Happy Thanksgiving! 2012

I was really concerned about Thanksgiving this year. I felt so bad because we had made a decision to make dinner at our house instead of doing the tour de turkey that usually takes place. I felt even worse because as the day drew nearer and when the day finally began I felt I hated the holiday. How horrible, my once favorite holiday and I just could not bring myself to feel thankful, joy or happiness that it was here! Of course now I feel it was a great day and went better than I could have hoped. But isn't that how things seem always in retrospect? If you have to travel all over the place, how do you do it? Or if you made the decision to stay put, how did you come to that decision?

 

It has been a big stress for me. We go to have a lunch-dinner with Brandon's family. This event is always so laid back. It is pot-luck buffet-style because there is too many people in attendance for one person to cook. And I think that is a lovely idea! This coming from a person who can barely touch a turkey let alone prepare one! And I am so thankful that Brandon did the prep work and everything!

 

But then from there we would have had to leave after about a couple hours to go to my mom's house for dinner there. These last few years we haven't made it because of communication errors. It's hard to hear a cell phone in a loud house full of people, especially when it is only a text message sent. Then, by the time I look it is too late. That makes it hard too with a baby (ahem, toddler), who needs to take a nap or be extremely cranky for majority of the day.

 

So this year, we just made an appearance at Brandon's aunt's house after getting the turkey into the oven and the potatoes into the water. We were there for a short amount of time, just long enough to say some "hi's", partake of the family photo (cannot wait to see how that turned out), then head back home to check on the turkey.

 

We invited my Dad over. I don't think I have spent a Thanksgiving with him since we hosted in '09! I was glad that he came and we got to celebrate our first cooked turkey with him. The food was delicious, and Nikolai was so happy to see his "papa", as I have now learned that is what he calls him. :)

 

Sp despite the fact that I hated the idea of missing it with some people, I got to spend it with someone else whom we have rarely spent the holidays with. We made it to a family picture, and that does not happen too often (a picture).

 

I am sad that I didn't get any pictures of Nikolai's second Thanksgiving, or our very first turkey. But at least the stress that started in the morning did not end with the day. I think Brandon was even more stressed out than I was because it was technically his first Thanksgiving not being with his family. I think it added to it that he was sort of taking it out on me. It's hard. But eventually we will figure out our own holiday traditions. :)

 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! :)