Ben Affleck is said to have felt "blessed" to spend Thanksgiving with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner and their children

A source has now told Page Six Ben was overjoyed to spend Thanksgiving with his family as he feels as if he can "just be himself" around Jennifer and their kids.

The pair not only enjoyed family time over Thanksgiving - they also partnered up with the Midnight Mission good cause during the day to help feed 2,000 homeless and near-homeless people in downtown Los Angeles.

A source added to Page Six the couple "enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner together" with their three children after the hand outs were completed.

They said: "Even though Ben and Jen have been split for a while now, he feels a certain level of comfort with her.

"Ben has a strong relationship with Jen that will never dissipate because they have a lot of history together and she's the mother of his kids."

The source spoke after a separate insider said Ben spent Thanksgiving with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner to comfort her over the death of their family dog Birdie.

The actress announced the death of her beloved nine-year-old golden retriever on Instagram a day before the annual holiday, and it has now been reported it helped spark a reunion between the couple.

A source told RadarOnline.com: "Jennifer's grief is profound and Ben said (he was) more than happy to spend time with her over Thanksgiving.

"Birdie's death means the holiday will be like old times for the couple, and a lot of their friends want them to get back together.

"Jennifer leads a really wholesome life that was always good for Ben amid his sobriety battle, and their pals think it would do him the world of good to get back with her."