Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving

I know it's a few days late, but I hope you enjoyed a safe, blessed Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving looked different than years past, as was the case for many people. Traditionally Dave has spent Thanksgiving up north hunting with his dad and brothers (although last year he opted out of hunting for the first time in a long time). I head to my parents' house on Wednesday, spend a hellish night because Teddy is possessed and doesn't sleep, get up early to run the turkey trot with my brother (followed by beer and cheese curds because I live in Wisconsin) before heading home to celebrate with my family and the crew there for deer hunting. 

This year, for the first time, we bought turkey and planned to make our own Thanksgiving dinner. The advantage is we could make what we wanted: turkey breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, Grandma buns, green bean casserole and pumpkin churro cake. It wasn't just the 4 of us, though, because one of our childcare providers opted to stay in town for the holiday. She's an incredibly responsible young lady (and I'd say that even if she didn't read the blog), and she felt it was safest to stay within her circle rather than heading home to her parents' house for the weekend. We're truly grateful for all she does for us, including her conscientiousness to protect Teddy from potential exposure to COVID, so we happily welcomed her into our home for the day. Trust me, it makes our lives easier to have someone to help wrangle Teddy. She manages to dance the line between playing with the boys and having adult conversation with us, so we all enjoy the time together.   

Two turkeys did the turkey trot/bike ride this year.

AJ and I headed out for our turkey trot, with him on his bike, and enjoyed 5 miles of fresh air. The boys snacked on pumpkin pie before we started making our meal. AJ was enthralled by the parade, and Teddy periodically stopped to dance when the music caught his attention. We watched the dog show and provided our own commentary as we enjoyed a delicious meal. 

Our afternoon was rounded out by some time outdoors, a Christmas movie and some leftovers when we had a bit of room. Then we went to opening night of a choreographed Christmas light show designed and programed by an 11-year-old in a nearby neighborhood.

I know Thanksgiving was different for so many this year, especially those who lost loved ones. There's a few people who hold close in our hearts this holiday season, knowing that the joy of the holidays brings new waves of grief for them. Yet, we have so much to be thankful for and enjoyed a truly blessed Thanksgiving.