Our Thanksgiving Traditions

Over the last 5 years our Thanksgiving traditions have changed drastically.

Growing up as a child my Mom’s side of the family would all gather in my grandparents house that I now currently live in. Well this house was built in the 1890’s best we can figure. It is not a big house at all. So when we had oh about 10 to 15 or more adults and about 10 kids all here when we were little it was great. All us kids would pack around card tables in the living room adults in the dining room.

Well as we all grew up, the kids that is. For some reason the living room shrank. We no longer could fit at the tables with chairs and we expanded from that to a few tables and sitting on the actual furniture. From then it went to adding more to our family. This resulted to one year that my dad, my sis, a few others, and I ate our meals on the porch. Now think about this, end of November in Northern Michigan, generally means that white crap is falling from the sky. Needless to say we ate our meals that year really really fast.

Then things changed. Changed drastically. That following turn of the year my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer. Then it turned into brain cancer and was given 6 months. Well if you knew my grandpa he was rather stubborn. He looked at that doctor and told him “NO I will see my first great grandson born.” Now my sis had just found out she was expecting. Absolutely no way she knew what she was having yet but grandpa was adamant it was going to be a boy. So 6 months went by and in fact my sis had my first nephew in September, Labor Day in fact. We then had a very small Thanksgiving that year. Just gpa, gma, my parents, sisters, our significant others, and of course the baby! It wasn’t until the following July that my grandfather passed.

So that following year again it was just us. Plus it was also the last year my gma would be the one cooking. I so miss her cooking. Anything you wanted she would instantly whip it up. Or send you to the store so you could get the ingredients and then would make it with you. I so miss her hot sauce, doughnuts, sugar and molasses cookies, pies, oh so many things to list. I’d have to say we were spoiled rotten with her as a gma.

That next year my gma was real sick. Barely made it home in time for Thanksgiving which now inevitably ended up at my sisters house. When you have a big house guess who gets nominated. Sorry sis. All in all she did an awesome job cooking and gma was there and so proud of her.

Then last year was a very rough one. Gma had passed in February to cancer as well. So when the holidays came it was a major blow. We got through it together. It was rough and some of us dealt with it better than others, but we were there for each other. It wasn’t until this summer that we have finally laid her ashes to rest with gpa. I’m sure this holiday will be rough at times, however I’m sure we will make it.

Now that our family is growing it’s time to carry on old and make new traditions. We still get together at sis’s house. She does most of the cooking, with help from gma above I know it. Since my first nephew she has had two more. Plus we have the girls. So eventually our family will grow huge again, with many stories and traditions to carry on as well. The nice thing is her house will hold a lot more.

The ironic thing is that I’m sitting here writing this post just about to finish and send it off for you to see and listening to the radio and what do I hear. My mother’s voice. Requesting to hear the song If Heaven by Andy Griggs in remembrance of my grandparents. Talk about mysterious timing. Things like that are how I know they are watching over us. So as I wipe away a tear from my eye, gather myself, it’s time to round the girls and head to eat the glorious feast my sis has prepared.

I wish all of you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving. Cherish your family, friends, time, and traditions. You never know when things will change. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

When Hubby's Cook.....

So the other night I got a real treat. The hubby decided to fix dinner. So nice of him. He made one of the few things he can make, spaghetti.

Now my hubby is the stereotypical bachelor type cook. You know the few easy things that they can make that eventually need very little if any at all combustible action to finish. Like mac n’ cheese, scrambled eggs, ramen, and of course you can’t forget the grilled cheese sandwiches. Plus anything they can throw in a microwave or no big hassle in the oven.

So now it’s November and that of course means venison. The hubby’s absolute favorite meal of all I really do believe. He cherishes hunting season so much that it is the only time of year he takes a vacation. Welcome to living in Northern Michigan.

So I come home to him telling me he wants venison steaks for dinner last night. So okay I get it all out get it all started. He decides he is going to offer to help me. HA yeah right!! Flashes from last year fly through my mind.

Coming home to so many cars stopped on the main road in front of my house. I mean main road in the terms of our house is about 20 ft from the curb of a major highway. No one going anywhere all just staring at the house. Fire trucks everywhere, lights flashing, firefighters running all over. People standing and gawking at my house, pure, total, and absolute mass chaos.
Ok OK! So I’m exaggerating it wasn’t that BAD. Nothing like that at all in fact just my imagination.

Last year however he did try to cook some steaks. I did come home to smoke filling my whole kitchen and lots of that horrid burnt smell filling my home. Lasted for days after, just as if the house really did catch on fire.

So of course I’m like “OH NO! I got it dear, we don’t need a repeat.” He just grins.

So I finish cooking we enjoy our meal and today I’m so thankful that my hubby wants to help me. That he will cook things he know he can. That he will offer to help, even though he knows he has no idea how to do it. Plus most of all that we still have a house and the hubby hasn’t decided to try to cook anything new since then. Sometimes I wish he would venture yet I cherish our house/home more. : )

Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving Tomorrow!!!