Turkey Day Reflections

 When it comes down to it, Thanksgiving (Turkey Day as I like to call it endearingly) is about being with the people we love most and making lovely memories to last a lifetime. If I had to choose, Thanksgiving would be my favorite holiday hands down. (And if you haven't chosen one yet, you should. Because inevitably at some point in your life, someone will insist that you share your favorite holiday with them during some silly ice breaker game. You don't want to look as if you have never put any thought into it before.)

It's my favorite holiday for lots of reasons. First of all, it always falls towards the end of autumn, which is my favorite season. But not like the September or October sort of autumn. No, November is a sort of autumn all it's own. The world looks sort of sleepy but in this rich, welcoming way. The air is brisker carrying warm scents of comfort foods and perhaps some flurries of powdery winter dust. I love that it's all about togetherness and just enjoying time around people that you love (but without the pressure of  gifts and the commercialism that has unfortunately now consumed Christmas.) I suppose I love the simplicity of it. Nothing fancy. Just a meal and maybe some lovely traditions shared with loved ones. And of course..... THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE! I have seriously watched it every single year of my life no matter where I have been... or how old. I guess this is sort of a tradition I created for myself. As I have gotten older I make sure to pair it with some coffee and homemade pumpkin bread. A tradition I will carry on with my future family for sure!

Anyways. Looking back, it seems I have had the unique and beautiful opportunity to celebrate my favorite holiday in all sorts of places with all sorts of people that I love. I couldn't resist sharing some of my favorite memories on the blog today :)

There was the year this adorable little nephew of mine made his world debut right around Thanksgiving. 

                                                                                               

                                     

The year I traveled cross country with these crazies (but dear, dear friends) all the way to Michigan and back down to Ohio just to surprise my family for Thanksgiving. OH, so much fun I have pulling off surprises!

                                      

Of course it took the help of these two stashing me and transporting me in secret back to Boardman from Toledo :) Glad they got to share in the journey and the memory with me!

Of course there was also the year I came home (and wasn't sure why I bothered) because I packed more books than clothes and spent the majority of my trip in the library. 

But the little bit of time I had to spend with old friends made lugging all those books home more than worth it :)

                                      

                                      

Then there was our black Friday shopping adventure with these lovely ladies. We had a lot of fun and managed to make a lot of sleepy but wonderful memories. Also, I got to watch Charity be a "mean mom" in Toys R Us...haha I am still rather shocked we made it out of there alive after accidentally cutting in line that wrapped around to the street.... #whoops #deadmeat #meanmoms

 That was also the year I snapped one of my all time favorite pictures with my daddy :)

Candy counter visits

And how could I forget the year I experienced my first genuinely southern Thanksgiving. In Alabama with this lovely family! They really are beautiful people and it was such a joy to share that holiday with them. Also...this is the year that I chose sweet potato casserole over more shopping and I almost had an identity crisis. 

Our very first Thanksgiving in Seattle. We planned for three and had to up our anty at the last minute when we unexpectedly ended up with seven. Forever thankful for this evening because it brought us some of our closest west coast friends!

We couldn't even get enough of each other, so after a night of shopping and overeating, we met up again for the Seattle Thanksgiving Day parade. It was quite disappointing, but of course we still get the fun memory out of it and our friends :)

                                      

I insisted we save the wishbone. Josh and I decided to break it a couple weeks later. Yay! A wish for me!

And then of course last year I spent Thanksgiving in Oklahoma (all over Oklahoma actually) with my very best friend in the entire world. This was also deemed the year of the matching cupcake sweaters. 

So. I suppose I have spent Thanksgiving all sorts of ways...but every year has one common thread that ties them all together. THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE!

Just kidding (although that parade is certainly a thread in itself.) The thread that holds them all together are the people I have shared them with. The places are really irrelevant as long as I am stuffing my face with someone I love around the table with me! 

Happy Turkey Day week, friends! You better start baking so you can be all ready the morning of, with a toasty warm cup of joe and pumpkin bread fresh out of the oven!