I love Thanksgiving. Not only do I get to spend time with friends and family but I get to eat like food is a new discovery on this planet, and for that one day only, no one looks at my like I'm a crazy person when I go back for a 3rd plate (I tend to eat like a mad woman the rest of the year but the looks aren't as accepting outside of the Holiday season)! I must admit, though, Thanksgiving preparations tend to stress me out a little. I know when it comes down to it that my family won't lose their minds if there is a little dirt on the floor or a spot in the kitchen but I want it to look perfect for them. I like things to be in their place and shine. It isn't like Evan and I have the most exquisite furniture or dinnerware and our floors certainly don't go unstained or unscratched but I like to take pride in what we have and where we live. I never want my OCDness (yes, I am making that a word) of our home to take precedence over the love for the people in it but I want it detailed enough so the conversation can flow easily and never be hindered by something I didn't get done.
When our home is at its best, I feel at my best. When things are in order and ready to welcome anyone who may venture through the doors, I feel confidant and welcoming myself. The only problem in getting to that point, is the stress it takes to get there. When the cooking and cleaning begins, I am eager and ready to get it all knocked out but it is hard to keep up with all the chores that seem to magically appear once I get started. Why is it that the dust bunnies have such a great relationship with the mud tracked on the floor and the dirty toilets? It's like they talk to each other and demand a multiplication movement just as I begin to tackle the first order of business!
Anyway, I eventually overcome these pesky chores (ha! I am a winner after all) and tell myself to chill out so the hosting can begin. It has been a joy (once all that previous stuff is taken care of) to host Thanksgiving at our house the last few years. I was especially thrilled this year to share one table with our family. I truly wanted the group of us to sit around one dinner table and enjoy each others company so we could take time to look into the faces of those in which share our lives with. Thanks to the weather, and our great God, we were able to do that this year. My faithful husband helped me move the front porch furniture and a dinning room was assembled just in-front of my favorite red swing! With two 8ft tables, end to end, the 20 of us were able to gather in one spot to dine, laugh and have conversation. What a joy!
It was especially great to look down the full table and see the different generations that currently help shape my life. I was fortunate to spend this Holiday with my grandparents and Evan's grandfather. How lucky I am to still have them in my life! Also in attendance were mine and Evan's parents, my sister-in-law and cousins. What a blessing to have families that can get along and are willing to share their traditions and celebrations with each other. Beyond these generations, it was pure bliss to pass around the new baby of the family and share in Madison's very first Thanksgiving.
As we all sat together, stuffing ourselves to the bone and laughing, all the worries about the house, dinning table and serving dishes went away. Now, this feeling of anxiousness only left me for a little while but it was nice nonetheless. While seeing the family together, all the craziness of taking care of the house was more than worth it. I think my madness of preparation is part of what makes me enjoy the Thanksgiving lunch with everyone so much. It makes it stick out like no other day in the year. I love to share my home with my family and I hope they feel at home here too. I am unsure of how many more Thanksgiving we will all be able to attend together or how many times we will all sit around one table, but I no matter the number, this year was a win. Take that dust bunnies! And, Mr. Turkey: I'm sorry, but you sure were delicious!
2010 Thanksgiving Video (thank you Evan for your random video making skills)
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=536182550064
Table Ready for the Family:
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