seeing thanksgiving in a whole different light.

"Thanksgiving is an annual reminder that all human beings walk the same road, and that they need to rely on each other and God. It is a reminder that the nation's heritage draws its strength from gratitude and humility, not selfishness or greed."

There is so much meaning to the word "Thanksgiving." The one thing that pops into my mind as I utter the words "Happy Thanksgiving" to family & friends is to hope that we are happy, thankful, and mindful to others. 

Family is the most important thing that I value, and I am so grateful that we were all gathered together again this year to enjoy the bounties that have been given to us. I thought that Sierra was going to attend college out west last year so we took advantage and went to the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in NYC. Little did I know she was going to attend a university in Philly, but instead of going to the parade again this year we decided to forego it, and spend Thanksgiving in the comforts of our own home. I wanted to reflect on all the happy moments past and present of all the Thanksgivings we've had. 

And I've had so many. 

Having Sierra close to us her first semester has been a blessing, and I am grateful that she is here to spend the holidays with us....for it might be her last Thanksgiving in Jersey. We know how much she loves pa's cooking, and we're so lucky to have a man who loves the kitchen (because I don't.) He cooked his heart out for all of us, and even made us some homemade butter horn rolls! They were delish! I am reminded of past thanksgiving's spent at my in-laws house while we lived in Utah. My mother-in-laws cooking is one of the things I miss the most, and I'm so glad that she gave us a copy of all her recipes so that Jon can make them for us. It's bittersweet sometimes, you know..being away from family, but we know we are where we want to be. 

^^ Noah keeping papa company while rolling the dough ^^

While I was surfing Facebook yesterday I stumbled upon this article in Deseret News titled "Thanksgiving Proclamation by George Washington", and this one paragraph reminded me of what Thanksgiving is really all about. 

"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

"Prayer at Valley Forge"-picture via google

Reading this proclamation made me realize the importance of "Thanksgiving." Even though George Washington didn't believe in God, he was a "spiritual" man who believed in his calling. He was committed, and probably prayed for hours while hunkered down at Valley Forge. He believed in a supreme being, and knew that there was something out there much bigger than him. He was a man of humility, graciousness, love, and strength. He was a great leader who saw the ability for freedom in our country, and served the best to his ability. An example in which we ought to be all the days of our lives. 

I am so grateful for this article & it will be one to share with the family every year. It has given me a whole different perspective on how to view Thanksgiving, and how to view our nation in a whole different light in hopes that someday we will have a leader who leads this nation just as President George Washington did. 

I sincerely hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, and that y'all got to spend it with loved ones...reflecting on all that is important.  

Now...time to start our Christmas, and put up the tree! Have a fabulous day! 

**You can read the whole article here.

The Village of Valley Forge.

After living here for five years we finally made it out to Valley Forge National Park and toured it via trolley in its entirety! 

The 3500 acres of land was amazing to see! The trolley guide taught us so much history as we drove and stopped at some of the most important spots where memories of the encampment took place. It was interesting, and sad at the same time to hear about how the soldiers lived their lives for that one year during their encampment.

We had a bonafide park ranger tell us the story of the encampment and how it is one of the most renowned aspects of the American Revolution. 

Noah was excited to have his picture taken with a "soldier" holding a musket, and bayonet. Not that he loves guns, but I think the fact that this man was dressed holding a musket got him a little interested. 

The log cabins were unreal. I can't even imagine sleeping where they slept without any kind of ventilation or decent mattress for that matter. I'm sure they had straw as a substitute, but still, that would feel a bit poky to me, and very uncomfortable. I guess back then it didn't matter. Their living conditions were brutal. They slept, and ate when they could and I'll tell you those rations were not enough to feed all those men at this camp. Many were undernourished, and suffered diseases. Women, and children would come later to help launder their clothing, and provide nursing care to these soldiers. 

I'm telling you...I learned a lot on this day of what happened here at Valley Forge!

One interesting thing I learned is that during the winter of this encampment it was not bitter cold at all. As a matter of fact it was a mild winter. Kind of like the ones we've been having here in Jersey for the past few years (watch this year be brutal!) 

Oh...and the paintings we see of George Washington kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge...never happened. I always thought that it did. Apparently it's an artist's perspective of what George Washington represented. After all...he was a religious man. 

Apparently a man named Isaac Potts bears witness that he did see him kneeling in prayer...it's more than likely to be true! 

We had many a history lessons and I'm so glad we toured Valley Forge instead of always "going for a drive" through it. The kids were excited because they finally got their national park passports stamped from here. 

The village of Valley Forge is a peaceful green place, and we really enjoyed ourselves. If you ever get a chance to visit Philly I highly recommend driving the extra 40 minutes to tour 3500 acres of land & take in all of Valley Forge's picturesque beauty! 

It is filled with so much history, and it feels good to know that you were present at a place where George Washington once lived in. 

 I really like that blue hope chest. 

National Memorial Arch

"Naked and starving as they are 

we cannot enough admire 

the incomparable patience and fidelity

of the soldiery."

~George Washington

It leaves you feeling with so much love, and appreciation for our forefathers, and all that they did to ensure our freedom, and for us to live with liberty in striving to be happy in this wonderful country that we live in with our family. 

"To see the man without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes...without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled." 

George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778