Thanksgiving 2013

I like Thanksgiving.  It always reminds me that I've had a lot to be thankful for during the year.  Not just the typical being thankful for food to eat and a roof over my head, (which I obviously understand is a huge blessing) but I like to really think about the past year since last Thanksgiving and think about all the ways I've felt happy.  All the ways I felt self worth and loved by my family, friends and Heavenly Father, and all the ways I've been able to love them.  I tend to come off rather cynical at times, but in truth, I'm a softie on the inside.  Those who know me best, already know that.  Most of all I'm grateful for family.  I've had a lot of opportunities to think about my family and how much I love and appreciate them this year with all that's happened. All of it has reminded me of how much I appreciate and need them, all of them. From my immediate family of Husband and kids, the family I was born into with my parents and siblings, and the family I am married into with my amazing mother, brothers, and sisters in law.  All of them are about as close to perfect as I could ever want.  They are all important to me.
This was our first Thanksgiving on the East Coast in years.  I actually really like Thanksgiving here, because it reminds me of my first Thanksgiving with Scott's family when we were engaged.  It was my first time meeting Nick and Margie in person, it was also the first time I had met Dan, Kyle, and Brian.  I remember not being nervous, but also not having any idea what to expect.  It was so great to meet all of them and see Scott's teenage home for the first time.  I was so impressed with how delicious all the food was, it was the first time I ate Sweet Potatoes with butter and brown sugar, the first time I had Broccoli Rabe (an Italian dish) and the first time I ever sat at that dining room table.  I have nothing but good memories from eating there, from my first thanksgiving, to Christmas dinners.  Anyway it had been a long time since we'd been out there for Thanksgiving and it may be the last time we have it there since the house is now up for sale.  I'm glad I could be there for it.
Of course everyone missed Nick.  We were all thinking of him, and wishing he were there in person.  Before we started eating, Rob gave a toast to Nick.   I think we all felt him watching us that day.  The holidays are never easy when you're missing someone, but we were thankful to all be together at a time when his memory could be honored by keeping up traditions that he loved.  

Watching football, of course

Sammy all bundled up and just chilling in the carseat

Tanner crawled over to say hello.  This kid is such a sweetheart.

Appetizer time.  We like to snack on appetizers throughout the day while the bulk of the food is still being prepared.

Cream cheese with spicy jelly on crackers.  Don't knock it till you try it.

Getting things set up on the counter for snacking

Here is Dan, Kelsey, and Aunt Cathy in the basement kitchen cooking up part of the meal.  We were really lucky there were two kitchens to cook in because everybody had a ton of food planned out.

The kids played in the theater room in the basement and told scary stories

This was a fairly sound proof room so we kept them in here quite a bit

Turkey!  Rob prepared it this year.  It was delicious.

Brothers watching football

Seth thought the football was boring.  He's still too young.

Setting the table

The little kids had their own table this year.  I have vivid memories of my childhood and how much I loved being on the kids tables with my family that was my age.  Now my own kids have the kid table.  

Passing food around the table

PIE!  Yes, you are seeing EIGHT different pies to eat here.  Pumpkin, Pecan, Lemon, Apple, Chocolate, Razzleberry, Pumpkin cheesecake, and I can't remember the other one.

Jacob was worn out at the end of the day.  We came home, plopped him on the couch and he was out like a light.

It's been a hard year in general for both Scott and I.  So so so many changes.  We've both been more stressed out, more tired, and more overwhelmed than we've both been in probably all of our lives.  We don't know what the future will hold for us, it's been scary moving so quickly and adjusting to so many things.  Scott is actually gone a lot more working now than he ever was before, because he's studying for tests, helping a client who's being audited, going int tax season, learning how to run two companies, etc.  I don't mind being home with the kids, but it's harder when I'm in an environment I don't really know, with so little access to my old friends and family.  I took for granted how easily I could see them whenever I wanted.  My sister would always come to the house and just sit and watch TV with me and bum around the house with me on days when Scott would work because she knew it was hard for me to leave the house, but didn't want me to be alone either.  My mom would come over and help me with my kids during tax season so that I wouldn't get lonely doing my job. I had easy access to babysitting so I could go out to lunch with my friends for a couple of hours in the afternoons.  I'm still figuring out 4 kids.  It turns out, having two babies in a row is pretty hard.  Worth it, but man is it work.  The older ones also need to be picked up and dropped off at school, and then helped with their homework every day, I try (not so successfully) to make them clean their rooms every day.  Being a mom is a constant battle of getting things done without being overwhelmed.  A couple of days ago in an effort to organize the closets I hardly got anything done because my kids needed a lot of attention that day.  I asked Scott how on earth am I supposed to keep up with housework and still be a good mom to my kids, and which one do I sacrifice at which time.  He responded with, "When in doubt, pay attention to our kids."  He's right.  They matter most.  I need to be better at not getting frustrated when the house is dirty and just enjoy the fact that my children actually want to be with me, be held by me, spend time with me and played with.  Soon they're going to grow up and not care about all those things as much anymore.  I don't want to miss out on that, even if it means a sink full of dirty dishes sometimes, or a closet that still has summer clothes in it.  Someday I will get this figured out.  Hopefully it won't be nearly over by the time I do, even though that's how life seems to work.  Once I figure out my life, it changes.  It's just an endless cycle of learning how to overcome obstacles and grow as a person.  I've decided that Heavenly Father must really love me if he's constantly giving me the opportunity to overcome things, and improve who I am.  I'm thankful for that too.  I'm thankful for a life that is constantly helping me to become a better mother, wife and person.  Again, more than anything, I'm thankful for family.  They are what matters most. They have been so great and supportive through this whole adjustment. I've seen nothing but support from family members on both coasts.  The fact that they care helps so much.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.