I Love Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. It is the one time of the year that our family gets together with no real expectations. No one has scrambled to find that perfect gift for the gift exchange. No argument over who gets the kids in that morning. Everyone is invited, family members, friends, or enemies. No hurry for families to scurry over to the in-laws because we are already together. There is laughter in every room. The cousins play card games, uncles cheer for their favorite sports team while the aunts discuss Black Friday tactics with store ads scattered over the floor. Christmas music plays in the background with the occasional group joining in at the top of their lungs. Food lines the counter, table, stove, and kerosine heater.

But my favorite part this year was sitting at the table, sharing. My brother had arranged the tables and chairs in "normal" fashion and you could see everyone. We all stood behind our chairs and gave thanks before heading to the dining room to fill our plates. The TV was turned off and we all just talked. My aunt started a new tradition this year by naming one thing she was thankful for this season. Everyone took a turn. Jokes and stories were shared. We laughed. Grandma cried as she shared that she had decided to give her heart to Jesus. This lasted all day. I love Thanksgiving.

(Did you think I was kidding about food on the kerosine heater?)

Update One

Summer.... (just a few details.)

-Moved off campus into a beautiful third floor loft apt. (I love it!)
-Acquired a new roommate.

(The following is a hodge-podge of events that occurred in no particular order).
-Babysitting fiasco: In short, a mother left her child alone. I got to talk to a nice detective with my new roommate and the vice president of GBS. LOL (It wasn't funny at the time. I was scared, but think about a 30 minute car ride to the police station with Bro. Miles and Brittany).

-Totaled car: I was on my way back from Wal-Mart when a Nissan, going very fast, rammed the back of my car and fled the scene. (How do I know it was a Nissan? Oh, that's because he hit me so hard he left the emblem in my bumper. Too bad it wasn't his license plate number!) Funny part of this story was that I had forgotten my cell phone so the policeman had to take me home......I had just come from visiting my parents and hadn't taken my clean laundry up yet. So picture me in a cop car with two baskets and a trashbag full of laundry in the backseat.

-Brittany tried to do sit-ups in my already lame desk chair. She broke it and fell flat on our kitchen floor.

-We "missed our exit" on the way to Cinci Mills and ended up driving down an exit that was under construction. Hilarious! Not safe, but funny.

-Brittany tried to be thrifty with her laundry and let it air dry on the fire escape. Result? Laundry all over the backyard and Dr. Farmer's backyard. Oh, let's not forget the tree. One shirt didn't make it to the ground. The nice cable guy got it with his ladder.

-We went to the Kroger in Bellevue. Saw a mouse run down the aisle, shopped, got out to discover a flat tire on Brittany's car that has no jack or spare.

-I consumed a whole Chinese meal in a movie theatre without detection.

-I was mistaken for Brittany's mother! Now that is funny. Brittany is trying on shoes and claims that she doesn't know if they are too big or not. I give my opinion, but it didn't satisfy so she turns to ask a lady walking by. The nice lady asks where her foot ends and then looks at me and asks "Is she done growing?" HAHAHAHAHA