Giving Thanks

When I was a kid, we didn't go to my Grandparents for Thanksgiving. In fact, I don't remember celebrating Thanksgiving at all. That doesn't mean we didn't. It very likely means no one took any pictures. I remember best if someone took a picture. 

We went in December during Christmas break. All the aunts and uncles and cousins and cousins kids and special neighbors were there and we ate lots of food and the cousins played inside and outside and must have made plenty of noise, which me, of course, being one of the perpetrators would have no idea, then or now, how loud we were.

This Thanksgiving was at our house, which has been the usual for several years. This year was Lynette's "off year," so we were a slightly smaller crowd than usual. We have a turkey and a ham and all sit down for our meal and then the kids rise up to play. They play inside and outside and the noise depends on the ratio of inside to outside play. I stayed inside and did the dishes with the help of Lorene and Mom. 

The cousins all play together and ignore the adults unless they are forced into a game hour, which we didn't do this year. 

That's the point of this story. I went to my grandparents in the sandhills twice a year, summer and winter. I loved to go there. I can't explain why I loved that place so much. I don't remember any real connection to my grandparents when I was a kid. They were background to the whole experience. It wasn't until I was not a kid anymore that they became "real people" to me. I remember still the house, the banging of the gate into the yard and they lesser one of the house door. I remember the enclosed porch where leftovers were stored after the big Christmas Day dinner, that led to a funny little room that had stairs to the basement where Grandpa kept some of his tools and the bedrooms that belonged to Mom and Aunt Barb, once upon a time. Upstairs was the big table where we ate when the company left and the smaller kitchen where the aunties all helped with the dishes. Outside, I remember the fenced in yard, to keep the dogs and chickens out. the near garden and the far garden, the Big Hill I climbed to rejoice at the top of the world with the wind in my hair. Grandpa had his workshop in the garage. The chicken house was farther on. 

Back to the present....

We ate, the cousins played and the grandparents were in the background. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be. Kids having a wonderful time at Gramma and Papa's. I'm not looking for constant interaction with the grandkids. It's not the right time. The time now, is to solidify their relationship with their cousins and remember that Gramma's house was a good place to be.

Pie Time

Screen time

Lego Time

Game Time

Puppy Time

Outside Time

Zane is getting big enough (hee hee) and old enough that we work together some. 

He made the glaze for the ham. We needed a recipe, thus the phone. 

The difference between then and now is that all the kids come and say goodbye with hugs when it is time to go. There were never any hugs back in my day and I don't remember any "thanks for having us," but I hope there were. 

 

4th Annual Memorial Day Picnic -- At The Farm

Families are like pieces of art -- you can make them from almost anything, and kind of material  Sometimes they look like your DNA and sometimes they don't.  The only ingredient you need to make a family is unconditional love. 

--Mitch Albom, Author

Taking a nap on a plank bed.

Hunting frogs in the creek. 

 Gun safety, and shooting practice.

 

Hiding from the shooting range.

A better place to be safe. 

Checking out the camouflage. 

This is the fourth year we've gathered together to enjoy ourselves on Memorial Day weekend.  Three of those years, we've been on The Farm, one at our house, because it rained.  

The two other previous years at the farm, we left early because of threatening storm and rain.  This year, we were on our way home when the sprinkles fell.

In our experience, over our 30+ years of marriage, we've had more rainy Memorial Day weekends than not.  

Christian turned 7 during these crazy times of COVID-19k restrictions.  The plans are to have a party later with big brother Barry.  We brought him a gift on pool cleaning out day.

Christian still got a cake for the big day. 

Jim spent some time this month helping a friend with a sewer problem that turned out to be part of  the city's problem and resulted in replacement of both sewer and water lines.  Jim did some of the digging and got a thankful response.

Mother's Day.  

Lorene decided this year to give me fake flowers, since I've managed to kill every other plant she's given me.  The little one is a succulent.  They are harder to kill, since they thrive on neglect. 

May 16th -- Still too cold to go all the way in. 

Giving Thanks 2019

When I was a kid we always went to my grandparent's house during Christmas vacation. 

It was my favorite place in the whole world.  

There was family there, a familiar house, and lots of food and games and cousins.  

I especially enjoyed the years when there was snow.  We would play outside, making snowmen and sledding down 'the big hill' (which isn't so big anymore).  Then we would come inside and dump our boots and snow suits and put our wet mittens on the floor furnace.  

This thanksgiving we had snow, and friends and family and food and games.  There were grandsons to play outside and make snow forts and snowballs, and sled down the steps.  

They came in and dumped boots and snow pants and put their gloves to dry by the fireplace (and in the dryer).

I've come full circle.

I can't seem to find the words to explain how much those days at my grandparents meant to me.  I've always valued history, especially family history, and their place meant the continuity of it to me. 

It was just so special.

Now I have a place I love, and there is family that comes and talks and eats and plays and enjoys their time. There are kids who play with toys their parents played with and dump their stuff just like their parents did. Those kids are comfortable in my house and with their Papa and Gramma.  I'm supervising my kitchen and my family is around me.  

And I still can't explain exactly the way it makes my heart feel.

This is the only photo from this day,

but there are a lot more in our memories.

Thanksgiving 2017

 Most of the time we are eating Thanksgiving dinner at our house.  We have plenty of room, and much of the dinner comes from our garden.  

This `post has rather a picture overload, but it was such a good day both inside and out.

Everyone was happy, and our place looks so nice. 

This is our family at our home. 

Spinning the football.

Not looking.

Looking.