Holiday Preparations....

Holiday preparations are always crazy; and this year is no exception for us! It is a juggling act trying to accomodate so many people. My parents, Don's Mom, ourselves, and our own families: Shawn and his, and Amber and hers.

The only constant thing, we can depend upon is Thanksgiving at Don's moms. Every year, dinner is at 1 o'clock! Like clock-work. We know we will be invited. We know who will be there. We know, we will be able to spend time with Shawn and his family as they will be there, too.

My family is another story completely. Over the past 6-7 years, we've tried just about everything! doing dinner the day before, the day after, the day of Thanksgiving. Having it here at my home, having it at my parents. Including Amber and her family and somehow managed to jugggling it all.

This year will be so very different. My mom desires to go out! No long hours spent cooking, preparing, moving tables over to her home; or having it here. I've come to accept that. It is hard on her... trying to accommodate everyone's wished and desires, along with their thoughts and feelings so everyone is happy. I believe as my parent's age, it is easier for them to do this in their home. They are more comfortable there and I can respect that. There home is smaller than mine, but I am able to get past that, just to have the opportunity to share with everyone. You never know what Thanksgiving will be the last, so put your differences of opinion aside... it is only one day!

I can definately relate to as I myself have attempted to have Thanksgiving dinner here, on more than one occasion. It gets crazy! As much as you love everyone, you cannot please everyone. Eventually, someone's feeling are hurt over the most trival little things. Scheduling conflicts, what to serve, ham or turkey? I hate to accept that it has come to this but that, my dear blog readers, is the truth! There is nothing consistent about it. Try as hard as I might, I've never managed to establish that old time tradition with my family. It is a hard reality and it hurts. This year, I am trying my darnest to accept that and remain thankful to have family to even worry about spending it with, in whatever way they choose to spent it!

I have to admit this is hard for me. I want my descendants to remember Thanksgiving spent at Grandma's house like I did growing up. We knew without question we'd be there! We knew without question, even with over 200 people sometimes, everyone would pitch in and be accomodated. There was no stress and differences were set aside for another day. It was a day to be THANKFUL!

That tradition, crumbled and fell by the wayside after my Grandma Kennedy past away. We struggled, attempting to reclaim that, until a few years later, my mom re-established a Thanksgiving Day tradition within her home for our family. Getting together with 4 older brothers, their families, 2 other sister, and there families, with some out of state, into a small two bedroom home was a challenge but with God's grace, somehow, it all come together. Some years, some didn't make it; other years some did. As our families grew, and our parents aged, that tradition crumbled and fell by the wayside. Our parents were invited elsewhere and graciously accepted; while the rest set out to establish our own traditions.

So, my family and friends, that is where we are today. Trying to re-establish. Hey, it is a FAMILY TRADITION! LOL!

(Just so you know... I hesitate to push that "publish" button! But I have decide to. I'm intending to create a scrapbook page about this later, not just for my own therapy, but for Alexxis. I hope she will one day be able to experience a Family Tradition; one so very different from what you've read here. One of love, thankfulness, of caring about putting differences aside and just accepting one another as they are. I hope she'll understand that just because you aren't able to love someone as they desire to be loved, doesn't mean you love them any less! Sending my love to family and friends, wherever and however you are... I love you and I'm grateful to be able to simply call you, "FAMILY & FRIENDS")