Thanksgiving is a huge deal at our house. The day starts early with a trip to the Salvation Army where we help prepare a meal under the direction of a not-so-cheery Major. Following that, there is a trip to the grocery store for the one inevitably forgotten item. Back at home, we watch the end of Macy's parade and I vow once again to be there in person someday. Of course, as soon as Santa ushers in the season, we immediately begin playing the Christmas music, and pretty much don't listen to anything else for a good four or five weeks. After the parade, time is split between the kitchen, and watching the National Dog Show. If you've never watched this parade of pooches, come next year you simply must! It is adorable. Another happy part of this year's Thanksgiving was watching our favorite football team win their game. Our team doesn't always play on Thanksgiving, and I felt like the fact that they did made our Thanksgiving that much more legit.
The remainder of the afternoon involves last-minute food preparations, rearranging the dining room, carting food over from our neighbor's house, and at last sitting down with them to a scrumptious dinner. We've celebrated Thanksgiving with our good friends, the Harris' for as long as I can remember. We always get together a few weeks before Thanksgiving to plan out the menu and decide who will be baking what pies. I can remember years at their house when we had so many people, that the tables stretched down the dining room and then made a turn and continued on toward the living room. As people have gotten older, gone off to school, and gotten married our group has gotten a little smaller every year, which is the melancholy part of our holiday. Someday though, I think we will have a two family reunion where all of us, including our new families will get together and share this special meal again.
I was reading the blog of one of my friends the other day, and she had mentioned that someone had challenged her to write a list of 1000 things she was thankful for. She said the process had been good for her soul. I think I am going to join her in the list-writing. I think making the conscious decision to acknowledge and record the many blessings in my life can only do good things for my heart.
For now, at the end of the weekend, let me just say that I am incredibly thankful for my family whose faces and names are featured in the photo above. When I think about all the places I could have been raised, all the families I could have grown up in, I feel so blessed. Without these people, the holidays wouldn't mean nearly as much. Love you all!
Hope your holiday weekend was as lovely as mine,
~ Jasmine
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