Thanksgiving

I was struck over and over again this year by the simplicity of Thanksgiving. It seems to me that Thanksgiving might be the only holiday without a bunch of hoopla surrounding it. It's just about being thankful, spending time with family, and eating some really good food (at least for us it is anyway). Sure, you could go crazy if you wanted to - get a turkey centerpiece for your table, put out the pilgrim salt and pepper shakers, designer placemats for everyone, autumn-colored streamers over the doorways - but I think for the most part, people stick to just trying out a new recipe or two and watching a little football while coming out of your turkey coma.


We spent Thanksgiving in Rushmore with Nedra'a family - no extra guests this year - just Mom, Dad, Dana, Nedra, Martha, Hal, and kiddos. The thing I was most thankful for on Thanksgiving day was lack of drama - not that we ever really have a whole lot of drama in our family, but I was just thankful for peace. In a world where siblings don't speak to one another, divorces abound, and grudges are nursed for decades, I'm thankful that our family fully enjoys spending time together. It truly is a rare gift - and this not of ourselves, but a gift of God and only by His grace. Dennis and Phyllis, Dana and Nedra, Hal and Martha - husbands and wives are still madly in love with each other! The cousins ADORE each other. In our relationships, communication isn't strained and forgiveness reigns. Don't get me wrong - it's not like we're "eating rainbows and pooping butterflies" (I love that quote from Horton Hears a Who) - it's just ... comfortable.


As our children get a little older, I ponder what "traditions" they are going to remember from their childhood. Even though Mom and Dad say it was only maybe 3 or 4 years that we did it, I remember Thanksgiving at my Aunt Ardith's up north. We'd get to leave school a little bit early and it seemed like we always traveled in a blizzard. So what will my children remember? I really think the most cherished traditions are those traditions that are not intentional - the things that just sort of fall into place because they work so you just keep doing it that way. Mom carves the turkey (with assistance from one of the son-in-laws), with white meat on one half of the plate and dark on the other.

Dad makes the gravy, usually at the last minute as he's coming inside from some project he's been doing out in the shop.


Nedra sets the table and is the "gopher". Martha mashes the potatoes. We share something we're thankful for over dinner. Someone makes a comment about the sweet potatoes or cranberries - get 'em! - (it's an inside joke). Meal consists of old faithfuls like turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole (Ethan's favorite - for him, it ranks right up there with pizza!). After dinner, Grandma announces, "I'm done in the kitchen. You guys are in charge of clean up." Pumpkin pie later in the afternoon. Leftovers for supper. Those are the things I hope never change...


Will there be new traditions? This year we watched a Christmas movie and put a puzzle together over the weekend.

Ethan, John, and Grandpa were out in the shop working on a "project" for Christmas.

The kids made the traditional visit to "the farm" to see the kittens and horses. We made Christmas cookies.

We watched some football and the boys played a little football on Nintendo.

I love Thanksgiving. It's like the calm before the storm of the holiday season. Black Friday Schmack Friday...I could take it or leave it (we did brave the crowds for an hour or two this year, but in Worthington, MN you can hardly call it a crowd...and we did get a couple of sweet deals). I'll close with a wonderful picture of my hilarious husband who had a blast playing "redneck" all weekend. He chipped his tooth in 4th grade. It was recently re-repaired, but apparently not well. We got that fixed as soon as we got back to Mankato :o) Love you honey!