Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


Two days until Thanksgiving...and my Aunt Gina's birthday. (I have to double check but I'm pretty sure it falls on Thanksgiving this year.) I feel somewhat connected to her since we both have Thanksgiving birthdays every 4 years or so. I think that's pretty cool. But anywho... we don't really have anything planned for Thanksgiving. Josh has to work...for the next 7 days straight! I feel bad for him having to work retail for 7 days without a break during the worst time of the whole year. He hasn't decided if we will join our friends Christine and Scott and Logan or Ally and Brett for Thanksgiving. We have invitations from both and I am just grateful we have friends here willing to share this time of year with us.

Remembering back on old Thanksgivings I remember so much yummy food. I remember Dad cooking, something we all looked forward to I think. He was a great cook but he never cooked much since he worked a lot...except on holidays and sometimes on weekends. Those were rare treats. We didn't really have any traditions I can remember other than eating until we were full to bursting, which is a pretty good one I think. I loved all the traditional foods we ate...the turkey all moist and delicious smothered in gravy and the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. I loved even the rolls with butter on them and the pumpkin pie. I was never a fan of sweet potatoes or cranberries though. I know I know I'm unAmerican.

This time of year, having a baby for the first time, and seperated from all my family and friends back home, I feel a little bit homesick. I am very grateful for the friends we've made here but I do wish Justace could meet his Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Ashlie. I wish we could all be together just once a year. But it's too hard in these times to get the money for plane tickets and hotels and whatnot so we will just have to make do.

We have our own little family now. Me and Josh and Justace and of course let's not forget Frankie and Bella and Pip. They are family too. And I want to start our own traditions but other than food, I'm really not coming up with any ideas for Thanksgiving for us. As Justace gets bigger I'd like to take a photo of him with the turkey each year to show his growth and whatnot. And I wish his Dad was going to be home with us for Thanksgiving but we need the money he'll make working. Anybody have any ideas for Thanksgiving traditions?