Holidays Remembered

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of those spent with family during the holidays.  I can remember fondly the endless hours spent playing with my cousins, the time my mother and grandmothers would spend preparing an amazing dinner, the make shift beds for my siblings and I on the floor, the sounds of comfortable laughter, and just an ease, a peace that came with knowing I was with family. 

Now my roles may have changed, but these times are still the highlights of my year.  And this year's Thanksgiving was a much anticipated one around the Anderson household.  We prepared for weeks... Months for their arrival.  All would be here, every one of Jason's family.  It is a rarity for us all to be together.  But this was the year and we could hardly stand to wait. 

The girls and I took two weeks off of school to bake and freeze and clean and bake.  We got everyone's room ready so that each person would be as comfortable as possible.  The time was quickly arriving and we even prepared for Gracyn to have a family birthday party while everyone was here.  The anticipation was killing us... Especially Gracyn ;). 

The crew staggered in, but all had finally arrived by Wednesday.  Before the car doors were shut, Gracyn was bouncing up and down and shouting, "Birthday party now!?!?!  Yes?  Now?!?!"  We'd have to keep her at bay for a few more days, yet. 

Let me say, it was so nice, so nice to have the whole gang together.  Knowing that the people you love the most and who love you the most being together... Well, there's just nothing that tops that.  And when it's Jason's family, there's bound to be a lot of laughter and fun thrown into the mix.

As I cooked with Grandma by my side for most of the day Thursday, it warmed my heart to hear the conversations flowing in every crook and crevice of the house... The laughter of the kids running and playing outside... and Stuart's growling stomach wondering when in the world dinner would finally be ready ;).  It was all just as it should be. 

There were card games that brought out the best of us (you bunch a "passes"), family photos, many walks in the beautiful November weather, bocci ball, dirty bombs (you're welcome, Amanda), plenty to eat, and it just wouldn't have been a holiday without one of Stuart's Chinese talking toys (I think you've started a tradition).  The time passed much, much too quickly. So many memories squeezed into so few days... It was hard to say good-bye.

But, just as we anticipated the coming of Thanksgiving, we look all the more forward to spring and mushroom hunting in Southern Indiana.  A place that breeds a lot of mushrooms and home to some of the finest people I know.