Giving Thanks with Our Families

This Thanksgiving was awesome! We have so much to be thankful for! Some new good things were going on with my family, and not so good new things were going on with Paul's but we still made it! Paul and his brother aren't getting along all that great (and well, I guess I should add that makes the sister-n-laws less than best friends either.) And, my dad is possibly getting back together with my ex-stepmom all the while my immediate family of four (my mom, dad, and sister as well as myself) got together for Thanksgiving for the first time since 1994. (My parents split up in September 1995.) And, well I hate to keep adding this part (mostly because Paul says everyone is sick of hearing about it:)), but this year honestly it has been easy to give thanks and also hard to give thanks. Wait. No. Maybe that isn't how to say it. Hmm.. Ok. Easy to give thanks. But, easy to feel sad? I don't know. You know what I am referring to right? The "D" word. Yuck. Mean old "d" word.

Okay..back to turkey and dressing! And, laughter. Kids playing, adults chatting, and just a relaxing good time.

For the first time (ever? not sure?) I hosted Thanksgiving at our home for my side of the family. I will (do I have to?) admit that in the hours JUST before everyone arrived I did get a tad stressed trying to make sure everything was ready on time. Can I say that nothing was canned? Everything was freshly homemade? Does that make that sound better? :) Trust me! I am the canned corn, canned greenbeans lady! But, not this day. So, it's alright I got a little stressed. As usual, Chef John Paul saved the day though! :) He is a great cook, but just likes the couch better. Thankfully, he stepped in and helped me finish up a few things. It didn't help that a few recipes were brand new to me and I bought those tin foil things to cook casseroles in and he says they were too deep so it made the cooking times off. Ok..I digress.

Anyway, the point is...I was proud that was the only time I got stressed. I didn't get so breathless cleaning the week before (I DID clean..but not breathlessly!:)) I did sit back and soak in the company instead of being so worried the whole time everyone and everything was taken care of. So maybe someone had to refill their own tea. Who cares? :) I behaved! Do you realize what a huge undertaking this is for me?

Oops! Looks like the boys didn't all behave though? :) Sword fights anyone? Tickle fights anyone?

And, another huge undertaking was the fact Paul, Steven, Malia, and myself all still got together under one roof to celebrate Thanksgiving with Paul's family at Gigi's. (Paul's dad's mom's house..how's that for apostrophes?) It was great to see John Michael and Bree, and the food was great, too. As always. It is a family tradition for Gigi to host Thanksgiving at her home. I guess this was like my 18th or so? Hmm...not sure..lost count.

This was all very fun and filling, but stay tuned! This all didn't even occur on the actual day of Thanksgiving. Instead this was on the Sunday before. Why you ask? Because that is tradition. Because another tradition occurs on Thanksgiving day. You'll have to stay tuned to find out just what that is.