Reflections on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving weekend.

Forever I will associate this holiday with going to my dad's parent's home in southwest Ohio (as Christmas brings up memories of Frostburg, MD at my mom's parent's house).

Just the word Thanksgiving conjures up visions of standing in Grandma's sitting room, eyeing the kitchen table ~ with the extra leaf added for more space ~ laden with delicious food.  I can still smell Grandma's cream pies finishing in the oven and envision my aunts and my mom spending the day in the kitchen working on our feast.  We kids (my sister, six cousins and I) spent much of our time exploring the farm ~ tossing rocks in the pond to watch the ripples, crossing the log bridge over the "crik," and avoiding the bulls in the cowfields.  To my recollection, my dad, uncles, and grandpa sat around watching football and discussing the year's corn or soybean crop.  In later years as cousins started getting married and having kids, we had to move from the farmhouse over to one of my aunt's homes for our meal.  And that was fun too, but in my mind's eye Thanksgiving dinner will always be me sitting on the couch using a TV tray in Grandma's sitting room, wondering when I'd be big enough to join the grown up table.   Oh the memories...

As I reflect upon this year's Thanksgiving celebration, I can't help but notice the similarities.  While it is my mom's turn to play the role of the grandmother whose house is visited and I'm no longer one of the grandkids, but one of the moms instead, our day was much the same.

Occasionally we got help mixing from some of our mini bakers.

But for the most part, my mom, sister and I spent a good bit of time in the kitchen, talking, laughing, and cooking,

while the kids ~ not quite the eight cousins from my childhood, but there are six between my sister and I ~ spent most of their time playing outside being kids.  In addition to exploring part of mom's acreage as highlighted yesterday, they spent time in the main yard as well.  There they tried out their skills at tree climbing.

Some higher than others.

look carefully, do you see caleb?  scary thing is that maylin is about five feet off the ground at the bottom  of the picture

They played on mom's swing set.

And they gave that little John Deere wagon a workout like it hasn't seen in a while.

Ian and Adam may not have been discussing this season's harvest, but they did spend a while chatting about Carolina Cross Connection, a ministry near and dear to our hearts.  And they may not have watched any football, but watching our little merry band of six kiddos was enough to keep them busy entertainment.

grandma m was on the scene too!

Like the Thanksgivings I remember from childhood, it was a wonderful day spent with some of the folks we love most.  And of course it wrapped up with a delicious meal.  Our newcomer to the family gave his hearty approval.

And we may have heard a grumble or two about not enough room at the kids table.  There may have been more than one request to join the grown up table from the peanut gallery.

But I know from this side of the fence that even at the kids' table, memories are being made.  And it makes me smile that already to them, Grandma's house "is where we go for Thanksgiving."