Thankful for Thanksgiving...

Aaahhh...the holidays. At our house, we have a few traditions that can't go unmentioned. On the Eve of the Day of Eating...we always watch HOME ALONE! We dress up in our pajamas and quote lines from beginning to end. Some of our favorites: "Buzz, your girlfriend, WOOF!" and "Santy don't visit no funeral homes, little buddy!" We may be crazy, but it just makes us happy! We can't start Thanksgiving until Kevin has slapped his cheeks and screamed AAAAAAHHHH into the camera! Of course, Thanksgiving morning starts bright and early with my dad cooking and the rest of us watching the parades. I still get excited for the Broadway show numbers, the Rockettes, and of course, the giant Snoopy and Charlie Brown balloons. Once we are all seated around the table, everyone takes a moment to express what they are thankful for, and we offer a prayer of gratitude. This year, more than ever, I have much to be grateful for. Health, employment, food, friends, a home, opportunities to serve, opportunities to learn, opportunities to love. We dine on the regular fare...turkey, yams, my dad's potatoes and gravy (my absolute favorite!), corn, rolls, spinach salad, stuffing, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, and once in awhile, my mother makes carrot pudding, (absolutely NOT my favorite!) It comes complete with lemon sauce, which I took home accidentally one year as a leftover and poured a generous amount over my potatoes before realizing it wasn't my dad's gravy. Imagine a mouthful of lemon-sauce covered potatoes...not a pleasant memory. The rest of the day is spent taking walks, taking naps, playing APPLES TO APPLES, ROOK, and doing a new 750 or 1000 piece puzzle. Later we enjoy leftovers, the men enjoy a little football, and we watch another movie. I'm counting the minutes until it begins, and getting giddy with excitement for the moment when I watch Kevin's mom walk through the door to find her son, the one she left home alone, safe and happy and so glad to see her. It gives me goosebumps, and always makes me shed a tear or two. It's what the holidays are all about...being home, not alone, but with the ones you love. Happy Thanksgiving to all!