Thanksgiving

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Around Thanksgiving, I remembered that I had written a open about the holiday back several years ago, so I headed to my room to dig around for it. This is what I wrote:

Thanksgiving Day is here, hip-hooray!

Before we feast, let us now our heads and pray

Appreciating every family member and friend. 

The blessings we count go on without end. 

Tables overflowing with food,

Smiles across faces, all are in a good mood. 

Tummies are full and ready to pop

But everyone knows the pie is the cream of the crop. 

Making room for a slice

One bite and you won't even think twice. 

Family from all over uniting,

It's all so exciting!

Remember how lucky you are

To be blessed with so much near and far. 

Take time to thank God with praise so devout. 

This is what Thanksgiving is all about. 

Yay for pie!  Although this year was quite different from any other Thanksgiving, I still really enjoyed it. I threw together a hodgepodge of leftovers for a small dinner, then had lots of pie!  I also added milk, yogurt, cereal, and pumpkin seeds to give it some umph. 

There is a silly song I heard on the radio once, and I had to go find it online. It's not on iTunes, but the link below will take you to a YouTube version of it. Maybe it will inspire you to eat or make some!  "Sumpkin About Pumpkin Pie"

Thanksgiving is one of those times the comics are especially entertaining. This one relates to me quite well. Yes, I went for a run on Thanksgiving morning, as I have the past two years as well, but I don't need a big food excuse! (Although that is good motivation) I just love to run. So does Frazz. 

Thanksgiving lunch this year was not the norm. Most of my family is getting older and can't travel or open up their home to an entire family anymore, so we were all on our own. Mom woke up at 2:00 with the stomach virus, so she didn't get to celebrate. --Side note: Thanksgiving Break is not a good time for health in my family!  Two years ago, Dad woke up throwing up, last year, just after my race on Saturday I got terribly sick, and this year it's mom!  Looks like Dad will be up again next year. -- Dad signed us up for Thanksgiving lunch at Regency, the retirement village where his mom, my Granannie, lives. We met her there and are in the dining hall. Cafeteria food is a little better on holidays, but it is what it is. The turkey was fantastic, and I are the carrot spice soufflé like dessert!  I got seconds on the meat and thirds of the soufflé and ate half of Dad's too!

This has been a stressful year, but really looking on it, I can't express how blessed I am. I am so fortunate to have this life that I have with such a supportive family, always putting up with me and my crap. 

This is a project we did in my Spanish class last year. I am thankful for hope in Christ!

Dad's work have their entire two plants' workers a coupon for a free turkey at Food City!  I love me some turkey!  Buddy's BBQ will roast and cut up a whole frozen turkey you bring in!  (With a small price). That's what Dad did to get ours, and it was delish!

My seasonal water cup

Snoopy calendar!  It always gives me great pictures to share, send, and post. 

What is a major holiday without watching a Chalrlie Brown movie. 

This is a drawing I made in art class my freshman year that now hangs on my wal year-round. This seemed like a good time to share it. The filling of the letters contains a little bit of many things that are blessings in my life. 

This is a copy of the original picture that I gave to Granannie a couple years ago. 

This one is even from all the way back in middle school. 

I was so excited to have a Thanksgiving animal!  I don't have any socks, but this turkey is even better!  I named him Trot, like a Turkey Trot. I'm still running, so I thought it fit. Charlie and Snoopy are also decorating my cup for the big dinner. 

I gave my secret sister from cross country this decorated container filled with some of her favorite goodies: candy corn, nuts, suckers, and brown sugar!

Now let's do something Thanksgiving is meant for, recalling memories. 

I'll caption these clockwise. 

One if my favorite pictures of myself. That is my cousin Alex's hat. 

My 3 greatest cousins from South Carolina: Peyton, Justin, and Caleb

My turkey toes 

Reading to my young cousin

A day-before-Thanksgiving walk at the park with Frisco and Mom the last time we had good weather

Snapshots from around the farm

The most recent family photo we have

Dad being Dad. I love this one!

Posing by the fence with all the beautiful scenery

A candy turkey my friend's mom made all the way back in 7th grade

Cliche caption-a "poetic" picture of the walk up to my cousin's house

With the cousins at the river and the horses in the grass

Mom's wonderful deviled eggs, even though she doesn't even like them and hates to make them

Beautiful view of the sun starting to go down on the river (which also looks like the beach)

To tie things up for the Thanksgiving in review, you should read this blog post from Ryan & Sara Hall.

Thankfulness Brings Increase

 

A key thing to remember to help us be content no matter what is going on in life:  God tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

This will bring us true joy.

 

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Another morning to sleep in!  I wanted to change up my exercise today, so Mom and I went to the Jefferson City Community Center.  While I swam for a while then ran 11 minutes on the treadmill, Mom sat in her Yukon in the parking lot and occupied herself.  We then headed back toward town and met Dad at Taco John's for lunch.  This is also a festive restaurant!  They even add "Nachos Navidad" to their menu each holiday season, and they also put up decorations.

When we got home I finished what I had planned for lunch and tried something new.  I am very frustrated that I could not find any Christmas candy corn this year, because it makes an amazing snack with nuts.  Instead, I mixed some almonds, pistachios, and peanuts with honey and cinnamon.  YUMMY. 

Let the fun begin!

You have no idea how much I have been looking forward to this night.  It is my favorite night all year.

This is my lovely Granannie.  She is my dad's mom.  I just love how sweet and cute and beautiful she is.  We have so many terrific memories!

These are my cousins Matt and David from my mom's sister.

These are two of my favorite people in the whole wide world!  My mom's parents aka Mamaw and Papaw.  Their house is where we spend every Christmas Eve.  Mamaw says she feels like she feeds us the same food all the time, but I LOVE IT.  I could literally sit and eat all the vegetables she makes all night.  However, I had to stop myself to save room for dessert.  On Christmas and Thanksgiving she gets a ham, and other times she makes meatloaf.  Her fudge and peanut butter fudge and sweet potoato and pumpkin pies are also phenomenal!

After leaving Whitesburg (the little country town where my grandparents live), we went back to Jefferson City to my friend's house for a party!  We stayed until after midnight.  Here's some of the adults breakin it down...literally rockin around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop!

This is my good and crazy friend Danny.  His parents are the ones who host this yearly party, but he was tired from and early basketball practice and refused to let go of his blanket.

This is another one of my friends from Jeff, Alexandria.  Believe it or not, she is actually a grade younger than me.  Yes, I am short, I know.

Every Christmas Eve, I read the Christmas Story to Mom and Dad before we go to bed.  Because of the partying, it was 2 am before we got into bed, but we are celebrating Jesus here, not ourselves! 

Here is another passage of scripture that I have become very fond of this year.  It is in Isaiah 9, a prediction of Jesus's birth.

*He was born for us.

*All decision-making and governmental principles should be based on him.

*He is here to give us guidance.

*He is stronger than any earthly power or struggle.

*He never fails or ends.

*He gives us peace that cannot be reached through our own strength.

*There is no end to His rule and peace.

 

This is where the true joy of Christmas comes from!

Thanksgiving at Kits

Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays (behind Christmas, of course)!  Each year we go to my old-ish cousin's house in Greeneville, where they live on a 120 acre farm.  It's not a very functional farm anymore, but it is family land that still is home to many animals and old barns.  It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Kit and Gary hosting our family!

There was still some snow on the ground!  I've never had a white Thanksgiving.  When we arrived, I saw my newest cousin, Kayleigh, playing in the snow with her mom, Marenah, and their puppy.  I had to snap a photo becuase I thought this was just the most precious thing!  Little kids are so spirit-lifting when you can see them innocently enjoying all the simple things in life.  This was also the first time I have seen this little one in person.

After the big meal and desserts, we always take a walk down to the Nolichucky River at the edge of the property.  We have to be careful where we step to avoid the cow poop!  There are usually horses that I spend a lot of time petting on, but this time they were on the other side of the property and didn't come to visit.

The past 3 years, I have made an annual photo of the sun shining through the trees down on the river bank.  Late afternoon sunshine here is so gorgeous.

Like a small beach, the river is lined with sand!  No mussel shells to make it look more "beachy" this year, but even though it was cold, I still pictured spending a hot day relaxing here, so different from what I know in East Tennessee.

These are my favorite cousins!  When we were younger, we would always play together.  We only get to see each other once a year, but I just love them!  They are the most mannerly, respectful boys (now men), and give me hope for some of the guys I know!  They have all gone to/are attending Clemson in South Carolina.   Justin, the oldest and tallest in this picture, is now in medical school.  This year he has gotten engaged to a precious girl, not much taller than me, who came with him this Thanksgiving.  She actually reminds me a lot of myself!  Caleb, on the far right, is the middle child, and Peyton, on the far left, is the youngest.  When my dad and their dad, Alex, were growing up, they got to spend a lot of time together, and I love hearing all the crazy stories they have to tell from their childhood!

I almost got to pet this little guy, but he ran away right before I got to him.  Cows are just precious, in my opinion!

Here is a close up of Kayleigh and me.  At 16 months old, she is quite intelligent!  It amazes me to think that when I was young, Marenah, her mother, would play games with and read to me.  Now I am the older one, playing with her daughter.

This is my cousin Gary's guitar room.  There are 19 of them in here!  We didn't even know until he showed us this day, that he collected them.  This would be worth a lot of money!  How creative..