Thanksgiving!

Some of my best, and worst, memories surround this wonderful holiday. The whole season is a time for love and family, and it really ought to last the whole year through. Good food, good friends and beyond that? Love!

I remember my first Thanksgiving with Kelly. I spent the whole night getting up and basting a turkey, roasting it in the oven to golden perfection. The first time I ever cooked the holiday dinner by myself. It was like a little ball of chaos in the bit of my stomach, because I didn't know him as well as I do now, and I was so worried I would burn something or he wouldn't be happy with my cooking! (My how far we have come from those panic-filled moments watching him take the first few bites!!!)

7 years later I know he will eat literally anything I set in front of him, no matter how burning hot, freezing cold, half cooked, burnt, or otherwise inedible it may be. :D

After we moved back to Oklahoma I have become the one who cooks Thanksgiving dinner for not only my husband and five beautiful wonderful amazing children, but also my parents and my two sisters and brother. This year it is extending out to include family friends, my brothers fiancée and perhaps her mom, and anyone else who walks through the door! (While I don't really mind cooking for all these people, I can't help but relive some of the bad memories I've endured at the hands of people who are closest. It is a real drag to hear echoes of laughter from melting cranberry gel sauce that was home made, to the burnt pie left in the oven and forgotten because of having too much going on.)

Stronger than the sad memories are the happy ones. Watching everyone sit down together for the only meal all year that everyone is together for. Thinking of the past years the same scene at different and far-flung tables. Loved ones lost grace our table in shades of the past as they were when they were with us. It is a strong together feeling, and it is a blessing every year to be able to share this time with family.

It may include wrestling kids into sitting at the table, a three ring circus in the kitchen, months of shopping and menu planning, days filled with baking cookies and candies, 5 turkeys, pounds upon pounds of side dishes~ but when it is all said and done and we're still eating left overs a week later it sort of seems worth it! I know I'll curse Thanksgiving while I'm finishing up tomorrow in a crazy flurry of activity! I'll throw my hands up and crash in bed after dinner leaving someone else to worry about any left over dishes. I'll happily do it again next year. ;)

Life is full of moments, and these are some of the best ones available.