Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. I guess because it is one of the only days of the year that most of family will be together at my Mother's house. Just like when we were young. Today, I woke up about 8 so I could get started on the dishes I am taking. I am waiting on a dessert to finish so I thought I'd write down my thoughts today.

I have been reminiscing a lot lately. Maybe because I am getting older... Perhaps because of the season... I don't know! Tradition means so much to me. Thanksgiving always starts with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the smells of dinner coming from the kitchen. As a child we would help Mother with whatever she needed us to do, and watch the parade. We would sit down to dinner about 12 or 1. I say sit because I don't remember ever having a table that we all could sit at, but we try. All the chairs are brought to the dining room. Chairs from the kitchen, office chairs, even the piano bench! You see there are 9 of us, plus Mother & Jerry, makes 11. Now we've added spouses, and grandchildren, but we still bring up every chair in the house and try to all sit around the table. As we've gotten older we've added new traditions. The grandkids now sit around the kitchen table. Some of us stand around the table or sit in the adjacent living room. Then after dinner, Jerry & some of the boys will be watching football in the family room, the other boys will be in one of the bedrooms playing some type of video game, and the girls are in the living room going through the Black Friday Ads! My step-brothers & sister usually leave around 3 or 4 and go to their Mother's house, but most of us end back up at Mother & Jerry's that evening.

Today, we are expecting that 7 of the kids will be there. 2 of the boys won't be. Dabreon is in Florida, and DeWayne is in Alabama; neither were able to come because of work obligations. I am very excited because my sister, Nakia, will be there today. She doesn't always join us, but today she is going to be able to. So, total we will have 23 people for dinner today! That is our 2 parents, 7 children/siblings, 5 spouses, and 9 grandchildren! Sounds like a lot but we will be missing 2 children/siblings, 2 spouses, and 9 grandchildren... When we all get together there are 36 of us! Isn't that amazing...

Well, I just heard a timer go off, and I hear my husband & children stirring. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!