traditions and remembering

I love Thanksgiving.  Its my favorite holiday, really.  Great food and family and the excitement of Christmas just around the corner.

I was thinking today about how things have changed and thinking about my past Thanksgivings.

Perhaps one of my fondest was in 2002 or 2004.  I cannot remember exactly.  I was a young newlywed and pretty carefree.  I was working for dad, of course and spent a lot of time with my grandma.  We were on a cooking kick (well she was always on a cooking kick) and had plans for a big Thanksgiving.  We had the newest Southern Living at our fingertips and had studied it thoroughly.

We brined our turkey the day before.  We prepared our traditional cranberry salad together and spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving laughing and chatting in the kitchen.  I will be forever grateful for that day.

That night I came home, did my usual treadmill run and made my first ever batch of dressing and pumpkin roll.  I was up until 2 or 3 and didn't care.

We had the best Thanksgiving.  We took extra pains setting the table.  We put the turkey on a big platter, placed it in the middle of the table and surrounded it with the dressing balls I had made.  We drew names for Christmas, squealing at the delight of getting a female name or groaning in agony of what to get the men in our family.  I might have drawn my own name and sneaked it to my grandma.  We were all smiles, all thankful, all blessed.

All I can think now is why didn't I get a picture?
Maybe if I document it here I'll never forget it...though likely I never will.

Fast forward to present day.

And some things never change.  I'm still making pumpkin rolls and just got my fourth out of the oven.  I took a break to come upstairs and let Carsyn splash around in my tub while I sat at my computer.  I had planned on doing a little pre Black Friday online shopping, but my mind wandered to Thanksgiving past.

I'm so very thankful.  And it never hits me until I get a chance to think.  To really think.

I'm thankful my pops gave me the day off to cook with my littles.

I'm thankful that I get to spend tomorrow with my In-laws who comprise of the sweetest individuals I'm blessed to call family.

I'm thankful for a husband that prepared my favorite Margherita pizza for dinner.

I'm thankful I made it through the day with one very mild toddler tantrum.

I'm thankful my sweet boy is feeling better and hanging with big sister on the sofa.

I'm thankful for sweet friends I can always chat with about little things..(wink, wink-you know who you are).

I'm thankful for leggings which I will promptly rock all weekend.

And..I'm thankful this sweet, perfect baby girl (aka my niece, Emersyn Kingsley) finally made her debut!