to the women there), so I'll let you know if it's good. My mom and sister, however, say they liked it even better than The Kite Runner, so I'm excited to read it.

MOVIES: I have also been watching some movies during my time camped out on the couch. I've watched many of my favorites that everyone has probably seen: Forrest Gump, Steel Magnolias, Much Ado About Nothing. However, I've also seen one of my other favorites that i don' think many people have seen:
Like I said before, I love history, espcially American history, and especially the Civil War. I had a high school history teacher who was obsessed with the Civil War and even had an elective class that studied just that war. Consequently, I think that most of his students have also become obsessed with studying the Civil War. He even took a bunch of students every year on a trip to visit Civil War battleground sites (a trip I was unable to take and will always be sad about it). My sister Katie and I have always loved this movie: Andersonville. This movie tells the true stories about Andersonville, a camp where the Confederacy kept a lot of their prisoners of war. The camp was poorly constructed and overcrowded. From 1864-1865, nearly 13,000 Union soliders died there from dehydration, starvation, exposure, and disease. The movie follows the story of some of the soldiers there who dug a tunnel to try and escape. I cry every time I see this movie; it's so touching.

I think my husband thinks I'm a little weird for loving movies/books like this, but aside from loving to learn about history, I like to be reminded of all we have to grateful for; and these stories remind me of my many blessings. I am so thankful for all the men and women who have suffered unspeakable things to protect our freedoms, to protect truth, and to protect our country. Many fallen soldiers have secured my ability to rise above hard times and live the "American Dream". I get to choose how to live my life and I am free to worship how I please. I know our country has its issues and imperfections, but I will never stop believing that it is the greatest country on earth because of the amazing men and women that have lived here and still live here who give their lives to spreading the cause of freedom, equality, and truth. No matter what road blocks Garrett and I are going through, I can only feel gratitude this holiday season for all the blessings that we do have. Happy Thanksgiving!