Thanksgiving
Family Favorite Pumpkin Cheesecake
Fall is my favorite season. I love the kaleidoscopic display of fall colors, the crunch of leaves under your feet, the crisp air, and the scent of cinnamon and other spices wafting around bakeries and coffee shops. To me, they are all reminders to slow down and savor the season. I also LOVE pumpkin flavored stuff. Well, I’m not so much a pumpkin spiced latte girl (keep the pumpkin out of my coffee please!), but I do love pumpkin in bread, muffins, pie, cupcakes, and of course cheesecakes! My husband and I discovered this pumpkin cheesecake recipe years ago and decided to make it instead of a traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving one year. We loved it so much I now make it every Thanksgiving. It doesn’t take long to make and I usually make four cheesecakes, some for our family Thanksgiving get together, and some for my husband to take to work and share with his coworkers. You can easily halve the recipe if you only want to make two cheesecakes.
Cultivating a Heart of Thankfulness
Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I am super excited. I love the fun times with family gathered around the table. The food, oh my goodness, the food! Potatoes and turkey and stuffing (oh my!) smothered in gravy. Pumpkin pie smothered in Cool Whip—yes please!! (Though in our family, we make this pumpkin cheesecake instead of pumpkin pie). And I adore the season. The crisp weather, the kaleidoscopic display of leaves contrasting the beautiful blue sky. Sigh. But what I love most is the spirit of Thanksgiving. Of cherishing all the good things in your life. Of utter and complete contentment and peace with the awareness of how blessed we are. Honestly, I wish every day was Thanksgiving. Not the whole smorgasboard of food each day (though I honestly wouldn't complain, I love Thanksgiving dinner!), but I wish each day we simply took time to acknowledge the things we were thankful for. That we would cultivate a heart of thankfulness daily.
Faith5 Things I'm Thankful For As A Special Needs Parent
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I just love the opportunity to gather with loved ones and reflect on all the things we are grateful for, realize how blessed we truly are, all while eating some amazing food. Though, I'll be honest, my kids don't eat the whole smorgasboard. The rolls and a few bites of turkey maybe. But back to being thankful.... "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIV There always is something to be thankful for, and focusing on the blessings and the things we’re grateful for is wonderful for our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Although I don't always love the special needs parenting journey I am on, there are plenty of things I am thankful for. By focusing on the things we are thankful for, we can set aside our worries and constant striving, and simply rest in the good things we do have.
Special needs