A "Different" Kind Of Thanksgiving...

I'm not really crazy about "different"...change...all that stuff, but no matter how I don't like it, things are gonna change (sigh...).  And this Thanksgiving was definitely "different" for me.

This year half of my kids would not be here to celebrate the holiday with me so I decided that I wouldn't host the lunch at my house.  It was Justin, Sarah and Parker's year to be in Arkansas with Sarah's family and Caitlin and Kevin would be staying in Ohio this year.  I was, however, happy that I would get to see David and Codi and Ryan and Allison, so I agreed to just let my mother-in-law prepare Thanksgiving lunch at her house this year and I would pick up again with our Christmas dinner for over 30 people.

As the day drew nearer, I got a little sad about things changing in this empty nest of ours; birds now flew in and out as they pleased as I awaited for a visit.  I never thought I would see the day that I said I missed the noise and chaos that came along with this crew of mine...but I DO MISS IT!  And so I settled in for a quieter version of the holiday this year.

Caitlin invited Kevin's mom and her husband for lunch and decided to tackle her first turkey and dressing.  She called both grandmothers and stayed on the phone with her dad for the better part of the the day before, making sure that turkey of hers wouldn't turn out like the one on Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and her dressing wouldn't be dry.  HEY!  I was just impressed that she had decided to jump in there and tackle the meal, herself.

           OK...So, these are just a few photos she sent me; looks pretty YUMMY to me!


I went and picked my mother up and then we headed over to my mother-in-law's house for our own Thanksgiving lunch...

And then after much chit-chat around the dining room table, I remembered the tree!  Glancing at my watch I saw that the nursery would be closing in about an hour and we had to get down there and pick out the "Perfect Tree" to be delivered the next day...

We found it and arranged to have it delivered the next morning so the Christmas decorating could begin.  I was a "different" kinda Thanksgiving and well, I still really don't like change that much when it comes to my holidays, but it was still a good day and I am thankful for some things that NEVER change...

Like this silly guy!  I just wanted a picture of us and after looking at the picture told him he needed to open his eyes...

                                                                            He did!


From my BIG, FAT FAMILY to yours...I hope you enjoy EVERY minute of this holiday season with the people you love!