The countdown to Thanksgiving has started. We're only looking at ten days until my favorite holiday gets here. My family's Thanksgiving holiday tradition all started with me back in 1985. I'm not being conceited here, just stating the facts. I was born in Lubbock, TX in October and the drive to either set of grandparent's house was too far for a one month old baby, so everyone came to my parents and my mom and dad hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Ever since then, Thanksgiving has been held at my parent's house regardless of their physical location. Since that first Thanksgiving dinner I have gotten two new uncles and three new cousins, I got married, my grandma died and yet it is still like nothing has changed from year to year.
Doesn't this table from Country Living make you want to do flips over Thanksgiving?!
I remember as a child helping my mom clean all morning the Wednesday before as we awaited the arrival of her parents and siblings. We'd have lunch and then I would very impatiently wait for my grandparents and aunts and uncles to appear. They would inevitably have left later than planned and not show up until right before or during our Thanksgiving church service. I quickly started planning for them only during that hour and was and am always excited to turn around after singing a song to see my cousins sitting next to me like they appeared out of thin air. And that's when the holiday begins. At church, when everyone shows up. Thursday we lounge around and watch the parade, the football game, make our "Thankful Tree" (photos to come later), eat a huge lunch and then nap until we all go see a movie (not always the same movie, but just about everyone goes to see one). Friday involves breakfast made by the men, more napping, TV watching and craft time for the girls. None of it is terribly special (except the tree part) but it's ours and we do it every year and we love it. So it is special to us.
This year will be different as we will only have 13 people compared to our usual 18-20. It'll be weird to be missing some of them but things are starting to change. And now that my aunt, uncle and cousins live so close, I highly doubt they will be spending the night let alone the whole week with us. The girls may stay with us just because of how much that is part of the tradition (and they love it as much as I do). Trying to figure out who sleeps on air mattresses and on which floor is part of the fun, right?!
My youngest cousin, Maryn, told my mom a few years ago that even after she gets married and has children, she is still going to be going to my parent's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Here's hoping she doesn't change her mind.
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