Every year at Thanksgiving, our family tradition is to go around the table and name one of the things we are most thankful for in the past year. It's such a great way to refocus on the reason we are all together (besides food, of course!) and stay updated on what's going on in our lives. With a rapidly growing family that was big to begin with, I love hearing about the best things that happened in the last year and sharing stories of my own.

This year it took me a little while to figure out what to say. This has been a good year in many ways, but it has also been an incredibly difficult year. With a sad anniversary looming and the feeling of loss in our hearts, holidays (while beautiful) remind me of what we came so close to having but never got. In all honesty, this next month will be difficult for both of us.

And yet there is indeed so much to be thankful for in the midst of some sadness. This year, I realized I am thankful to be a part of something bigger than myself that came into my life at the perfect time. I am thankful to serve and be focused on something other than what's going on in my own little life and world. This year, I was thankful for...