Thanksgiving 2009

Our first Thanksgiving as a family of five included:

• Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade
• Baking Pumpkin Pie with Anna and James (Anna was the pie-crust helper; James was the filling stirrer)
• Reading Thanksgiving stories
• Traveling over-the-river-and-through-the-woods to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner (okay, more like over the overpass and along I-20 - but you get the idea)
• Wearing matching green gingham outfits with pumpkins and tractors
• Coloring our own Thanksgiving place mats (thank you Target dollar spot!)
• Playing 'pin the hat on the Turkey' (again, thank you Target dollar spot!)
• Stuffing ourselves with Grandma's famous mac-and-cheese, smoked turkey, and other accompaniments
• Helping Grandma and Grandpa decorate their Christmas tree
• Taking baths in Grandma's "pink" bathtub
• Having movie night in the van on the way home - i.e. watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town in jammies so that when we arrived home - the kiddies could go straight to bed
• Deonne and I collapsing into our respective dents on the couches in our den when all was said and done and the kids were tucked into bed

We have much to be thankful for this year - our health, our home, our growing family (including the birth of baby Jack), our friends. Of course, the holidays are always hard and always bittersweet when I stop to think about those who are not at the holiday table this year - my dad, my mom... my extended family...

I miss my family so much - every day - but that much more on the holidays when family gathers together.

Happy Thanksgiving to All.