I am so excited to be participating in the Guest Post Swap from CGSwaps! I love love love all of their swaps I have been lucky enough to participate in, and this one doesn’t cost a thing!
My partner is Megan from Here I Go With All My Thoughts. She has a wonderful swap post for you all!!
Nearly every single year, we celebrate Thanksgiving at my Uncle Kevin and Aunt Linda’s home. Kevin is my mom’s brother, the baby of their family. We gather at his gorgeous home in Lansing, MI. Every year brings a different attendance level, depending on who is dating someone new, who just had a baby, who had to spend Thanksgiving with other in-laws. But no matter what, it’s a fun day.
All the siblings, and now a lot of the cousins, bring something to share for the meal while Kevin handles the turkeys. My mom brings the green bean casserole. My aunt Tucky has the most delicious sweet potato casserole, and homemade pies. While the food is cooking and preparing, we munch on snacks, watch the Lions game, and sip on a beverage of our choice. (Read: Wine). Plus, there’s a little pile of paper cut out leaves and we are reminded by the younger cousins to write down what we are thankful for.
When dinner begins, we fill our plates with the delicious food and spread out at long tables. We say a prayer and the younger cousins read our leaves out loud. Some are funny- once my cousin Jack, just a little kid at the time, put “I’m thankful for cheese”. We all got a good laugh out of that one. Some are more serious or sappy. We try to guess who wrote what, it’s typically pretty obvious. And then we eat- and laugh- and share stories. It’s not often we’re all in one room, so we use that time wisely.
As dinner wraps up and dishes begin to pile in the sink, we all layer in warm clothes and head outside for a touch football game. We divide ourselves up and hilariously waddle through the mud, snow, or grass, depending on how the weather is that year. Some of us take it more seriously than others. Those not able to play stand on the sidelines to cheer and take pictures. This is my favorite part of the day. We just let loose and have fun.
We’re all exhausted after playing and usually collapse onto a couch or chair sipping coffee or hot chocolate. (or, more wine) and eat a slice of pie. Some play board games, others sit by the bonfire, some just continue their chats.
We usually leave around 7, but it feels much later. It’s been a long day and we’re tired. Once home, I flip on a Christmas movie or cuddle up with a book, smiling as I realize how grateful I am for my family.
The Thanksigivng I just described to you is a pretty clear picture of how you can find me celebrating Thanksgiving. Rarely do we stray away from this routine. And I honestly love it. It is probably my favorite day of the year.
What are your traditions? Does it change every year? Do you do anything special/unique?
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing the tradition, Megan! That sounds like a wonderful day (we eat a lot in my family, but never considered playing outside to burn off some of those calories on Thanksgiving! I'll have to propose that this year...)
And the gratitude leaves is a darling idea, as well! Thanks for that concept, which is such a simple but profound one.
And thanks to both of you for joining our guest post swap! :)
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