thanksgiving | then + now.

This time last year, I wore a homemade turkey shirt to draw attention to the life that was growing inside of me. TJ and I both were so thankful for the providence of the Lord as we continued counting down the weeks until the expected arrival of our baby boy, and that thankfulness has exponentially increased each day since this photo was taken. 

This year, we made another homemade shirt but instead of it representing a life, it was worn on one. Our handprints + his footprint made the cutest little turkey, and it was fun to make + even more fun to see it cover the belly of our own little turkey.

Mmmm, I just love the way memory lane collides with the present moment and makes me literally feel the thankfulness well up inside the depths of my soul. That's the best way I can describe what it feels like to be a mama. So. Much. Thankfulness. 

It's the little things like paint under my fingernails, hearing my baby kick his feet on the high chair during Thanksgiving lunch (you know, those same feet that used to tap dance in my belly), watching him reach for his daddy while wishing I could capture that proud look on my Teesh's face and save it forever, feeding him turkey + dressing while remembering when he could barely stay awake long enough to eat an ounce of milk, and so much more that all add up to the big things. The hands that we painted onto Braxton's shirt remind me of the sacred responsibility of leaving God-honoring imprints on his life that was given to us the moment he was born, and his sweet little foot in the center of our hands remind me that he will be impacted by every decision we make. If we ever lose sight of thankfulness, we will lose sight of many other things, too, and I pray that's never a chance I'm willing to take.